The fact that the Hopium website has a welcome page that looks suspiciously like a Flash intro from the noughties, you might already call it a sign on the wall. But it is mainly the name of the hydrogen car manufacturer that inspires little confidence. According to internet language, the name Hopium means something like ‘addicted to false hope’. A self-fulfilling prophecy maybe?
Just over a week ago, the court in Paris placed the French car brand under guardianship, Hopium writes in a press release. All debts will be frozen for the next six months and possibly another six months. During this time, the company can restructure to become financially healthy again, but the development of hydrogen technology will also continue.
Is it really the name?
Of course it’s not really the name – we always have to explain that because people on the internet take everything a little too seriously. If you have a good idea, you could still name your car company Icarus and succeed. But perhaps one search in Google would not have been a bad idea for the French company. Although it is more common: just look for a Hyundai Kona in Portugal, you will not find it.
Starting a new car brand is simply very difficult. Elon Musk agreed years ago and Lightyear has also experienced it firsthand. The car was originally supposed to go into production in 2026, meaning the company will depend on investors and a handful of down payments for about seven years. And that is difficult.
‘Tesla of hydrogen’
Hopium was also called the ‘Tesla of hydrogen’, but you shouldn’t attach much importance to that, since every new car company is immediately called ‘Tesla-killer’ or ‘the Tesla of’. The Machina hydrogen car could drive 1,000 kilometers with 6 kilos of hydrogen, which is also very economical in terms of hydrogen. And that with 500 hp.
The Hopium Machina had to cost 120,000 euros and 10,000 pre-orders had already been placed. Production should start in 2026, but according to various other websites, the car has now been scrapped. Hopium would now focus on developing the technology in order to sell it. Which Sono Motors also did with its solar panels, in other words.
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