H2X says orders for Warrego hydrogen ute top 250, will be built in Gippsland

Australian hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle start-up H2X Global says that “orders-interests” for its hydrogen-powered Warrego ute have  nowpassed 250 – worth as much as $62.5 million – from interested customers around the globe.

Originally intended to be launched this month on the Gold Coast, though now set to be officially launched next year ahead of deliveries which are slated to begin in April 2022, the Warrego hydrogen fuel-cell EV (FCEV) has continued to garner sinterest around the globe.

According to a company announcement on Wednesday, pre-order interest received for the Warrego ute have surpassed 250, from across Australia as well as countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Malaysia

“One of the first companies to buy the ute was green energy solutions and hardware provider, Veida,” said Brendan Norman, chief executive of H2X.

“Its director Haim Ptasznik explained that with hydrogen offering parity with diesel on a kWh-to-kWh basis, the Warrego was the ‘go to’ vehicle that green energy pioneers and early adopters had been waiting for.”

However, despite relatively impressive capabilities, the Warrego is priced well above any equivalent battery electric ute set to arrive in the near future, making it a tricky proposition for all but the most die-hard hydrogen fans or customers literally needing a non-electric battery option.

Specifically, the starting price for the Warrego 66 sits at $189,000 for the only model with either 2WD or AWD. The Warrego 90 and 90 XR will arrive in late-2022 and start from $235,000 and $250,000 respectively.

Moreover, excitement for the Warrego should be tempered by the fact that demand for the hydrogen-powered ute is relatively small, especially when compared to other EV utes and trucks.

US prices for battery electric utes like the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck start at around $US40,000, or around $AU55,000. Even the top-of-the-line Tri Motor AWD Cybertruck is priced at $US70,000, which converts to around $AU96,000.

H2X Global recently signed an agreement with the Gippsland Circular Economy Precinct (GCEP) in which it will seek to manufacture hydrogen fuel cells, electrolysers, hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles and a range of hydrogen power units including generators and emergency power supplies in the region.

“This is a great opportunity for Gippsland to engage with hydrogen technology and provide new enterprises, new jobs and training in support,” said Norman. “We are now investigating a number of manufacturing options including fuel cell production and some vehicles,” he said.

Joshua S. Hill

Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.