Hydrogen

The Hopium Māchina – an ultra-luxury hydrogen-electric concept – has been launched by 29-year-old French racing driver Olivier Lombard. Hydrogen vehicles use a fuel cell to generate electricity and power a motor. While they are substantially rarer than traditional electric cars powered by lithium-ion batteries, notable examples include the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo. However, the Hydrogen Motive Company, which Lombard founded earlier this year, believes it can become a volume player.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is developing an SUV based on a hydrogen fuel cell platform, according to an announcement from the UK government. The hydrogen SUV program, known as Project ZEUS, is part of a £73.5 million (AU$132.2M) UK government initiative to develop low emission vehicles. Project ZEUS stands for 'zero and low-emissions vehicles in urban society'.

Toyota has announced it will partner with commercial vehicle-builder Hino to develop a hydrogen-fuel-cell truck as part of a joint initiative to reduce emissions. Built on the foundations of a Hino Profia, the companies say they will optimise the truck’s chassis to package hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell technology. The result will be a claimed 600km of zero-emissions driving range.

The second-generation Toyota Mirai will be launched in 2020, Takeshi Uchiyamada, the Japanese automaker's chairman, has confirmed. According to Reuters, Uchiyamada made the revelation in Tokyo at meeting on hydrogen energy with ministers from around the world. We don't know anything about the second-generation Mirai's drivetrain, but it's possible it could use some of the hydrogen fuel-cell technology being developed jointly with BMW.

Around 5.30pm on Monday June 10, local time, an explosion took place at the hydrogen refuelling station in Sandvika, a city around 15km south of Oslo, Norway. State broadcaster NRK reports emergency services established a 500 metre exclusion zone around the hydrogen station. With the station located near the intersection of two highways, both were shutdown for several hours as authorities tried to contain the situation.