Plastic Omnium has partnered with Hopium, the French manufacturer of high-end hydrogen cars, to develop the hydrogen storage system for the future Hopium Māchina. This high-end vehicle, first announced in October 2020, aims to be the first French hydrogen-powered sedan to hit the market in 2026. The Māchina prototype is due to be unveiled to the press in June 2021. It will be equipped with a 700-bar Type IV* vessel made by Plastic Omnium in its Herentals plant (Belgium), which has been operational since fall 2020.

Building on this initial collaboration, Hopium and Plastic Omnium have established a partnership to develop the Hopium Māchina hydrogen storage system for the production series. Based on almost 40 patents and a range of in-house developed, certified hydrogen storage vessels, Plastic Omnium will provide Hopium with a prototype high-pressure Type IV* hydrogen vessel for testing. This new generation will be optimally integrated into the vehicle chassis, enabling Hopium to maximize the quantity of hydrogen stored and achieve its ambitious 1,000-km target range. 

* composite high-pressure vessel comprising a thermoplastic liner reinforced with a carbon-fiber shell winding