Plastic Omnium signs partnership with Hopium to develop the Māchina hydrogen storage system

Plastic Omnium has announced a partnership with Hopium, the French manufacturer of high-end hydrogen cars, to develop the hydrogen storage system for the future Hopium Māchina. This high-end vehicle, first announced in October 2020, aims to be the first French hydrogen-powered sedan to hit the market in 2026. The Māchina prototype is due to be unveiled to the press in June 2021. It will be equipped with a 700-bar Type IV* vessel made by Plastic Omnium in its Herentals plant (Belgium), which is operational since fall 2020.

Building on this initial collaboration, Hopium and Plastic Omnium have established a partnership to develop the Hopium Māchina hydrogen storage system for the production series. Based on almost 40 patents and a range of in-house developed, certified hydrogen storage vessels, Plastic Omnium will provide Hopium with a prototype high-pressure Type IV* hydrogen vessel for testing. This new generation will be optimally integrated into the vehicle chassis, enabling Hopium to maximize the quantity of hydrogen stored and achieve its ambitious 1,000-kilometer target range.

Laurent Favre, Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Omnium, says: “With Hopium, we are convinced of hydrogen’s major role in tomorrow’s sustainable mobility. Plastic Omnium is proud to provide its expertise in hydrogen technologies and help develop the Hopium Māchina storage system, an innovative project for low-carbon mobility.”

Olivier Lombard, Chairman and CEO of Hopium, adds: “As the first 100% hydrogen car manufacturer, Hopium stands at the forefront of green technologies. This partnership with Plastic Omnium shows our desire to collaborate with a key hydrogen mobility player to develop the Māchina, a new generation of zero-emission vehicule.”