The prototype of the Riversimple Urban Car was presented in London in quite a high profile event which shows that perhaps the world is ready for hydrogen and, in fact, wants it on the market. The Riversimple hydrogen car will appear on the market in 2013, and has been developed thanks to investment from the Piech family.

In more than acceptable performance figures, the top speed is 80 km/hr and it has a range of about 400 km. It weighs only 350 kg and has a 6kw fuel cell system which can maintain cruise speeding; while a super condenser pack of 21kg stores up to 30 kw of energy when stopping, meaning that 15 kw of power is restored back to the four motors integrated into the wheels.

The real innovation is not just the technology, but also the fact that Riversimple has been built with an “open source” mentality, meaning other car manufacturers can utilise the potential, adapting and personalising the vehicle to their needs.

It could be a very short step from this point to a situation in which a company such as the VAG group might use the technology to build their own hydrogen car. If you’re interested, you can follow the project’s development on the official Riversimple site.

Source | Repubblica

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