Suite of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles to enter Australian market following Warrego fanfare

Australian startup H2X is banking on bringing automotive manufacturing back to Australia with hydrogen. After its Warrego ute was met with startling fanfare last week, PV magazine Australia caught up with the company’s corporate affairs specialist, Tony Blackie.

It wasn’t just our readers interested in the launch of Australian startup H2X’s Warrego ute – the company clocked $50 million in order requests within four days of its announcement (remember, the ute doesn’t even officially launch until November).

The Warrego was just the first in a suite of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) the company is hoping to bring to market, which includes more light cars all the way through to agricultural vehicles. The company says its 200 orders on the Warrego have come from “several significant energy companies and a number of private buyers” in Australia and abroad, including the Netherlands, Germany, and Malaysia.

“It obviously shows a pretty incredible demand across the board for vehicles of this kind,” H2X corporate affairs specialist, Tony Blackie, told PV magazine Australia.

Based on the Ford Ranger, Blackie said the Warrego was something of a concept car – a demonstration that a hydrogen-powered twin cab ute could work.

It has undeniably drawn attention, though questions do remain around how relevant the technology will be for light vehicles and passenger cars given electric vehicles (EVs) are far more mature, making them cheaper and visible today. There is also the little snag of where to refuel a hydrogen car, seeing as there are currently just four green hydrogen refueling stations in Australia, not all of which (like Toyota’s Melbourne station) are even open to the public.

Another oft-cited catch is the fact you need to generate twice as much electricity to produce hydrogen as if you just straight up charged your car. Such questions don’t seem to phase H2X execs though.

In its suite of new models, Blackie said Australia can expect a number of other light vehicles like small vans to heavier vehicles and eventually tractors.

“Hydrogen fuel cell capabilities cover all motor vehicles,” he said, noting the horizons aren’t just limited to buses. Brendan Norman, the company’s CEO, has a vision for a range of vehicles to be available for a broad spectrum of uses, Blackie said.

In the short term, the company wants to develop close operations with hydrogen fuel capabilities, but in the longer term, it wants to service the agricultural industry. That is, it wants to enter the farm machinery market, with Blackie saying those conversations are already happening.

“And it’s not just vehicles, of course, there’s the generator set,” he added. Mobile hydrogen generators, he added, are also on the cards for H2X.

H2X’s ultimate ambition is to begin producing its own hydrogen fuel cells for its vehicles here in Australia, though the company is yet to start manufacturing on a larger scale.

So Why Hydrogen?

Well, the primary reason is hydrogen vehicles’ only emission is a clean puddle of water. So if you refuel with green hydrogen, that is hydrogen produced with an electrolyzer powered by renewable energy, the car has no carbon emissions. If the car is fuelled with blue or grey hydrogen created using fossil fuels, that’s an entirely different story. But the point is, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have the capacity to be super clean – yes, cleaner than purely electric vehicles.

Batteries are predominantly made from pretty toxic chemicals and Australia isn’t particularly good at recycling them, so a lot end up in landfills. Even if we and the rest of the world get better at recycling batteries though, properly reusing the materials they contain, we will still inevitably need to dig up virgin minerals to keep up with demand. Which makes hydrogen as a form of energy storage (fuel) superior in that department.

It remains to be seen whether it’s enough for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles to displace EVs, but Australia is certainly banking big on hydrogen. As of March, Australia’s hydrogen project pipeline was triple the size of the next biggest, which belongs to Germany and the Netherlands.

Many have speculated about why Australia is so infatuated with hydrogen – perhaps it feels like home for our gas-export nation, perhaps it’s the fact hydrogen can rehouse our increasingly obsolete fossil fuels, who knows – but not everyone is persuaded hydrogen is the clean energy panacea it’s marketed as.

Australian-American inventor and entrepreneur Saul Griffith knows the hydrogen landscape “intimately” and is far from convinced. “I’m not at all bullish on hydrogen,” he said at the Clean Energy Council’s Its Electrifying webinar on Tuesday.

The sticking point for him, like many others, is how much energy hydrogen loses. He estimates about 25% is lost during electrolysis, compression loses a further 15%, and that’s before you even think about unloading and using the fuel. “I think Australia has a dangerous addiction to the hydrogen narrative and I think we need to be more realistic,” Griffith said.

To be fair, Australia isn’t alone in its hydrogen excitement. As Blackie explained when I asked about the reason for H2X’s many arms (H2X Australia, H2X global, H2X marine, and counting), he said the company’s operations have moved far quicker in some areas than others. The first cab off the rank? The Netherlands.

