Key Highlights – 2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell
💧 Powertrain: Single-motor hybrid hydrogen system, 174 hp
🔋 Battery: 17.7-kWh pack, 29-mile EV range (Level 2 recharge in ~2 hrs)
⛽ Hydrogen Range: 241 miles (limited to California fueling network)
🏎 Performance: 0–60 mph in 8.3 seconds
💰 Price: $51,450 MSRP, Touring trim only
📦 Availability: 300 units per year, California-only
Honda CR-V Fuel Cell: Hydrogen’s Quiet Comeback
Honda produced its Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle beginning in 2008, its second generation in 2016 and ended production of the car in 2021. The automaker stopped offering the Clarity because it said there was low consumer demand and lack of interest.
That makes you wonder why the automaker is now producing the CR-V Fuel Cell, a hydrogen-powered five-seater version of its CR-V crossover SUV. The company says it is making the CR-V eFCEV to promote its long-standing hydrogen fuel technology as part of its commitment to be carbon-neutral 2050.
The idea here is to attract a wider audience for the rapid refueling of hydrogen, but the fact is, the new CR-V Fuel Cell car will only be available in California and Honda will only build 300 units a year. Hmm. Makes you wonder.
Why Hydrogen?
Put it this way: if the world is going to turn to hydrogen fuel for electric cars instead of electric batteries, a vast number of companies and governments would be pushing for hydrogen fueling stations across the globe. Currently, there are only 62 light duty refueling stations in all of California, which is the only state even really thinking about hydrogen fuel cars.
As of this writing in October 2025, there are only three vehicles you can buy in the United States that feature hydrogen as fuel and they are only available in California: the Toyota Mirai sedan, the Hyundai Nexo crossover, and now the CR-V Fuel Cell crossover.
The 2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell shares its styling (except for a unique grille and longer nose), interior, and driver assist tech, with other versions of the popular CR-V. But unlike other hydrogen vehicles, this one includes a plug-in hybrid 17.7-kWh battery pack for quick home charging.
Learn how EV batteries compare to hydrogen tech: EV Battery Basics: Care and Longevity
However, that EV battery will only take you 29 miles before the hydrogen kicks in. The single electric motor makes 174 horsepower but is a bit on the slow side of performance, taking you, Honda says, from zero to 60mph in 8.3 seconds. Hmm.
Two hydrogen tanks sit under the rear seat while the fuel and drive systems are under the hood. Honda tells us the new system is twice as durable, and costs less compared with the system used in the old Clarity.
The hydrogen powered CR-V drives pretty much like an average CR-V. Steering is lighter than the hybrid version but the EPA says the hybrid will get you to 60mph in 7.4 seconds and gasoline is a whole lot easier to find than hydrogen. Hmm.
Honda’s suggested price for the CR-V Fuel Cell starts at $51,450 MSRP and is only available in Touring trim which includes a heated steering wheel, digital gauge display, and leather upholstery. Your color choices for this sci-fi fandango are white or grey. That’s it.
Driver assist features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, driver-attention monitor, lane-keep assist and lane-departure warning all as standard.
Range is 29 miles on electricity, Level 2 recharging takes just two hours, and you get 241 miles of hydrogen driving range if you can find a working fuel station. But it will be a long time before hydrogen fuel cars will be available across America. Right now, California is leading the charge with its 62 stations and Hawaii offers two hydrogen fueling stations in Honolulu.
💧 Hydrogen & Clean Energy 101
- Hydrogen Fueling: How and Where to Refuel
Where stations are, how pumps work, and what to expect at the dispenser — a practical guide for first-time FCEV drivers.
Read More ➜ - How Hydrogen Vehicles Work
Simple breakdown of fuel cells, tanks, and electric drive — why FCEVs feel like EVs but refuel like gas.
Read More ➜ - Popular Hydrogen Vehicle Options
Today’s FCEV landscape in one place — who sells what, where you can get one, and how they compare.
Read More ➜
