Paolo Pininfarina himself reveals the secret this morning. The Italian design company from Turin has designed a revolutionary hydrogen SUV together with the French start-up Namx. In any case, the bosses of the two companies find it revolutionary.
HUV instead of SUV: Namx calls its car a “Hydrogen Utility Vehicle”. However, the prototype is not yet ready to drive.
Hydrogen is the English word for hydrogen. The Parisian start-up is planning a complex system around the car. If the capsules are empty, the driver should be able to change them at an exchange station within four minutes. Namx compares itself with the Chinese start-up Nio, which has developed similar exchange systems for batteries.
Capsules should solve the gas station problem
Why capsules? “Hydrogen refueling stations are few and expensive to build. We found a solution to this problem,” says Annajah. The filled capsules should be ready at the exchange stations. A classic hydrogen filling station does not need it.
In addition to the normal hydrogen tank, the Namx-HUV also has six interchangeable cartridges. A range of 800 kilometers is possible.
The Namx should start at 65,000 euros
Fuel cell power: With 300 hp, the basic version of the Namx HUV should sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds.
Morocco is a possible production location
The plans are ambitious. In 2021, just 15,500 hydrogen cars were sold worldwide – that’s 84 percent more than the year before, but still little. According to Namx, you have various investors behind you, as well as support from well-known experts.
Designer fantasies: Paolo Pininfarina finds his Namx “ideal for the African landscape”.
Where the Namx HUV could be built is still unclear. “It should definitely be a European-African project,” says Mustapha Mokass, who takes care of the financing at Namx and, like the CEO, has Moroccan roots. “Morocco would be a possible production location, they already have experience with car manufacturing there, and labor costs are lower than in Western Europe.” But there are also talks with German suppliers.
“Ideal for the African countryside”
In any case, the start-up has already changed its original name. Namx used to stand for “New African Mobility Exploration”. Meanwhile, African has been replaced by Automotive. Although Paolo Pininfarina does give the car a chance on the African continent.
“As it stands, it’s ideal for the African landscape,” says the designer. But before the car can hit the road, investors are needed first. Mustapha Mokass says: “We need a total of 530 million euros.”
