Home » This Was The Best-Looking Car At The LA Auto Show Made By An Energy Infrastructure Company

This Was The Best-Looking Car At The LA Auto Show Made By An Energy Infrastructure Company

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The LA Auto Show may have been a bit thin when it came to concept cars from traditional, mainstream manufacturers, (though there certainly were some good ones) but the upside of that is that smaller concepts could get more attention. And that could be why a very flashy concept car made by a company whose main business is developing hydrogen fuel cell technology for stationary power, commercial vehicle, and spaceflight applications had a fancy concept car on display next to the big carmakers, instead of in the usual spot reserved for these sorts of companies, in the LA Convention Center basement hall, next to the churro vendors and family businesses selling die cast cars and the occasional mattress. The company is called Hyperion, and their hydrogen fuel cell concept car is the XP-1. We got to walk around it a bit and talk to some of the people behind it, so if you’re interested, boy are you in luck.

Oh, and I’m not kidding about the mattresses:

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Vidframe Min Bottom

More mattress content will have to wait, because it’s now time for you to experience this bonkers car, just as we did:

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It’s an interesting and, um, exuberant concept car, and the specs certainly are impressive:

Xp1 1

… I mean, if you believe concept car specs, which I never really do, because, come on, it’s not real. I mean, sure, they have one that runs, but I think it’s still healthy to take all of these numbers with multiple grains of sodium chloride.

H2chart

Hydrogen fuel cell-powered EVs have been around for a while, and despite a lot a pushing by companies like Toyota, hydrogen has yet to really catch on. If you own a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the number of places you can refill your vehicle are limited in number, in the same way that otters with degrees in comparative literature are limited in number. There’s hardly any.

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Hyperion has made a lot of developments in fuel cell architecture, and the XP-1 car is really just a lure to get people interested in their fuel-cell tech, and, as you can see, it worked on David and I, so good work, Hyperion.

So, if you’re really excited to learn more about a concept car that will likely never make it into production and was built by a company more interested in making electricity with water vapor as a byproduct, boy are you in luck. Watch that video.

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RX-Great
RX-Great
1 year ago

Those side thingies remind me vaguely of a Lambo Jalpa

Sklooner
Sklooner
1 year ago

So I can use my Elio to run errands, my Faraday for a daily and this for my weekend driver, now I will ride the bus until they arrive

Flick
Flick
1 year ago

(My final post on this, I promise!)

JT: THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you . . .
for asking about The Hand.
(I’d totally missed the last feakin’ third of the interview!)

TyPoTraphical
TyPoTraphical
1 year ago

JT:
… the number of places you can refill your vehicle are limited in number
C’mon! By virtue of my having merely called attention, you’ve already formulated an improved wording . . . correct?

Flick
Flick
1 year ago

JT — Just between you, me & the lamp post:
What was the kinkiest come-on employed to sell mattresses at the L.A. Auto Show?

Flick
Flick
1 year ago
Reply to  Flick

Inquiring Autopians want to know!

BloggyMcBlogBlog
BloggyMcBlogBlog
1 year ago

I would drive a hydrogen fuel cell car if there was an infrastructure for it.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
1 year ago

“I would drive a hydrogen fuel cell car if there was an infrastructure for it.”

Drive it sure, but would you BUY it? Especially if it meant $51-67k for sub-Prius level performance?

-Toyota claims the (2022) Mirai requires a leisurely 9.1-seconds to reach 60 mph.-

https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/mirai

Discopotato
Discopotato
1 year ago

There is in California, but that’s it.

B.S.
B.S.
1 year ago

Looks nice, but the one spec missing from that image is range. How far can it go from the one place it can fill up?

Iwannadrive637
Iwannadrive637
1 year ago

Aquaman, your car is ready.

TheGuyInTheVan
TheGuyInTheVan
1 year ago
Reply to  Iwannadrive637

I was thinking, do it up in black and it’s the next Batmobile.

CrustyRustKnuckle
CrustyRustKnuckle
1 year ago

Styling…wowsers. A Veyron hooked up with an R8 & got a nose-job from an MC20…yet still retains a unique quasi-aquatic theme somehow (aquarium greenhouse, anyone?). If you’re going for a eye-catcher, might as well swing for the fences.

Andrew
Andrew
1 year ago

I was hoping they would open the doors, because I cannot see any seams in the rear part and I wanted to see how one would get into the vehicle.

Black_Peter
Black_Peter
1 year ago
Reply to  Andrew

still seems like they would hit the swoops…
comment image?resize=980:*

mdharrell
mdharrell
1 year ago

Okay, but if I want an EV made by an energy infrastructure company (and I do), it’ll be a Westinghouse Markette from their Marketeer division:

http://www.autopasion18.com/IMAGENES-COCHES-REALES-HISTORIAS/WESTINGHOUSE%20(Marketeer)%20(USA)-01.JPG

FrankenCamry
FrankenCamry
1 year ago

I’m waiting for the first hydrogen powered car that uses the power from regenerative braking to perform electrolysis on the water captured from the exhaust.

Would it be a dumb party trick that never makes a real difference in the range of the vehicle like a solar roof? Yes. Would it be cool? Also yes.

The capacitor is no doubt better in all ways, but that doesn’t make it fun.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

“otters with degrees in comparative literature are limited in number.”
You should start the Autopian Scholarship for Literary Otters to rectify this injustice. (I considered “for Otter Authors,” but a degree in comparative lit does not an author make.)

jgustin113
jgustin113
1 year ago
Reply to  Drew

I smell a new t-shirt design.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago
Reply to  jgustin113

Jason, if you are reading these comments, I will buy that shirt if you make it. Probably about 3 of it.

cuzn ed
cuzn ed
1 year ago
Reply to  Drew

“What is this? A school for OTTERS?!?!”

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