Located in the town of Douains (Eure), near Vernon, the future Hopium factory will occupy an area of 35 hectares and will house both the manufacturer’s production lines and R&D center.
“The infrastructure will be put into service at the end of 2024 for an inauguration planned for early 2025,” explains the brand’s press release, which estimates that the site will eventually be able to employ more than 1,500 people with a production capacity of 20,000 vehicles per year.
Strategic for the manufacturer, this first industrial implantation should lead to the production of the Hopium Machina, a high-end hydrogen sedan announcing up to 1,000 km of autonomy. Expected in a few weeks at the Paris Motor Show for its first public appearance, Hopium’s hydrogen car will be launched on the market at the end of 2025.
Volvo tests PACs
In 2025, Volvo Trucks will start testing fuel cell trucks with its customers. Volvo Trucks is testing fuel cell electric trucks that emit only water vapour and have an operational range comparable to that of diesel trucks, i.e. up to 1,000 km. In a few years, in a second phase of pilot tests, the company’s customers will test the vehicles on public roads.
