New hydrogen-only car firm launches with Pininfarina concept

New Chinese start-up Grove, which claims to be the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell-only mass production company, has launched at the Shanghai motor show with a concept car designed by Italian styling house Pininfarina.

The concept car is the result of a “wide-ranging” deal between Pininfarina and Grove, which is based in the Chinese province of Wuhan and has a design studio in Barcelona, Spain.

The Grove Pininfarina concept is a striking four-door coupé-style saloon, with a bold front grille and a highly sculpted rear diffuser. It also features frameless doors and cameras in place of wing mirrors. No technical or performance details have been revealed.

While the firm has not confirmed a name for the car in press materials, the rear number plates suggests it uses the moniker Granite. 

Grove is currently developing a range of hydrogen-powered vehicles, beginning with a four-door SUV called the Obsidian, which was also on display in Shanghai. The firm has said that this machine will have a range of up to 625 miles, with a powertrain that use regenerative charging to regain energy under braking.

The company aims to start sales in China later this year, with volume production starting in 2020, and plans to expand into other markets with the goal of becoming “a world leader in clean transportation”.

Grove recently secured an agreement to expand into Australia and New Zealand, but there are no details of European expansion plans yet.

Grove Hydrogen was established by the Chinese Institute of Geosciences and Environment, which currently manufactures and distributes hydrogen extracted from industrial waste. The Institute says it is working with large Chinese cities to install and expand hydrogen a charging infrastructure in the coming years.

Pininfarina has also designed a new Karma sports car, which is on display in Shanghai.

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