HONDA has announced it will convert its Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio from a supercar production site to a hydrogen-powered SUV plant.

The Japanese motor company’s new hydrogen-fueled vehicle will be based on its hot-selling CR-V model and will be the first fuel-cell plug-in hybrid in the U.S.

The Performance Manufacturing Center is an ideal location for Honda’s experiment with hydrogen-powered SUV manufacturing, given the plant’s design meant for low-volume production.

Smaller auto factories can help manufacturers make vehicles that are tough to create on conventional lines — like the Acura NSX supercar.

Honda, Acura’s parent company, was making second-generation NSX models Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio before transitioning into hydrogen-powered development.

Honda’s plug-in CR-V-based hybrid will use a lithium-ion battery capable of home charging and a compressed-hydrogen-powered fuel cell instead of a gas motor, Road and Track reports.

Fuel cells use hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity that powers the vehicle.

Drivers of this future Honda SUV can lean on their electric motor for shorter trips and hydrogen for longer routes.

California is currently the only U.S. state with hydrogen refueling stations for cars.

If the U.S. can widely integrate hydrogen refueling outlets, drivers can power their vehicles in three to four minutes and drive longer distances than an…