A UK-based company, Viritech, has unveiled its exquisite and magnificent blend of technology. The company propelled the new hydrogen-powered hypercar at the Goodwood festival of speed yesterday. This hydrogen-powered hypercar, named “Apricale”, has a range of about 350 miles (560 km) and can cruise at a maximum speed of 200 mph, i.e., 322 km/h.
The most noteworthy feature of this car is its lightweight nature. It weighs just 1000 kg, which makes it popular among car enthusiasts. This incredible feature makes the Apricale one of the lightest cars in the “vaunted thousand pony club”. Moreover, the hydrogen storage tanks are integrated into the structural framework of carbon fiber, which is one of the most recognizable reasons for its lightweight nature, instead of incorporating hydrogen within heaving bolt-on tanks that increase the weight up to 20 times more.
These hydrogen tanks encompass 5.4 kg of hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bars. This encapsulated hydrogen would then pass onto a “multi-hundred-kilowatt” fuel cell in order to generate electricity. On the receiver end, there are two sources through which electricity can be utilized. One is a 6KW high-performance battery that draws out this electricity through its “Tri-volt energy management system.” And the other are two electric motors each of 400 kW, which are mounted on the front and rear axles.
Moreover, as it is built on hydrogen-based technology, that means zero emissions, even at the maximum cruise speed of 200 mph. Also, with its long range of 350 miles, you can easily find the next hydrogen station before running short of it. According to the estimates for 2021, there were about 15 hydrogen stations in the UK, and that is more than enough given its range and the top speed parameters. An important thing to note is that the company is planning to deliver at least 25 units of “Apricale” by 2024.
As far as the company is concerned, Viritech has tried its best to portray the lightweight nature and the “hybrid energy management system” in the eyes of customers rather than being called the supplier of a hypercar company.