In August 2020, Hyperion presented plans for the XP-1, a hypercar running on hydrogen. It would not burn the gas in a combustion engine. Instead, it would use it in fuel cells to convert it into electricity. More than two years later, the company decided to present not only the running prototype of the XP-1 but also the hydrogen refueling station that will be crucial to make it feasible.
We cannot say that Hyperion did not consider how difficult it could be to find hydrogen out there. The XP-1 has a range of 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) with full tanks. What the company failed to disclose is how much hydrogen it can carry and in which form. Is it liquid or under high pressure, as most carmakers promoting fuel cells use it? We’ll try to learn from the company as soon as possible.
More than the car, it is the hydrogen refueling station that Hyperion wanted to introduce. The company only shared that it would show it at the Los Angeles Auto Show but did not post pictures or information about it after the premiere. Considering the event will only end on November 27, it is probably not in a rush to do so.
Luckily, the company invited Supercar Blondie to drive the XP-1 and to check the hydrogen station before the public introduction. Hyperion also said on its LA Auto Show page that the hydrogen station is called XF-7 Hyper:Fuel mobile, something Supercar Blondie also stressed. The hypercar’s official name is XP-1 Hyper:Car.
Photo: Hyperion
It is not clear if buyers of the FCEV will get a mobile hydrogen station included in the price or if Hyperion will keep them as independent businesses. The company already said that it developed the hypercar to drive attention to its core business as an energy company: its fuel cells developed with NASA technology.
Hyperion said on its LA Auto Show page that the XF-7 Hyper:Fuel mobile hydrogen station “utilizes several NASA technologies to recharge 50 electric vehicles per operation.” We confess we have no idea what that means. It can mean that it can refuel 50 FCEVs per day, possibly taking into consideration the XP-1 hydrogen tanks as a reference. It can also be more literal and use the stored hydrogen to provide electricity for 50 battery electric vehicles (BEVs). After all, the company said the hydrogen station “can also alleviate strained utility grids by providing mobile emergency backup power with its advanced hydrogen-electric storage systems.” We have asked the company for more information and will clarify all this as soon as we hear from Hyperion.
Regarding the XP-1, the company finally revealed its exact output: 2,038 hp, thanks to four axial-flux motors installed onboard – one for each wheel. Many EVs, such as the Aptera, put these motors on the wheels, but Hyperion probably avoided that to reduce unsprung mass. The XP-1 goes from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 2.25 seconds, reaches a top speed of 221 mph (355.7 kph), and has a curb weight of 2,275.2 pounds (1,032 kilograms) – low even for combustion-engined hypercars.
Photo: Hyperion
The XP-1 stores electricity from regenerative braking in supercapacitors, which are lighter, perform better in high temperatures and also discharge energy much faster than batteries. This is part of what allows it to be so light – the fuel cells and hydrogen do the rest of the work.
For the XP-1 to reach production, there is still a lot of work to be done. For example, you will never see a modern car with such a pointy front bumper due to pedestrian safety regulations. It will be interesting to see what Hyperion will be able to manufacture. Above all, “when” is the most pressing question about the hydrogen-powered hypercar.
Google News