Hyperion launches futuristic hydrogen-powered car

Carroll Shelby, who designed the classic Shelby Mustang in the 1960s, once said, “I’ve always been asked, ‘What’s my favorite car?’ ”

For futuristic motorists, “the next” is here.

Hyperion, California, unveiled its XP-1 hydrogen supercar at a digital unveiling on Wednesday, bringing the future one round closer with its stunning, muscular configuration and eye-popping specs that leave the competition in digital fabric.

With a top speed of 221 mph, this powerhouse runs from zero to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds and can cruise for over 1000 miles on one tank of hydrogen.

The XP1 is not the first car to use hydrogen for energy. The Hyundai Nexo, Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity all use the lightweight. But they rely on lithium-ion batteries to boost power. The XP-1 shuts off the heavy-duty lithium-ion batteries and instead incorporates a carbon-fiber energy storage system that adds a proton exchange environment (PEM) to power each wheel.

Its only emission is water vapor.

The car-powered battery, built on a lightweight carbon-titanium metal-composite chassis, weighs in at a trim of 2,275 pounds.

With its striking design, compared by some to a Bugatti Chiron, the XP-1 features prominent air blades on opposite sides that not only contribute to aerodynamic stability at high speeds, but also incorporate solar panels that change positions to follow the sun . That is an appropriate feature for a company named after a mythological Greek god of light.

“Aerospace engineers have long understood the benefits of hydrogen as the brightest, brightest element in the universe and now, with this car, consumers will experience its exceptional value proposition,” said Angelo Kafantaris, CEO of Hyperion. “This is only the beginning of what can be achieved with hydrogen as an energy storage medium. The potential of this fuel is limitless and will revolutionize the energy sector.”

The appearance of the XP-1 attracts a lot of attention from publications about cars and techniques: Ars Technica called it “a bit like a Bugatti Chiron that had a transport accident with an IndyCar.” New Atlas’s Loz Blain called it a “jaw-drop,” adding, “It’s absolutely outrageous, one of the most aggressive out and futuristic designs we’ve seen, from the wild gold-ringed vortex air gates to ‘ the front, rear and sides to the enormous clear-paneled roof and some really useful rims. ”

A little less impressed was Motor Trend, which, while calling the car a head-turner and “striking”, also remarked, “Beautiful, the XP-1 is not. [Its] outward appearance is both busy and intrusive. “Clean Technica stated:” The XP-1 sport looks like a starighter straight from a science fiction novel. “

One obstacle that the XP-1 must overcome is the lack of gas stations. Data from the U.S. Department of Energy Information shows that there were exactly 60 water station pumps available to the public this year. More are expected to open as demand grows. Business design company Nikola is deploying its own water station network to support its Nikola One trucks.

Hyperion has not released many of the specs of this prototype, but it reports reportedly the production of 300 XP-1s in 2022. The price is expected to be in the high six figures.

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