The trend of vehicle electrification is growing rapidly. But now hydrogen-powered cars or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEF) are starting to steal the spotlight. One of them is a vehicle made by a French startup manufacturer, Hopium Machina.
In its debut at the Paris Motor Show, it was revealed that the Hopium Machina specifications have a fairly long range, around 1000 km (620 miles) and a very fast recharging time of only 3 minutes. Priced at €120,000 (£104,000), this car falls into the luxury car category.
As for the cabin, the Hopium has seating for four people and an infotainment system that covers the entire dashboard, operated by haptic controls.
All materials are sourced from Europe to minimize the carbon footprint involved in transporting them to Hopium’s planned factory located in Normandy. The plant will open in 2025 and employs around 1500 staff, targeting production of around 20,000 cars per year.
The Normandy factory will play a key role in Hopium’s expansion plans. It currently targets €120m (£104m) in turnover by 2025 and €1 billion (£860m) in sales by 2030.
Also supporting this goal is Hopium’s premium positioning. The Machina’s pricing will match those of more established competitors, including the EQS and the Porsche Taycan, whose second-generation model will be released in 2027, two years after the Machina’s launch date.
Hopium to build industrial site for production of Machina hydrogen sedan