Australia can expect the company to launch its new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle suite over the next 24 months.

This article originally appeared in the pv magazine

$50 million in order requests in 4 days

There’s been unprecedented global demand for H2X’s new Australian developed hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle with $50 million in order requests in just the first 4 days.

Since orders opened to the public on Wednesday last week, over 200 order requests have been received from all over Australia and the world, including Netherlands, Germany and Malaysia.

Among the customers ordering the Warrego Ute are several significant energy companies and a number of private buyers.

Haim Ptasznik is Director of Veida, a provider of Green Energy Solutions and Hardware, and one of the first purchasers of the vehicle. He said: “The Warrego is the vehicle that we believe the community of Green Energy Pioneers have been waiting for, especially with Hydrogen already at parity with diesel kWh for kWh. Not to mention, the problems that EV’s pose to the electrical network with grid congestion and excessive unpredictable demand disappear, with hydrogen as a supply.”

“We work with our clients to create alternative, green energy solutions and the demand for Green Hydrogen in Australia is booming. H2X is enabling us to be the first to integrate Hydrogen Vehicles and their powertrains into our solutions. An Australian Vehicle powered by Green Hydrogen is too good to pass up.”

The Hydrogen Ute, will be unveiled at the global launch on Queensland’s Gold Coast in November 2021. Delivery of the vehicle is slated for April 2022.

The Warrego is the first in a range of uniquely designed and developed fuel cell electric vehicles that will be released by H2X over the next 24 months. H2X’s vehicles are fitted with the revolutionary H2X Powertrain System that is developed with a vision to improve efficiency by maximising Kinetic Energy Usage and offering flexibility for different users dependent upon their needs.

Warrego harnesses hydrogen power and has been designed to meet a growing demand among vehicle owners for efficient, cost effective and sustainable cars, trucks, buses and other forms of transport.

“The pre-orders have exceeded all of our expectations,” said H2X Global CEO Brendan Norman.

“We knew they would be popular but we’ve been blown away by the demand for the Warrego. Orders have literally been coming in from around the world. The word has got out that we’re on to something really special,” he said.

Featuring a 200kW motor system, 66KW and optional 90KW fuel cell systems, and 60-100KW output Energy Storage Systems between Battery and Super Capacitor units, the Warrego has from 500km driving range on a mix of highway and city roads within a quick refueling time of 3-5 minutes.

Even though it’s a world first, H2X already has in place a wide network of support partners in Australia and developing in key locations around the world capable of providing accelerated distribution, servicing, and after sales support.

With the unique H2X Hybrid Fuel Cell System, a vehicle can run on pure hydrogen, which drastically reduces refuelling time and increases driving range and hydrogen efficiency.

H2X’s fuel cell technology is based on decades of experience in vehicle development and is targeted at high use vehicles for commercial and sharing purposes where the availability of the vehicle is key.

H2X is pushing into new markets, with a series of products due for release in the coming months that will show new ways of working with hydrogen and bringing clean energy to many different applications in cities.

With a diverse range of products off a common platform, H2X can quickly support financially sound business cases for hydrogen rather than battery electric for commercial vehicles. BEVs currently have long charging times, limited expected life, and issues with the disposal of lithium batteries.

H2X is a global leader in hydrogen vehicles including utes, motorbikes, trains, delivery vehicles and ships.

The company is preparing for a listing on a major global exchange in late 2021/early 2022 and is currently undertaking capital raising as it works to position itself as a world premium hydrogen vehicle manufacturer.

Customers can reserve their new Warrego Ute now for no upfront cost at https://thehydrogentruck.com/.

This article originally published on EGlobal Travel Media.

Australia’s Warrego hydrogen ute claims $50 million of order requests in just 4 days

Australian hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle start-up H2X Global says it has secured more than 200 orders for its Warrego hydrogen ute worth $50 million from around the globe, in just four days since it opened orders.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have a long way to go to prove their long-term viability, and their ability to compete with battery electric options, with refuelling infrastructure being one of the biggest barriers.

But it would appear that, even though we are in the early stages of the development of FCEVs, that there are those who see the immediate and near-term value of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.

The Sydney-based H2X last week announced that it will launch its high-priced Warrego Ute on the Gold Coast in November, ahead of deliveries slated for April, 2022.

