French automaker Hopium Inc. claims it has barely spent any time building the first working prototype of its Machina fuel cell car. Dubbed the Alpha 0, the test vehicle can already accelerate to 200 km/h (124 mph) and should soon proceed to the tests.
The design team drew inspiration from the element of water, endowing the sedan with smoothly flowing outlines, headlights that seem to trickle down, side mirror cameras, and pull-out handles. The window washers still aren’t there, though.
The fuel door resides at the rear left. The engine produces 500 PS (493 hp / 368 kW), and should get the production version of the sedan to 230 km/h (143 mph) at most. The manufacturer promises 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of range and refueling in three minutes. Two thermoplastic canisters can hold up to six kilos of hydrogen.
New details should be revealed early next year, and the first customer deliveries are penciled in for 2025-2026. It looks like the Toyota Mirai is going to be the only market competitor, as the Honda Clarity will have been discontinued by 2025.
Prices are expected to begin from €120,000. The first 1,000 examples are available to pre-order against a €410 deposit.