Honda has announced lease pricing for its upcoming CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell plug in hybrid, which operates either on electricity or hydrogen.
Honda first announced the CR-V e:FCEV earlier this year, and we got a chance to drive it at Honda’s California R&D center.
It’s an interesting idea that nobody’s done before. To help make up for the lack of hydrogen stations, you can fill the car’s 17.7kWh battery up with electricity at home for up to 29 miles of range of day to day use, and then fill up the 241-mile hydrogen tank, which is quicker to fill and has higher energy density than batteries, from time to time for longer trips.
When we drove it (and you can read our far too-detailed thoughts on it here), we got a lot of the technical stuff out of the way, but Honda hadn’t yet announced the specifics of its offering – just that it would be lease-only and would come with some amount of free hydrogen. Today, we’re finally getting the details.
Honda CR-V e:FCEV will lease for $389-$489/mo
Honda is offering three different lease deals on the CR-V e:FCEV, with two of them at a relatively standard 12k miles per year, and one high-mileage lease with a 2 year, 60,000 mile term.
2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV Touring Lease Options
Monthly payment
$459
$389
$489
Due at signing
$2,959
$2,889
$2,989
Lease term
3 years
6 years
2 years
Allowable mileage
36,000
72,000
60,000
Hydrogen fuel credit
$15,000
$30,000
$25,000
The monthly pricing is a little high compared to the great EV lease deals we’ve been seeing lately (e.g. Model 3 for less than a Camry, Hyundais for around $200/mo, or the Toyota bZ4X for next to nothing), but still fairly reasonable. And it comes with a free hydrogen fuel credit, which will help to make up for some of that difference in lease cost (and good thing, since hydrogen is currently ~$32/kg which means it’s $130+ to fill up its 4.3kg tank).
The lease also includes 21 days of free Avis rentals, but only in California – which is incidentally the only state that Honda will lease the car in.
The CR-V e:FCEV will be available starting July 9. Honda plans to offer about 300 vehicles for lease.
Electrek’s Take
While I do think it’s interesting what Honda is doing with the CR-V e:FCEV, it’s sort of a solution in search of a problem. But it’s also not much of a solution, since Honda plans to offer 300 of these vehicles in a state which has 30 million vehicles.
Honda says that working on fuel cell technology will help them hedge their bets, instead of focusing fully on BEV as most of the industry is doing. Honda is right that fuel cells could have a niche – but that niche is probably in heavy transport, not in light-duty consumer vehicles. Honda did recently show a Class 8 hydrogen truck concept, but it’s looking for partners to bring it to reality as it doesn’t currently make semi trucks itself.
And giving out free energy is fun, but it eliminates the whole point of the hybrid. Drivers can either pay for their own electricity, which is more efficient and ought to be cheaper than either gas or hydrogen, or they can go to the hydrogen station for free fuel.
This removes the EV convenience filling up at home, and just makes the vehicle a comparatively inconvenient hydrogen car, which will mostly end up being fueled at one of very few California hydrogen stations instead of in the comfort of the parking spot it returns to every single night. Because why would you fill up at home when hydrogen is free?
Conversely, with a BEV, you could have that convenience, and have more availability of DC chargers on the road, including out-of-state, with little additional charging time (assuming you use one of the fastest charging EVs) – and the EV is more efficient than the hydrogen car to boot.
A wheel loader operator fills a truck with ore at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, January 30, 2020.
Steve Marcus | Reuters
The Defense Department will become the largest shareholder in rare earth miner MP Materials after agreeing to buy $400 million of its preferred stock, the company said Thursday.
MP Materials owns the only operational rare earth mine in the U.S. at Mountain Pass, California. The company said it will use the proceeds of the Pentagon’s investment to expand its rare earths processing capabilities and its magnet production capacity.
Shares of MP Materials jumped more than 40% premarket on the news.
The Pentagon is buying a newly created class of preferred shares that are convertible into MP Materials’ common stock. It is also buying a warrant that allows it to purchase additional common stock in the rare earth miner. The convertible shares and the warrant for common stock would represent about a 15% stake in MP Materials as of July 9.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in April that the Trump administration was considering making direct equity investments in critical mineral companies to break U.S. dependence on China.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Porsche is rolling out three new Taycan Black Edition models. The 2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition brings more than just a sporty new look. All three are equipped with Porsche’s Performance Battery Plus, delivering more power and a longer driving range.
Meet the 2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition
With the new electric Macan stealing the show, Porsche is introducing new Taycan variants for the 2026 model year.
Porsche has already introduced significant upgrades for the 2025 model year, adding more driving range, faster charging, higher performance, and a sleek new design.
The new Black Edition variants will be available for the 2026 Porsche Taycan, Taycan 4, and Taycan 4S models.
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Featuring its SportDesign package, the new models include high-gloss black exterior accents on the window trims and mirrors.
Other standard design elements include a rear light strip with an illuminated, blacked-out Porsche logo. Inside, the new variants include Porsche’s black interior accent package, storage package, and black brushed illuminated door sill guards.
2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition (Source: Porsche)
All three Black Edition models are equipped with the larger Performance Battery Plus, which is typically offered as an option.
With a gross energy capacity of 105 kWh, Porsche says the new variants offer a longer driving range and more power. The 2025 Taycan, with the Performance Battery Plus pack, offers an EPA-estimated range of 318 miles.
On the European WLTP scale, the 2025 Porsche Taycan with the Performance Plus battery is rated with up to 679 km (421 miles) range.