That sparked immediate interest, and in the first four days since H2X opened orders last Wednesday, the company says it received more than 200 order requests, worth $50 million if the consumers follow through. The orders came from all over Australia, and from countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Malaysia.

“Among the customers ordering the Warrego Ute are several significant energy companies and a number of private buyers,” H2X Global said in its press release, before quoting from one of those same private buyers.

“The Warrego is the vehicle that we believe the community of Green Energy Pioneers have been waiting for, especially with Hydrogen already at parity with diesel kWh for kWh,” said Haim Ptasznik is Director of Veida, a provider of Green Energy Solutions and Hardware, and one of the first purchasers of the vehicle.

“Not to mention, the problems that EV’s pose to the electrical network with grid congestion and excessive unpredictable demand disappear, with hydrogen as a supply.”

The Warrego is the first of a range of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles that H2X is planning to release over the next 24 months.

Featuring a 200kW motor system, 66KW and optional 90KW fuel cell systems, and generating output between 60KW and 100KW, the Warrego has a driving range of 500-kilometres on a mix of highway and city roads, and benefits from quick refuelling times of between 3 to 5 minutes.

“The pre-orders have exceeded all of our expectations,” said H2X Global CEO Brendan Norman.

“We knew they would be popular, but we’ve been blown away by the demand for the Warrego. Orders have literally been coming in from around the world. The word has got out that we’re on to something really special.”

This article originally appeared on The Driven.

Sales of H2X’s new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle surpass $50m in four days

H2X Global has seen unprecedented demand for its new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, the Warrego Ute, with the company raking in A$50m ($37.2m) in order requests in the first four days.

With demand all around the globe, H2X has revealed that it has received over 200 order requests from countries including Australia, the Netherlands, Germany and Malaysia.

H2X has additionally said that among those ordering the new Warrego Ute are several significant energy companies as well as a number of private buyers.

The Warrego features a 200KW motor system, 66KW and optional 90KW fuel cell systems in addition to a 60KW to 100KW output Energy Storage Systems between battery and super capacitor units.

Another standout feature of the hydrogen vehicle is that has a 500km driving range whilst boasting a refuelling time of between three to five minutes.

The Warrego Ute also utilises the unique H2X hybrid fuel cell system which allows the vehicle to run on pure hydrogen which drastically reduces refuelling times and increases driving range and hydrogen efficiency.

Haim Ptasznik, Director of Veida and one of the first purchasers of the vehicle, said, “The Warrego is the vehicle that we believe the community of green energy pioneers have been waiting for, especially with hydrogen already at parity with diesel kWh for kWh.

Not to mention, the problems that EV’s pose to the electrical network with grid congestion and excessive unpredictable demand disappear, with hydrogen as a supply.

“We work with our clients to create alternative, green energy solutions and the demand for green hydrogen in Australia is booming.

“H2X is enabling us to be the first to integrate hydrogen vehicles and their powertrains into our solutions. An Australian Vehicle powered by green hydrogen is too good to pass up.”

This article originally appeared on H2 View.

$50m in pre-orders highlights strong demand for H2Xs hydrogen ute

What do you get when you mix hydrogen fuel cells with one of Australia’s most beloved vehicles? Try $50m in order requests in just four days.

That’s exactly the response that hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) developer H2X Global received after announcing that it was taking orders for its Australian-designed Warrego ute built on the chassis of the popular Ford Ranger.

Since orders opened to the public mid-last week, the company has already received over 200 order requests from all over Australia and the world, including Netherlands, Germany and Malaysia.

These include several significant energy companies and a number of private buyers.

H2X Global chief executive officer Brendan Norman said the pre-orders have exceeded all of the company’s expectations.

“We knew they would be popular but we’ve been blown away by the demand for the Warrego,” he said.

“Orders have literally been coming in from around the world. The word has got out that we’re on to something really special.”

The company will unveil the Warrego at its global launch on Queensland’s Gold Coast in November 2021 while delivery is expected to start in April 2022.

One of the first purchasers, green energy solutions and hardware provider Veida, noted that with hydrogen offering parity withdiesel on a kWh (kilowatt hour) to kWh basis, the Warrego was the vehicle that green energy pioneers had been waiting for.

“We work with our clients to create alternative, green energy solutions and the demand for green hydrogen in Australia is booming,” Veida director Haim Ptasznik said.

“H2X is enabling us to be the first to integrate hydrogen vehicles and their powertrains into our solutions. An Australian vehicle powered by green hydrogen is too good to pass up.”

