Hydrogen-powered startups shine at the Paris Auto Show
Enlarge / Olivier Lombard stands next to the Hopium Machina. (credit: Dhananjay Khadilkar )
PARIS-Among the chief attractions at this year's Paris Auto Show were hydrogen-powered vehicles developed by startups: the stylish and innovative Hopium Machina, a 500 hp (373 kW) car with a 621-mile (1,000-km) range reaching a maximum speed of 143 mph (230 km/h); and the NAMX SUV, the world's first car partially powered by removable tanks.
Considering that Hopium was founded by a former Le Mans 24 hours winner, it isn't a surprise that Machina is performance-focused. Olivier Lombard, who won in the LMP2 category in 2011 at Le Mans, also had a stint as a development driver of H24's hydrogen-powered prototype that is set to run in future Le Mans races. As a racing driver, for many years, I developed a race car with hydrogen technology. That is why I went for a performance car that also had range and took between three to four minutes to refuel," Lombard, who is also the CEO of Hopium, told Ars Technica.
Lombard elaborated on the inspiration behind Machina. When you are a race car driver, you have a close proximity with your car. You need to understand the car and feel its every move. We have the same closeness with Machina, whether it's the car's behavior on the road or the interactions inside, like tactiles with haptic feedback," he said.