The Hyperion XP-1, unveiled Wednesday, is a hydrogen fuel cell supercar with over 1,609 km of range, a claimed zero to one hundred time of 2.2 seconds, and a claimed top speed of over 354 km/h. It’s also trying to make the case for hydrogen fuel cell technology.
A few more stats: The curb weight is around 1.03 tonnes, it’s expected to go into production in 2022, and Hyperion says it will only make 300. And the company, founded in 2011, says it will also build out its own hydrogen filling station network, which it reasons can be fewer and further between than gas stations because of the massive range.
Because pretty much the sole point of this car is to make a point about hydrogen, which is that it is simply better than battery-electric long-term because the cars are lighter, hydrogen is more abundant than fossil fuels, and it’s more scalable into trains, planes, semi-trucks, and whatever other kinds of vehicle that needs power.
The problem, of course, is that for now, it’s all too expensive, but Angelo Kafantaris, CEO of the Orange, California-based Hyperion, says that all of hydrogen’s benefits are what make the XP-1 less a cool new supercar and more of an “educational tool.” Here he is talking to ArsTechnica:
“What we think is most critical to the industry right now is delivering a message through a product, the Hyperion XP-1, which is a vehicle that is an educational tool to show the world the wonderful benefits of hydrogen,” Kafantaris said. “Hyperion has no intention to be only a manufacturer of supercars or anything in that way. The XP-1 is an educational tool, and there will be further models that are more affordable down the line. But primarily we want to build the penultimate version of what a hydrogen vehicle could be, and then explain to the world why, through the car, it was so wonderful.”
Hyperion also did not announce pricing, but you can’t afford it. Instead of talking about that, let’s admire some pictures. It looks basically like a Bugatti but only after you’ve taken some mind-altering substances.