Warrego ute

The base model Warrego Ute features a 200kW motor, a 66kW fuel cell and 60kW energy storage systems.

This uses pure hydrogen to deliver a 500km driving range on a mix of highway and city roads while offering quick refuelling times of between three to five minutes.

Options include a 90kW fuel cell and 100kW of energy storage.

Being a ute, the Warrego will be to carry up to 1,000kg in the try and tow up to 2,500kg.

Commercial hydrogen

Hydrogen is increasingly seen as the go to green option for commercial vehicles.

While battery electric vehicles have a substantial head-start in recharging infrastructure and uptake for personal use, the long recharge times and battery weight make them unsuitable for commercial use.

Both the recharge time and weight are addressed by FCEVs, which can be refuelled quickly and are not reliant on large banks of batteries for range (though they may still have secondary batteries for various purposes).

This article originally appeared in the Stockhead.

Global Hydrogen Fuel Cell Commercial Trucks Market Report 2021: Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier, Attributes of Hydrogen Trucks, Demand Drivers & Inhibitors, Industry Initiatives, Technology Trends

Global Market for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Commercial Trucks, provides an in-depth analysis of this emerging market.

The study segments the market into light- and medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks, providing sales and revenue forecasts for major world regions through 2035 for both segments.

This is one of the most comprehensive and timely studies on hydrogen fuel cell trucks. It discusses hydrogen fuel cell truck-maker strategies and provides their in-depth profiles.

The study discuses factors differentiating hydrogen fuel cell trucks with trucks running on other power sources, and their market impact.

Hydrogen-powered truck set for launch in Australia

H2X Global plans to launch its new Warrego pickup truck in Australia’s Gold Coast region, and is already taking orders for the vehicle.

The company says the vehicle features a 200 kW motor system, 66 kW and optional 90 kW fuel cell systems, and 60 kW to 100 kW energy storage systems between its battery and supercapacitor units. The Warrego has a 500 km driving range and a refueling time of between three and five minutes.

With its hybrid system, H2X says the vehicle can on pure hydrogen, “drastically” reducing refueling time, while increasing driving range and hydrogen efficiency.

The company describes the Warrego as the first in a “range of uniquely designed and developed fuel cell electric vehicles” it plans to release over the next 24 months.

In November 2020, H2X Marine – the boat-building unit of the fledgling automotive manufacturer – announced a partnership with Queensland-based shipbuilding specialist WildCat Marine to manufacture a range of hydrogen-fueled passenger ferries for industrial and commercial use.

Fuel cell vehicles are expected to face an uphill battle when competing with more mature electric vehicle technologies for light vehicles and passenger cars. However, there is much interest in using hydrogen to transport heavy trucks, ferries, ships, and planes.

This article originally appeared in PV Magazine.

2022 H2X Warrego: Reservations open for hydrogen ute ahead of November launch

Australian hydrogen start-up H2X is promising its new Ranger-based ute will be here within months.

Reservations for the 2022 H2X Warrego hydrogen ute have opened, while the Australian company has announced a November launch for the new zero-emissions model.

Customer deliveries of the Warrego are said to begin in April 2022, with H2X offering buyers three different variants of the Ford Ranger-based ute.

Opening the range is the Warrego 66, with 200kW of power and a choice of either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The model features a 66kW hydrogen fuel-cell and 60kW supercapacitor battery, with a 6.2kg hydrogen tank delivering a claimed 500 kilometers of driving range.

The mid-range Warrego 90 gets 220kW with all-wheel drive as standard, with both the fuel-cell and battery specifications upped to 90kW and 100kW respectively, also with a 6.2kg hydrogen capacity.

The range-topping Warrego 90 XR increases the hydrogen tank to 9.3kg, which H2X says can deliver up to 750km of driving range, with refueling taking less than five minutes.

While prices have not been published by the company, the website The Driven reports the ute will be available from between $189,000 and $250,000 before on-road costs.

H2X says the Warrego 90 can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in just eight seconds, while the Warrego 66 takes 11 seconds. The payload capacity for the hydrogen ute is 1500kg.

Customers are offered a 24-month warranty on the Ford Ranger body, while the retrofitted H2X powertrain gets a 48-month warranty.

The 2022 H2X Warrego will go on sale in November 2021, with deliveries expected to begin in April 2022. The company is accepted reservations for the ute on a new dedicated website.

This article originally appeared in the Wheels.