The Opel HydroGen4 is not strictly news in the automobile world, but after we saw it a couple of years ago and even tested it last year, we decided to do this video of the HydroGen4 because it’s not every day that you can get on board a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

The Opel is based on the Chevrolet Exquinox and has hydrogen gas compressed to 700 bar in cells of 170 litres, which are supposed to guarantee a range of 300 km. Rather than an all-electric vehicle, this car actually has a slight engine sound which you can hear in the video. We had another go at the Challenge Bibendum in Berlin last week.

On the track the Opel HydroGen4 comes across as the classic American car – comfortable, safe but not particularly snappy (to our mind). This could be because in the last three years, purely electric cars have come a long way and we now can expect the performance of a sports coupé and not just a cruising sedan that’s got to go anywhere within 300 km.

A note on the brakes, which are decidedly strange. You don’t have to push the pedal all the way to floor to stop the vehicle, you just have to hit it quickly and the car will stop. It’s quite disorientating at first but could be an interesting solution for motorists with disabilities or difficulty in reaching to a traditional brake.

The Opel HydroGen4 can pass the test at this stage, but not brilliantly given the now advanced status of this project. We’ll have to wait for 2015 when General Motors will present its new generation of fuel cell engines.

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