2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition (Source: Porsche)
The new Black Edition models are loaded with added features. Highlights include Lane Change Assist, Surround View, including Active Parking Assist, 21″ wheels with center caps featuring the full-color Porsche crest, and HD-Matrix Design LED headlights. There are even puddle light projectors that show the Porsche logo when the doors open.
2026 Porsche Taycan Black Edition interior (Source: Porsche)
On the inside, the premium features continue. The Black Edition interior features 14-way comfort seats with a memory function, a Porsche crest on the headrests, and a BOSE Surround Sound System, including Dolby Atmos, to create an immersive sound experience.
You’ll also get Porsche Electric Sport Sound, a Storage package, and the Porsche crest stitched into the leather trim. To top it off, there’s an added “Black Edition” badge in the center console, exclusive to the new variants.
Although it’s called the Black Edition, you can choose from several different colors, such as Jet Black Metallic, Volcano Grey Metallic, Dolomite Silver Metallic, and Ice Grey Metallic, at no extra cost.
Porsche will reveal prices for the 2026 Taycan Black Edition models “in due course.” Deliveries in the US are expected to begin in Fall 2025.
What do you think of the new blacked-out Taycan variants? Do you dig it? Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
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Aventon is giving its popular fat tire e-bike a serious upgrade. The company just unveiled the Aventure M, a new mid-drive version of its best-selling Aventure model. With more torque, smarter shifting, and a boost in connectivity and control, Aventon says this is the “most advanced” bike it has ever produced.
The new Aventure M swaps out the rear hub motor for a 100 Nm mid-drive motor, offering more efficient power delivery and a more natural ride feel thanks to its double-sided torque sensor. And in case that 100 Nm doesn’t exactly place it for you, just know that we’re talking about more power (or more accurately, torque) than nearly any other e-bike in this class.
The Aventon A100 motor, which is rated at 750W and runs on a 36V system, takes full advantage of its Class 3 category with pedal assist speeds up to 28 mph (45 km/h) and a throttle top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). The throttle is sold separately, probably as a nod to being even more compliant with California’s new stricter laws regarding Class 1 and Class 3 e-bikes, which can’t have mounted throttles.
Aventon also gives riders the option to set the bike to Class 1 or 2 limits using the companion app. We’ve always been pretty impressed with Aventon’s app, as it’s quite easy to use and makes it simple to control those types of modifications to the bike.
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That app pairs with Aventon’s newly developed ACU (Aventon Control Unit), a custom IoT system that adds a wide range of smart features. Riders get GPS tracking, theft detection, geofencing, remote locking, and over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. Aventon even built in a passcode-locked on-switch for added security, as well as a physical rear-wheel lock and alarm.
We’ve previously seen Aventon use that OTA update system to give its e-bike more power via a boost feature, so the company doesn’t appear shy about pushing out new features when they’re ready.
But it’s not just about motor placement and connectivity. The Aventure M introduces electronic shifting, powered by a 10-speed Shimano CUES drivetrain and paddle shifters. Riders can shift manually or let the system take over with Auto Shift, Aventon’s torque and cadence-sensing automatic shifting mode. A new Uphill Start Assist feature gives riders an extra torque boost when starting from a stop on steep grades –perfect for off-road adventures or fully loaded cargo rides.
As for range, Aventon claims up to 85 miles (137 km) from the removable 36V 20Ah (720 Wh) battery, which itself weighs around 8.7 lbs (3.9 kg). That figure is in the lowest power level, and real-world range will depend heavily on terrain and assist level, but riders can likely expect something in the 40–60 mile (65-100 km) ballpark under typical pedaling usage when enjoying moderately higher power levels, and a bit less if leaning hard into that optional throttle.
Rounding out the build are 4-inch wide fat tires, a suspension seatpost, and an 80 mm front suspension fork. The total weight of the bike is around 73 lbs (33 kg), which is actually surprisingly reasonable for a full-featured fat tire e-bike with a mid-drive, believe it or not. Hey, these are heavy bikes when you stuff all that power, range, and tech in there.
The price at launch is US $2,899, which places the Aventure M above the hub motor version of the company’s existing Aventure model but below some other mid-drive fat tire options on the market. Aventon is clearly positioning this as a higher-performance alternative that’s still (hopefully) accessible to the average rider. It’s available now online and through Aventon’s network of over 1,800 partner dealers across the U.S.
Electrek’s Take
It’s about time we saw a major direct-to-consumer brand bring a smart tech, mid-drive fat tire e-bike to market that doesn’t require taking out a second mortgage. The Aventure M feels like a natural progression for Aventon – taking what made the Aventure 2 so popular and layering on meaningful performance and tech upgrades. The mid-drive motor brings real climbing power and smoother pedal assist, and features like auto shifting and built-in GPS tracking give this bike some serious smart credentials.
Of course, at nearly $3,000, this isn’t exactly budget territory anymore. But considering the Aventure M includes high-end components, a full-fat-tire adventure build, and an impressive level of integration, it still looks like a solid value for someone who wants their e-bike to go above and beyond the basic level of componentry and features. If the real-world range holds up and the automatic shifting works smoothly, this could easily become a category leader for anyone wanting an all-terrain e-bike that feels as refined as it is rugged. Aventon of course didn’t reinvent the wheel here — they just made a smarter, better one. I look forward to getting on one soon for a review and letting you know what I think of the ride.
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