Hopium, a French automaker, shelved plans for a high-performance sedan in order to concentrate on fuel cells, that it will make available to other big businesses.

Automotive start-ups seeking to make it big, face challenging times. The problem gets worse for Hopium, a new French company started by a racing driver and formerly run by the previous Transport Minister. Where are the tens of thousands of orders from Crédit Agricole, totalling more than one billion euros? Hopium appears to be in a precarious financial state, and the French manufacturer’s goals appear to be lowering.

Hopium was remarkably quiet about the specifics of their high-end car project that was manufactured in Douains, Normandy, and was made in France. A project that seems unreal? The ability of a start-up to manufacture a car marketed for €120,000 with niche technology has long been viewed by the press as speculative. What kind of profit could come from such a journey?

Hopium changed his tune after perhaps realising the absurdity of the situation. Hopium has placed the premium vehicle on hold in favour of concentrating on the fuel cell technology it intends to provide to other significant businesses and manufacturers: “The company’s bench tests demonstrate unparalleled efficiencies (5kW/KG and 8.4kW/L at the cell level). Durability tests are also in progress, and preliminary findings indicate that they will outperform all competing technologies currently on the market.”