The French company Hopium announced this Tuesday that it had changed its CEO again, after abandoning its hydrogen car project. Stéphane Rabatel, a former Renault engineer, replaced Sylvain Laurent, who arrived in September 2023. Hopium, which went into receivership in July 2023, must present a business continuity plan.
“This evolution of governance is part of the execution of the strategic shift initiated by the group under the presidency of Sylvain Laurent to develop a hydrogen fuel cell system,” Hopium said in a statement.
After having given up on marketing a hydrogen sedan in 2025 as initially planned, Hopium has refocused its activities towards the development of its fuel cell technology, which should be dedicated primarily to the heavy mobility sector.
“The context is favorable”
Stéphane Rabatel recently headed the company Inocel, which is developing another high-power hydrogen fuel cell. “We hope to demonstrate the unrivaled characteristics of our fuel cell and its ability to be industrialized quickly,” underlines Stéphane Rabatel.
“Hopium developed its own fuel cell because no other on the market had the desired performance. This technological capital places the group in a leading position in the heavy vehicle segment, with a modular solution that meets automotive standards” , says Stéphane Rabatel.
“The context is favorable. Tout en favorisant l’émergence d’une filière de l’électrolyse visant à décarboner progressivement l’industrie, de plus en plus de gouvernements ont pris conscience que la mobilité lourde constitutes un segment de marché prioritaire”, selon leader.
Source: BFM TV
