Hopium, the leading French manufacturer of high-end hydrogen vehicles, announces the deployment of its industrial site near Vernon, in Normandy.
Hopium, the leading French manufacturer of high-end hydrogen vehicles, has just announced its decision to create its industrial site near Vernon, in Normandy. The land, with an area of 35 hectares, located in the town of Douains, will house the first production lines that can reach a capacity of 20,000 vehicles per year, as well as an R&D center.
The infrastructure will be commissioned in late 2024 for a scheduled opening in early 2025. The Vernon site will eventually employ more than 1,500 people across all of its divisions and is therefore intended to contribute to the economic dynamism of the region.
“Hopium, by selecting this site for the installation of its state-of-the-art infrastructure, is taking a new decisive step in its roadmap that should lead to the commercialization of the first Hopium Māchina models by the end of 2025”, declares Olivier Lombard. , CEO of Hopium in a statement.
A strategic axis
The choice of Normandy is strategic from a geographical, industrial and energy point of view. The site is in the heart of an industrial basin located between Paris and the Canal on the Seine Axis. It is located less than an hour from Paris, near the A13. But in addition, Normandy is a pioneer in the development of the hydrogen sector
“It was the first French region to adopt its Normandy Hydrogen Plan in 2018. Almost a third of the national hydrogen consumption takes place in Normandy, in particular in the chemical and petrochemical sector, as well as in the aerospace sector due to the presence of the Group Ariane test site”, recalls Hervé Morin, president of the Normandy Region.
A luxury European sedan
With the announcement of this industrial sie, the Hopium adventure becomes a reality. This new French car manufacturer aims to become for hydrogen vehicles what Tesla is for electric ones.
His concept car presented last June, the Hopium Machina Vision, is a luxurious sedan of almost 5 meters. It is equipped with camera mirrors. At the front, surrounded by a highly futuristic light signature, the vehicle’s grille suggests louvers, which can be opened or closed depending on the fuel cell’s ventilation needs.
On the sides, a striking detail, not the French flag but the twelve stars of Europe. Quite a symbol at a time when the continent has made the decision ban the sale of new thermal cars by 2035favoring electricity, battery or hydrogen.
