Honda Motor Co. will construct a gas cell electrical model of its sixth era CR-V compact crossover beginning in 2024.

Along with utilizing gas cell know-how, which guarantees fast refueling and beneficiant vary, the automobile will function a plug that may allow drivers to cost the onboard battery for electricity-powered journeys round city.

The Japanese automaker will produce the autos at its Efficiency Manufacturing Middle in Marysville, Ohio. Honda didn’t say what number of CR-V gas cell autos it expects to construct, however the facility is used for assembling lower-volume merchandise and specialty efficiency autos such because the hybrid Acura NSX supercar, which ceased manufacturing there this month.

Honda, the world’s largest maker of gasoline engines, has set an aggressive objective to achieve carbon neutrality for its operations and merchandise by 2050, which features a full electrification of its automobile lineup by 2040.

The manufacturing of gas cells within the U.S. will assist Honda “additional discover their nice potential as a part of a sustainable transportation future,” Gary Robinson, American Honda Motor Co.’s vice chairman of auto planning and technique, mentioned in a press release.

The 2024 goal date for the CR-V gas cell coincides with the launch of Honda’s first battery-electric automobile, the Prologue midsize crossover, which will likely be in-built collaboration with Basic Motors.

Within the meantime, Honda will supply hybrid variants of its top-selling CR-V, Accord and Civic to drive down emissions and prepared its clients for electrification. Whereas it has debuted the CR-V hybrid, it expects to launch a hybrid Accord in January. The Civic hybrid plan remains to be forthcoming.

Gas cell autos use a high-pressure hydrogen tank to generate electrical energy inside gas cells, which powers the automobile’s electrical motor. Whereas the act of refueling is akin to filling up a fuel tank each in time and course of, the dearth of hydrogen refueling stations has proved difficult for automakers resembling Honda and Toyota, that are creating the know-how.

The nation’s hydrogen community has thus far been targeted on the West Coast, clustered primarily in California. Honda says it has invested $14 million to help the infrastructure within the Golden State, which has cast a pathway for zero-emission autos.

Since 2013, Honda has been a part of the H2USA private-public partnership with different automakers, hydrogen suppliers and the gas cell trade to discover a cost-effective approach to construct out an infrastructure that may ship inexpensive and clear hydrogen gas within the U.S.