As technology develops, competition in the automotive world is increasing steadily. The Australian company H2X, one of the new names in the automotive sector, plans to launch a range of hybrid electric vehicles in 2022/23. The company says it has developed several prototypes powered by hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors, including the Snowy SUV.
The H2X series will be powered by a hybrid powertrain that focuses on hydrogen as fuel. The hybrid system proposed by H2X is based on establishing a balance between the energy that hydrogen can provide to the vehicle and the electrochemical battery. The energy system is therefore made up of a fuel cell, the battery, and a set of supercapacitors, which will be included in the powertrain according to the needs of each application.
The first H2X cars of the production line will be based on an imported chassis and will be based on the powertrain already used in Asia. The construction will be completed with the rest of the components that will be assembled locally. It includes the imminent range of heavy commercial vehicles and another of passengers.
The Snowy, a medium-sized SUV with a 60 kW fuel cell and an overall power output of 190 kW has the range of 650km range (NEDC). It has been developed to the manufacturing level and could be seen on our roads in 2022/23, depending on the availability of hydrogen filling stations.
Brendan Norman, CEO of H2X, assures that they are working on their commercial viability, which largely depends on the adoption of hydrogen technology, highly influenced by the perception and acceptance of the general public. H2X is evaluating the right time for its introduction to be accepted by the general market.
Norman said that the SUV models planned for 2022 would have platforms to accommodate two fuel cell units with a 300-550 kW power output. We will see if the company will fulfill these promises and whether it will be one of the new emerging names in the industry.
