Hopium is a new French automotive company that produces luxury passenger vehicles powered by hydrogen. The Machina was Hopium’s first car with a €120,000 price tag.
The Hopium Machina, which was recently showcased at the Paris Motor Show, uses a hydrogen fuel cell with two electric motors driving all four wheels. Hydrogen is stored in two large tanks in the middle. In addition there is an additional, smaller tank under the front seats.
Hopium doesn’t give details of the electric motor or fuel cell used, but claims the Machina has a total output of 486 HP.
With that much power, the Machina can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds with a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph). The Machina is said to have a range of up to 1,000 km or 620 miles with a recharging time of less than 3 minutes.
The company claims that the Machina’s advantage over other new energy vehicles is that it weighs less than 2,000 kg. In comparison, the Lucid Air weighs 2,400 kg and the Tesla Model S weighs less than 2,200 kg.
Positioned as a luxury car, the Hopium Machina comes with a very beautiful design. This car has stunning lines and wide wheel arches. The interior is classy with four individual seats and no big screen in sight.
Hopium Machina’s pre-orders have had 1,000 customers since pre-orders opened last year. Those 1,000 customers have committed to buying Machina.
The hydrogen storage tank was developed by Plastic Omnium and is made of composite materials. Machina tires are made by Bridgestone and in February this year the company was launched on the Paris stock exchange.
Hopium has previously selected its manufacturing site in Normandy and plans to start production in 2025 with a target production capacity of 20,000 vehicles.
