Automotive manufacturing is set to make an emphatic return to Australia with the arrival of H2X Australia, an automotive start-up with an eye on delivering hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) for all purposes.

Led by former Audi and Volkswagen Group executive Brendan Norman, H2X will release a passenger SUV called the ‘snowy’ based on a hybrid fuel cell and ultra-capacitor platform, showcasing the company’s exciting technology and engineering capabilities.

From there, H2X hopes to expand into heavy duty vehicles that make use of a dual fuel-cell unit platform with a 300-550kw power output, with the farming and agriculture, mining and public transport sectors all areas of interest for potential developments.

The company has already received substantial funding from investors, with Norman believing they are well funded to put their first few models into production.

“We have substantial funding already to develop vehicles and get the first couple of vehicles into the market,” said Norman.

The announcement of the start-up is exciting news for Australia’s car manufacturing industry, an industry that has been in desperate need of a spark since Holden wrapped up local manufacturing three years ago.

“Today we launch our company which not only demonstrates the advanced technology and engineering capabilities of Australia in the clean energy arena but also provides a real clean alternative in terms of transportation,” said Norman.

“With the development of many green energy projects in Australia at the moment, we have a unique opportunity to bring a significant manufacturing operation back to the country.”

FCEVs have remained a contentious issue among those working in the new energy vehicle technology sector, with the process of producing hydrogen fuel being very energy intensive, while questions still remain around the lack of available refuelling infrastructure.

However, Norman says H2X will combat the refuelling issue by holding discussions with commercial customers to understand travel and refuelling patterns and build new refuelling stations accordingly.

“We’re already discussing how we lay that out, but we need vehicles to be there to be able to use the hydrogen,” said Norman. “What we’ve done is come up with a concept that we know where the customers are because they’re talking to us.”

The company hopes to have between five and 15 refuelling stations up and running by the middle of 2021, in time for the roll-out of their first vehicle.

H2X have based themselves in Port Kembla, New South Wales, with 70 employees already commencing operations. A further 100 jobs are expected to be created by the end of 2020.

Source: The Driven | H2X hopes to re-boot Australia car industry with launch of hydrogen SUV

16 June 2020