Vitesco Technologies delivers electric drive system for the Honda CR-V Plug-in Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

Vitesco Technologies will deliver its EMR3 (Electronics Motor Reducer, third Generation) integrated axle drive to Honda for its all new CR-V e:FCEV that will be marketed in the U.S. and in Japan later in the year.

This is the first time a Vitesco Technologies’ drive system has been integrated into a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Along with the axle drive, Honda will install Vitesco Technologies’ fuel cell stack bypass valve to control the air flow to and from the fuel cell. This bypass valve is based on decades of experience with combustion engine air flow management which now proves to be instrumental for state-of-the-art fuel cell systems.

While the production numbers of the CR-V e:FCEV will probably not match those of other CR-V models, the vehicle is highly innovative: It combines a long range and quick re-fueling of an electric vehicle with a fuel cell system with the option to drive up to 60 kilometers purely electric with power from the 17,7 kWh high-voltage battery. In addition, the driver has a 110 V electric outlet in the car to supply electric devices with up to 1,500 W consumption. Thus, the vehicle can become a clean power source during power outages as well as for outdoor recreational activities.

“We are proud to deliver our proven EMR3 axle drive system to a car that combines so many innovative elements of clean mobility. It is good to see our drive technology fitting so seamlessly into Honda’s pursuit of carbon neutrality,” says Thomas Stierle, Member of the Executive Board and head of the Electrification Solutions division of Vitesco Technologies.

Vitesco Technologies’ EMR3 axle drive is a platform that integrates up to three drive system components in one unit: Electric motor, power electronics and reducer. For the Honda e:FCEV Vitesco Technologies will deliver an electric motor and power electronics version without reducer. Owed to very compact dimensions, low weight, high efficiency, and ease of vehicle integration, the EMR3 is one of the most successful Tier1 axle drive systems on the market. By the end of March 2024 more than 900,000 EMR3 Vitesco Technologies units were delivered to many brands and models worldwide.

The EMR3 version for the CR-V e:FCEV was jointly developed by experts in Europe, China and Japan. In the Honda SUV it pushes out 174 horsepower and offers 229 lb.-ft. peak torque. With a full hydrogen tank the vehicle is expected to have a range of over 600 kilometers plus an additional purely electric range of more than 60 kilometers. Manufacturing of the EMR3 has commenced at the Vitesco Technologies site in Tianjin, China.

“Hydrogen fuel cell systems offer an attractive option for stress-free, long-distance sustainable mobility. Our axle drive systems work smoothly and without noteworthy changes in an electric car with fuel cell system. This is another future proof for our successful drive technology,” says Gunter Muehlberg, Head of Product Management High Voltage Drives at Vitesco Technologies.