by hopium reveals māchina vision at paris motor week 2022
Debuting at Paris Motor Week 2022, Hopium unveils the world’s first premium hydrogen sedan, the Māchina Vision. The high-end ‘green’ car reshapes mobility standards through innovative design, technology, experience and performance. With the market launch set for 2025, the French manufacturer has been using Dassault Systems‘ 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud platform for end-to-end development, from concept to prototyping and full-scale production.
‘Today, the biggest problem in the automotive industry is emissions and how it can be changed to the goal of zero. There are so many limitations that it tries to find a solution. I feel that hydrogen can solve emissions without compromise: high-end design and performance,‘ begins Olivier Lombard, founder of Hopium, to designboom.
Hopium presents the Māchina Vision at the 2022 Paris Motor Week
All images courtesy of Hopium
Hopium was born out of a mission to commercialize ‘green’ cars powered by hydrogen. Its founder, Olivier Lombard, was inspired by the idea during his professional racing experience, famous for being the youngest winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans competition. The new French car company shows the potential of this emission-free energy, initially as a concept, but now as the Māchina Vision, which will hit the market in 2025.
‘From my experience in the racing world as a development driver of a hydrogen racing car, I sincerely believe that this fuel can be the future of mobility. I was wondering why no one had noticed this on a production car as the performance is amazing. That’s why I founded Hopium as the first high-end hydrogen car manufacturer,‘ adds the Founder.
The sleek sedan has an athletic yet stylish silhouette thanks to its seamless rear.
athletic yet stylish exterior design
Penned by lead designer Felix Godard, the Hopium Māchina Vision shapes a sleek sedan that has an athletic yet sleek silhouette thanks to its seamless rear. The kinetic grille, along with the rising fuselage, sculpts its fast appearance, but actually serves to optimize both the aerodynamics and cooling of the fuel cell system. At the front, its light signature ripples like waves on water.
‘Māchina Vision’s design is organic, athletic and elegant. From an aesthetic point of view, the exterior does not feel cold or too technological. There is a fluidity that is unique,‘ explains Felix Godard, lead designer at Hopium.
The kinetic grid serves to optimize both the aerodynamics and cooling of the fuel cell system.
interior and interface design
Inside, the combustion-free structure immediately offers passengers more space. The cabin is comfortable and increasingly airy thanks also to the use of an unparalleled sky view. A haptic console creates a new sensory connection between the user, the interface and the machine. A pillar-to-pillar display shows a digital landscape of information that invites driver and passengers to discover and engage.
‘There is a different, free and continuous charisma with the design of the car. The interior reimagines the cabin of a car through simplicity. We have created a new way of interacting with the vehicle, which is very sensory using haptic technology,‘, Oliver comments.
At the front, its sculpted light signature ripples like waves on water.
The car has impressive performance numbers to match its cutting-edge design. Its integrated fuel cell system generates 500 hp, a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph) and a range of more than 1,000 km (620 miles) without emitting anything but water. The energy can be recharged in record time in just three minutes.
‘The Māchina Vision ignores range limitations and offers a high level of power, less than five seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, and charges in three to four minutes.‘ confirms the Founder.
