Toyota is not alone in believing that hydrogen (not to be confused with hydrogen fuel cells, btw) power is the future. An Afro-European startup, NamX, together with the Italian automobile design company and coachbuilder Pininfarina with DE LUSSAC design studio is in it too.
In fact, Pininfarina NamX HUV (Hydrogen Utility Vehicle) is more radical; it features a patented removable tank system that would allow the car to be topped simply by swapping out the empty tanks for full tanks. The car has six tanks, accessible from the rear, that offer an impressive range of 700-800 km (435-497 miles).
The beauty of this proposed system is beyond the fact that you could refill by swapping tanks; it can also top up at hydrogen stations and believe it or not, arrange for home deliveries. Now, you can’t do that with batteries and fossil fuels, can you?
But considering how hydrogen is believed to be rather dangerous, having the loaded tank at the rear may not be the best of ideas. But what do I know? I just read that hydrogen is not as dangerous as some made it out to be. So I guess all is good?
Anyhoo, Pininfarina, and NamX recently presented the NamX prototype at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, making it the world’s first car partially powered by removable capsules.
Two models will be offered: an entry-level rear-wheel drive model that packs 300 horses that make the century sprint in 6.5 seconds and tops out at 200 km/h (124 mph), and a four-wheel drive GTH model packing 550 ponies that is capable of making 0-100 (62 mph) in just 4.5 seconds and maxes at 250 km/h (155 mph).
NamX is expected to market the NamX HUV starting in Q4 2023 with a price range of 65,000 to 95,000 euros (around US$71,372 to 104,313 based on today’s going rate).
Images: Pininfarina.
