While battery-powered EVs are taking over the automobile landscape, there is still hope for hydrogen-powered vehicles. Major automakers like BMW and Hyundai are also actively working on hydrogen-powered cars. And Yamaha is also developing a hydrogen engine for Toyota. If we dive into the whole hydrogen vs. electric powertrain argument, the prior seems to be more environmental-friendly due to the clean method of extracting hydrogen from water unlike digging rare earth metals to be used in litium-ion battery packs for electric cars.
Betting on hydrogen fuel is NamX which calls itself an "Afro-European industrial and technological venture". NamX showcased their radical hydrogen-powered crossover, called HUV. It is designed by the Italian design house Pininfarina and is quite the looker. But its highlight feature is a dual storage tank for hydrogen. One is a permanent tank, the other is a removable setup consisting of six capsules. It is located at the rear and puts forth a similar ideology as battery swapping tech that is slowly gaining traction.
This patented refueling system by NamX also has plans of setting up hydrogen capsule refueling stations and even a home capsule delivery system in the pipeline. Its powertrain will be capable of churning out north of 500 hp and claims on providing close to 500 miles on a full tank/capsules of hydrogen. Can NamX disrupt the automobile landscape with the HUV? Only time will tell.
The Pininfarina-designed NamX HUV has a radical refueling system that uses removable capsules.
NamX HUV Uses Removable Capsules To Store Hydrogen Fuel
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The NamX HUV would have ended up like many other concepts out there, if not for its party trick. Hidden under the tailgate is a transparent section that houses a set of removable capsules per se. These capsules are hydrogen storage tanks and are part of NamX's patented technology. It combines a fixed hydrogen tank along with six removable capsules. Storing hydrogen was always a major concern in vehicles.
But this capsule technology by NamX will be a major leap in making hydrogen vehicles more approachable. No further details on how this capsule system works have been disclosed. But our wild guess is that this tech will open up a use-case scenario for swappable hydrogen refueling systems, similar to that seen with the Gogoro battery swapping technology. Kudos to Pininfarina for seamlessly fusing this complex design into the crossover's body.
NamX HUV Will Pack Upto 542 Hp And Have A Range Of 497 Miles
There will be two powertrain iterations of the NamX HUV. An entry-level model will use a RWD layout and pack 286 hp. It is claimed to do 0-62 mph in 6.5 seconds and have a top speed of 124 mph. It will be followed by a more-powerful GTH model with AWD and 542 hp on tap. This HUV trim will do 0-62 mph in a swift 4.5 seconds and have a top speed of 155 mph, (most likely electronically limited).
The working here is similar to every other hydrogen-powered car. Electricity is produced by mixing hydrogen and oxygen in a guarded fuel cell with the only by-products (waste) being water. The advantage of NamX HUV's complex hydrogen storage unit is that it returns up to 497 miles on a full tank(s) of hydrogen.
Pininfarina Has Designed The NamX HUV To Be "Cutting Edge"
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Pininfarina has taken care of making the NamX HUV look complex, futuristic, and aggressive. The front and rear designs are garlanded with some of the wildest-looking LED lighting we have come across. There is a recurring "X" design element on the exterior design, most prominently seen with the front DRL and the shoulder lines.
There is a strong sporty vibe to this clean car's design. The HUV has an unmistakable SUV stance with a sloping roofline towards the rear. It reminds us strongly of the BMW X6, especially when viewed from the sides. The rear fascia is this hydrogen-powered crossover's most interesting section. And Pininfarina's years of design experience in hydrogen cars have helped in the neat integration of the secondary capsule system.
The capsule storage area gets a transparent casing that add visual drama. But it does raise questions about the safety quotient of this system. The rear also gets a wild play of LED lighting to go along with the font layout. This razor-sharp design language gets an industrial look with a silvery-white aluminum shade which is further complemented with blacked-out wheels and green calipers. A thin strip of this green is also seen dividing the plastic cladding around the lower section of this crossover.
NamX HUV: Launch Timeline And Expected Pricing
The Pininfarina-designed NamX HUV is very much early in its development stage. Its first public debut will be at the Paris Motor Show 2022, slated for this fall. It will be a show car only, and NamX states that the HUV will enter its development stage in 2023.
While this hydrogen-powered SUV from NamX sure turns heads, there are a lot of technicalities that we need answers for. But we will have to wait longer for that. The NamX HUV is expected to be priced on the premium side in the $70,000-$100,000 bracket. This will be sensible only if its radical refueling system stays true to its promises.
Sources: Pininfarina.it, Namx.tech