The NamX HUV, a hydrogen vehicle rechargeable by capsules
The 2022 Paris Motor Show, which took place last October, was a special edition. Several major manufacturers, including Citroën, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, were not present. Despite everything, the event made noise thanks to the launches of surprising vehicles like the NamX HUVan electric vehicle hydrogen fuel cell which can be recharged by capsule.
A young emerging Franco-Moroccan company behind the design
NamX is a young company that wants to enter the electric vehicle market. Faouzi Annajah, president of the brand, does not hide his ambitions to offer an electric alternative that can compete with Tesla. The idea behind this company is to make the most of hydrogen to offer practical and easily rechargeable vehicles.
The NamX HUV is the first vehicle designed by the young company. The HUV (Hydrogen Utility Vehicle) is a fuel cell electric vehicle. This could be equipped with 1 or 2 motors. The model would deliver between 300 to 500 horsepower depending on the version chosen. Right off the bat, the HUV would be rear-wheel-drive, but would feature all-wheel-drive with the second motor. The technical characteristics presented by NamX specify that the HUV could complete the 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 249 kilometers per hour.
A capsule refill system?
The vehicle really stands out with its hydrogen capsule system. Charging could be done in two ways. A conventional tank is installed in the vehicle to receive a full tank of hydrogen like the Toyota Mirai. The SUV also carries up to 6 charging capsules. The removable capsules, placed at the bottom of the trunk, would work in fast recharging. Simply remove the capsule and place it in a capsule station offered by the manufacturer. The driver selects a new, fully charged capsule to replace the empty capsule. According to the brand of the capsule, it would be possible to obtain up to 800 kilometers of autonomy by combining this system with the hydrogen tank.
The capsule replacement stations would be called CapXtores. These could be set up like fuel service stations. The manufacturer would also offer home delivery of capsules.
The company has officially launched pre-orders in Europe. A few copies will be produced in 2022, but the company does not hide its production ambitions for 2023 by targeting an almost global market. It costs $1,450 Canadian to pre-order the HUV. The selling price would be between 94,350 and 137,900 Canadian dollars. The first deliveries are expected at the end of 2025.
