- Honda has revealed a new hydrogen fuel-cell stack and module
- Huge gains more than double durability, more than triple power density, cut cost in half
- Will initially go into Honda’s own hydrogen stationary power generators
- Developed entirely by Honda; agreement with GM remains in limbo
Honda on Wednesday unveiled its next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell module, and while it won’t enter production just yet, the automaker promises major gains over its current-generation tech co-developed with General Motors.
In a press release, Honda said the new fuel-cell module would launch with an output of 150 kw (201 hp), but in a smaller package, equating to more than three times the volumetric power density of its current fuel-cell module, which debuted in 2023. Honda also expects the new unit to be more than twice as durable as the current version, and claims it will cost less than half as much to produce.
Honda next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell module improvements
Production isn’t expected to start until 2027, however. In the meantime, Honda will launch a stationary power generator using its current-generation fuel-cell tech. That’s part of the automaker’s strategy to expand its fuel-cell business beyond cars to other applications, including construction equipment and commercial trucks.
The announcement is oddly timed, not only because Honda isn’t ready to start making the next-gen fuel-cell hardware, but because current-gen hardware, developed and made with GM, is just now reaching the market in the CR-V e:FCEV, a plug-in hybrid that offers 29 miles of battery-powered range.
Like other fuel-cell vehicles, this derivative of the popular Honda CR-V is available only in California, as it’s the only state with sufficient fueling infrastructure. Those fueling points have been a sore point in recent years as the vehicles appear to have made huge progress while hydrogen, sometimes trucked in, has been in short supply and prices of the fuel have soared.
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell business strategy
The generation previous to that, in the 2018-2021 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, already made great gains in durability and power density—allowing it to be packaged under the hood rather than taking over the cabin, thus also allowing more space for hydrogen storage. So while infrastructure remains an issue, hydrogen tech itself has made rapid progress in recent years.
This new fuel-cell module’s independent development by Honda likely signals a parting of ways between the automaker and GM, ending a fuel-cell development partnership that goes back to 2017—although neither company has made that official. Honda wouldn’t yet confirm to Green Car Reports if GM is involved in the new unit from a business standpoint.
In the meantime it appears that GM is shopping around; hydrogen technologies were one of the areas covered in a memorandum of understanding between the automaker and Hyundai signed in September 2024. GCR has reached out to GM for insight on whether this announcement from Honda may signal a decision between automakers on the latter.
–with additional reporting by Bengt Halvorson