The first prototype of H2X Global’s hydrogen fuel cell Ford Ranger, dubbed the Warrego, has taken to the road in the Netherlands. The Australian start-up released two videos to mark the milestone—one showing the previous-generation Ranger dual-cab ute in motion, and another revealing the new powertrain beneath its familiar bodywork.
The Warrego’s public debut comes only weeks after Queensland-based Roev announced plans to produce battery-electric versions of Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger utes for fleet customers in Australia from 2023. H2X had originally intended to demonstrate the Warrego on the Gold Coast in November 2021, with sales starting from $190,000 in April 2022. Supply chain disruptions pushed the schedule back by about nine months.
H2X Global CEO and founder Brendan Norman acknowledged the delays: “It is true that we have had some frustrating delays over the past nine months, however, we are now well on track with our roll out plans. Our production and engineering teams have done an amazing job to overcome these problems and we are now back on schedule.”
The company now expects to offer the Warrego to customers in the coming months, aligning deliveries with hydrogen availability. Production will take place both in Europe and at a facility in Sale, located in Victoria’s LaTrobe Valley. Limited hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in Australia means the domestic market will be constrained, but European cities with established hydrogen networks present stronger opportunities.
Norman explained the European focus: “The focus for the first Warrego had been for a European release for a number of reasons but mainly due to the availability of hydrogen at customer level in several cities where order status has been high and government support is present to develop the hydrogen economy.”
The Warrego is undergoing final validation and verification testing in the Netherlands, with European and global certification as the immediate goal. Australian certification testing will follow.
Technically, the Warrego incorporates a full version of H2X’s light vehicle powertrain. This includes a supercapacitor-based hybrid system operating in all-wheel drive mode. The supercapacitor pack delivers a 90,000 amp output and stores 8 kWh of energy. Power is sent through a 250 kW electric motor, fed by a 60 kW hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is stored in a polymer carbon-fibre tank rated to 700 bar. The drivetrain retains the standard Ranger transfer case, blending familiar mechanical architecture with advanced energy systems. H2X claims a driving range of 450 km.
The supercapacitor sits where the diesel engine once did, acting as a rapid-response energy buffer. This arrangement allows the fuel cell to operate more efficiently by smoothing transient power demands, a principle well understood in aerospace and rail applications where load changes can be abrupt.
The Warrego serves as a technology demonstrator for H2X’s upcoming projects, particularly the Darling Delivery Van planned around 2025. Norman stated: “The Warrego is essentially a demonstration vehicle which we are able to offer to several customers in order to accelerate the availability of an AWD light commercial vehicles to customers, using a state-of-the-art Hybrid Hydrogen Fuel Cell System. This application will be applied in a more optimised form in the Darling Delivery Van and Taxi/MPV targeted for release to support the large number of cities in Europe which will be closed off from diesel and petrol vehicles from 2025.”
For engineers and enthusiasts, the Warrego’s blend of supercapacitor energy storage, high-pressure hydrogen containment, and conventional mechanical driveline offers a compelling study in transitional vehicle design. It bridges the gap between legacy platforms and zero-emission propulsion, leveraging modularity to adapt proven chassis to emerging energy ecosystems.