New Aussie company to build trucks here

A new Australian-backed vehicle manufacturing company based in the NSW city of Port Kembla is set to be publicly launched today (June 12.)

According to a report published by aumanufacturing.com.au, the company is called H2X and it will be building hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by July 2021.

Two heavy vehicle models – tipped to be a prime mover and a bus – are expected first, and passenger vehicles would soon follow according to the company’s stated plans.

Among several concepts developed by H2X is the Snowy SUV, which is pictured below.

According to the @AuManufacturing report, the Snowy would feature a 60kW fuel-cell and have an overall power output of 190kW.

However, the first models to be built will be the two heavy vehicles which will be built on a second, larger platform that can accommodate two fuel cell units to bring power output up to 300 to 550kW (400 to 740hp).

Their theory is that heavy vehicles run on set city and interstate routes for major transport companies and can refuel their hydrogen back at base.

H2X is planning a debut for the Snowy in 2022 or 2023 depending on the availability of a currently non-existent hydrogen filling station network. The company also hinted that it was developing a tractor.

The key public figures so far connected to H2X includes its CEO Brendan Norman, a former BMW and Volkswagen executive, and his partner Chris Reitz.

Norman and Reitz developed hydrogen cars for Wuhan-based Grove Automotive, which displayed three prototype vehicles at the 2019 Shanghai motor show.

H2X says it currently employs 70 people with plans to employ another 100 before the end of 2020. Staff have been recruited from BMW, Fiat, Nissan and Toyota.

Cornerstone investors are reported to be the Elvin Group, a pre-mix concrete company based on the NSW Central Coast, and Ken Mathews, who heads up a diverse renewable energy company.

“Seeing car manufacturing move away from the country was somewhat heartbreaking,” Norman told @AuManufcaturing.

“But given Australia’s leadership in hydrogen we have the opportunity to bring it back. For me it is a dream come true.”

More on this breaking story as it comes to hand.