The new concept car that Pininfarina is world premiering this week at the Geneva Motor Show is called the H2 Speed; a showpiece of style and technology in the name of sportiness, performance and pure, environmentally responsible driving fun. The H2 Speed is Pininfarina's innovative vision of a high performance track car based on revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell technology already subjected to severe track testing by GreenGT, a Franco-Swiss company which has been designing, developing and producing clean, sustainable propulsion systems since 2008.
Powered by two electric motors and a lightweight fuel cell mounted at the rear, the Pininfarina-designed rear-wheel-drive H2 Speed coupe is said to generate 503hp, able to exceed 300kph (186mph) and to accelerate from 0 to 100kph (0 to 62mph) in a 3.4 seconds. A carbon fiber chassis derived from those of Le Mans Prototype (LMP) category racecars and composite body panels enable the car to weigh in at 1420kg.
The H2 Speed will appeal to passionate people who love speed, performance and innovation and, at the same time, are attracted by the exclusivity typical of a Pininfarina-designed vehicle produced in a limited series. Halfway between a racing prototype and a production supercar, the H2 Speed is the world’s first hydrogen, high performance car thanks to the ‘Full Hydrogen Power’ technology presented by GreenGT, a powerful electric-hydrogen fuel cell drive chain.
Also notable is the rapid refueling, unknown to traditional electric cars: a full tank of hydrogen takes just 3 minutes. The H2 Speed almost completely eliminates noise pollution too, the sound emitted by the motor being close to total silence.
With the H2 Speed, Pininfarina confirms its commitment to excellence in design and research applied to sustainable mobility, the strong points of a company that is also intensively occupied in engineering services and in the development of special cars and limited series of exclusive models.
As Chairman Paolo Pininfarina explains: “The H2 Speed is the symbol of Pininfarina’s dedication to purity, elegance and innovation. The spirit of the project is directly linked to the great aerodynamic tradition often explored by Pininfarina over the decades as well as to our most recent dream cars. The present concept is a synthesis of technology, sustainability, harmony, aerodynamic flow and, above all, speed. And it is also the best way to confirm Pininfarina’s role as the standard-bearer of the aesthetic values of Italian design in the world and to strengthen its brand, the company’s true hallmark.â€
"Italian style and engineering at the service of product innovation and the manufacture of high volume or niche special vehicles. This in a nutshell is what Pininfarina is today,†adds managing director, Silvio Pietro Angori: “The H2 Speed concept continues Pininfarina’s strategy of designing and developing special cars, namely vehicles produced in limited series for collectors and lovers of unique cars. The Pininfarina H2 Speed interprets the company’s passion for racing and exceptional, environmentally responsible automotive performance. It is a concentration of Italian styling and sustainable technology for gentlemen drivers and aficionados,†Angori concludes.
