Hopium's Breakthrough: Lighter Fuel Cell Achieves Same Performance Levels
Key Ideas
- Hopium, a French cleantech company, has reduced the weight of its 100 kW fuel cell by 15% to under 25 kg while maintaining performance.
- The weight reduction was achieved through optimizations in the design of end plates and the clamping system, validated through digital twin simulations.
- CEO Stéphane Rabatel highlights the company's commitment to technological advancement and plans for real-life tests in autumn 2024 with market release in early 2025.
Hopium, a former French car manufacturer now positioned as a cleantech company, has made significant progress in the development of its 100 kW fuel cell. The company successfully reduced the weight of the fuel cell by an additional 15%, bringing it to under 25 kg while maintaining performance levels equal to those validated in previous testing. The optimizations were achieved through enhancements in the end plates and clamping system design, leveraging digital twin simulations for validation before physical application. CEO Stéphane Rabatel emphasized Hopium's continuous push towards technological innovation, with plans for real-life testing in autumn 2024 and the intended market release of the fuel cells in early 2025. This achievement showcases Hopium's dedication to advancing fuel cell technology within the automotive sector.