GM And Honda Split Up On Fuel Cells, And The CR-V May Pay The Price

Last fall, General Motors announced plans to stop working on next-generation fuel cells for its Hydrotec brand. At the time, the company noted the “path to reaching a sustainable business in fuel cells is long and uncertain.”

That’s an understatement and the automaker pointed out high costs and limited refueling infrastructure have hampered sales of hydrogen-powered vehicles. Speaking of which, the company noted there are more than 250,000 Level 2+ EV chargers in the United States, but just 61 hydrogen refueling stations.

More: GM Quietly Ends Its Hydrogen Dream To Chase EVs

Fast forward to today and Honda has decided to end production at their Fuel Cell System Manufacturing joint-venture with GM. Production will come to a halt before the end of the year and the decision came after “extensive discussions.”

Honda didn’t elaborate, but the talks focused on the continuation of the Fuel Cell System Manufacturing business. These discussions ultimately resulted in an “agreement to discontinue production of fuel cell systems at FCSM.”

The move comes roughly two years after commercial production began in January of 2024. The companies invested $85 million into the Brownstown, Michigan plant and the decision to end production appears to spell doom for the Honda CR-V e:FCEV.

The fuel cell crossover was introduced in 2024 and is available for lease in California. It features a 17.7 kWh battery pack, a front-mounted motor, and a 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) hydrogen tank. This setup gives the crossover 174 hp (130 kW / 176 PS) and an EPA range of 270 miles (435 km).

While GM has largely thrown in the towel on hydrogen fuel cells, Honda isn’t giving up. Quite the opposite as they’ve announced a next-generation fuel cell system that has been developed in-house. The company said they’ll use it to “further expand business opportunities in order to grow its hydrogen business as one of the new core businesses of Honda.”

Next-Gen Honda Fuel Cell