- Based on decades of technology development and engineering know-how, combustion engines offer a viable path for hydrogen adoption, providing a tangible green alternative amidst electrification challenges.
- As opposed to Fuel-Cell technology, hydrogen combustion engines do not require the same level of purity of H2 to operate, or rare metals in their construction, thereby allowing NAMX to offer a more sustainable, functional, and cost-effective H2 motorization, in order to deliver clean premium cars to a wider audience.
- Hydrogen combustion engines combine environmental innovation with time-honored craftsmanship, preserving a century-old driving experience.
- The collaboration with Pininfarina for the design development of the HUV continues also in this second phase.
Paris, France– NAMX, the hydrogen automotive company, announces its choice to use Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) technology for its inaugural Hydrogen Utility Vehicle (HUV). This strategic move underlines NAMX’s pragmatic approach, combining proven technology with sustainability objectives. It seeks to combine a versatile and functional motorization with controlled manufacturing costs to make premium hydrogen mobility truly accessible.
Choosing ICE technology for hydrogen-powered transportation is in line with market-leading approaches taken by automotive giants. Alongside established firms, NAMX is banking on a proven and time-tested technology that has benefited from decades of investment and continuous enhancements.
In addition, Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine vehicles (HICE) do not face the main drawbacks of Fuel-Cell electric vehicles (FCEV), which rely on rare earth metals. Internal Combustion Engines ensure greater stability and predictability when it comes to production costs, shielding the company and its customers from the price fluctuations associated with the supply of rare minerals. Hydrogen combustion engines also boast higher robustness and versatility compared to fuel cells, as they eliminate the need for high-purity H2, which entails regular replacement of air and hydrogen filters and can accommodate lower-quality, cheaper hydrogen. These distinctive features position Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine vehicles as a sustainable, cost-effective, and functional choice throughout their lifecycle.
The decision to opt for a conventional engine allows NAMX to leverage the existing and wide-ranging automotive repair & maintenance network, with easy and cheap access to spare parts. This ensures a longer and more cost-effective lifecycle for NAMX vehicles compared to its electric counterparts. Consequently, the life-time value of the HUV is considerably expanded for each stakeholder involved.
Faouzi ANNAJAH, NAMX’s founder and CEO, stated: “This industrial choice hastens NAMX’s development and reinforces our ability to reach a broader market. The adoption of ICE motorization for the HUV is based on a clear rationale: resorting to a proven, reliable, and cost-effective technology, shaping new horizons for sustainable mobility.”
NAMX’s engineering option yields environmental and social advantages, offering a tangible path to green mobility while safeguarding the existing automotive industrial fabric from the disruptions associated with electrification. Furthermore, it preserves the distinctive heritage driving experience and emotion, including the iconic engine roar, and the continuing feeling of driving in the tire marks of legends.
The collaboration initiated with Pininfarina in 2022 for the development of the design of the HUV continues also in this phase of NAMX approaching the market. In this regard, NAMX in collaboration with PININFARINA reworked the design of the inaugural HUV concept to integrate a new aerodynamic rear bumper and diffuser with a hydrogen combustion exhaust system – the “EXO”.
PININFARINA has been at the most advanced frontier of a new automotive mobility experience and looked carefully at hydrogen for the last 15 years by investing in studies and prototypes in collaboration with start-ups that are fully committed to these new technologies. Therefore, PININFARINA brings to NAMX its significant wealth of experience, which is applied for the first time to a passenger car. PININFARINA’s commitment to sustainability, quality craftsmanship, and attention to detail benefits to the HUV which was granted the 2023 Green Good Design Sustainability Award from The Chicago Athenaeum.
Following its debut at the PININFARINA’s headquarters in Cambiano, Italy, NAMX has showcased the prototype of its hydrogen-fueled SUV in a number of prestigious events (Berlin GreenTech Festival 2022, Paris Motor Show 2022, Goodwood Festival of Speed 2023). NAMX has now completed the prototype validation for its HUV and entered the industrial development phase.
Faouzi ANNAJAH added: “Our choice of Hydrogen ICE technology is a significant leap forward in both design and engineering. We now look forward to introducing in the coming 12 months our HUV rolling prototype equipped with a V8 hydrogen combustion engine developed and manufactured by Solution F, a subsidiary of group GCK.”
About NAMX
Founded by Faouzi ANNAJAH and Thomas de LUSSAC, NAMX is a hydrogen automotive company that aims to reconcile human mobility and environmental preservation on a large scale thanks to clean hydrogen. Leveraging a proprietary system of removable hydrogen capsules, NAMX intends to enable a fresh experience of clean mobility, free of the constraints traditionally attached to decarbonized journeys. With multiple use cases ahead and user-friendly last-mile distribution, the capsules will initially power the HUV, the hydrogen combustion-powered SUV developed by NAMX, which will hit the market in 2027.
Francesco Fiordelisi
Head of Corporate & Product Communications
Pininfarina S.p.A.
Via Nazionale, 30 – 10020
Cambiano (Torino, Italy)
Tel. (+39) 011 9438105
Fax (+39) 011 9438117
[email protected]
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