Honda CR-V e:PHEV EV Charging Cable

Honda answers the question most makers avoid

Honda's UK charging specification states in plain words that the CR-V plug-in hybrid's onboard charger is single phase with a maximum capacity of 6.8 kW. That single sentence removes the entire three phase problem: 6.8 kW is about 30 amps at 230 volts, comfortably within a 32A single phase wall box, so a British house delivers the car's full rated power with nothing lost.

Honda's own times back it up. A full charge takes about two and a half hours from a 32 amp supply, and about seven hours forty-five from a 2.3 kW three pin socket. Two and a half hours against a 17.7 kWh battery works out just under 7 kW, exactly as it should.

A bigger cable cannot change this, because the limit sits in the car rather than the lead. So the 32A cable is the right buy because it unlocks all 6.8 kW, and nothing larger than that does anything at all.

No rapid charging on this one

There is no rapid charging on this one, and no socket that could offer it. Every kilowatt hour it ever receives comes down the Type 2 cable, so the lead is a functional part of the car rather than something kept in the boot for emergencies.

Honda's charging specification runs from a 2.3 kW domestic socket up to 22 kW public AC and never mentions direct current, and there is no CCS socket on the car. On a 17.7 kWh battery that matters less than it would on a full electric car, because two and a half hours fills it anyway, but it does mean the Type 2 lead is the only route in.

The battery, and one figure Honda does not publish

The pack is 17.7 kWh, which Honda describes as significantly larger than its predecessor, with 96 cells at 347.5 volts and active heating and cooling. Electric range is 50 miles WLTP, CO2 is 18 grams per kilometre, and weighted combined consumption is 17.2 kWh per 100 km.

What Honda does not publish is a usable capacity. Because the CR-V is a plug-in hybrid it has no entry in the databases that normally supply that figure, since those index full electric cars only. So 17.7 kWh is the number that exists, its basis is gross, and any usable figure you see quoted elsewhere is somebody's estimate.

How long a full charge takes

Hours are worked from battery size against power drawn, plus a 13 per cent allowance for what is lost as heat, rounded to fifteen minutes. Miles per hour is worked at 3.5 miles per kWh, a figure that survives a cold morning. Working from the 17.7 kWh gross figure, so real times run slightly shorter than the table. Honda's own two and a half hour claim is the manufacturer version of the top row.

Fifty miles of electric range replaced in an evening is the whole proposition of a car like this. On a cheap overnight tariff the engine becomes something that handles motorways and the school run costs pennies.

Which length for a CR-V

Honda states the port position as the lefthand front fender, which on a UK right hand drive car is the nearside front wing, ahead of the door, mirroring the fuel filler on the offside. It opens by pressing the lid.

The CR-V is 4.71 metres, so a front socket is a real advantage. Nose in with the charge point on your left and five metres reaches; reverse in, or put the wall box on the offside, and ten metres is the answer. Measure from the charge point to the inlet as the car actually parks, then add two metres of slack.

How these cables are built

The cable meets IEC 62196-2, carries the CE mark, is sealed to IP55 and is specified from -30C to +50C.

On the three pin side the standard is IEC 62752, with CE marking, IP67 sealing and a -30C to +60C range. It carries a two year manufacturer's warranty, ships free on next working day delivery, and can go back inside 30 days.

Related: Honda e EV Charging Cable, and Honda charging cables for every other model we cover.

Honda CR-V plug-in hybrid charging cable questions

How fast does the CR-V e:PHEV charge at home?

6.8 kW, and Honda states that the charger is single phase, so a British house gives it the full rate. A complete charge takes about two and a half hours.

Can it use a rapid charger?

No. There is no DC socket on the car, so the Type 2 cable is the only way electricity gets into the battery.

Do I need a 32A cable?

Yes, if you want all 6.8 kW. A 16A lead carries 3.6 kW and would roughly double the charge time. Nothing above 32A is of any use.

How far will it go on electricity?

50 miles WLTP from the 17.7 kWh battery, with CO2 of 18 grams per kilometre.

Where is the charge socket?

Nearside front wing, ahead of the door, opposite the fuel filler.