Hydrogen, the future of racing cars

Hydrogen as a fuel for future racing cars is not unthinkable. In fact, it seems more logical than electricity.

As BMW M President Frank van Meel suggested in his interview, it is reasonable to assume that endurance races will be the last to switch to battery-electric power. So it’s no wonder that the organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the ACO, is apparently relying on hydrogen-electric racing cars for the time being.

A hydrogen racing car

Together with a number of technical partners, the company has now presented a third hydrogen prototype that will one day take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from Garage 57 for test vehicles.

The rear wheels are powered by a single electric motor with a maximum output of 650 kW, which is powered by a fuel cell with 300 kW of power arranged transversely behind the monocoque and an 80 kilo buffer battery under the driver’s back. Up to 400 kW of energy can be delivered become.

It is conceivable that the continuous performance on a race track like La Sarthe with its endless straights is a lot lower than the 872 hp that the engine can in principle produce. The top speed is estimated at 320 km/h despite the use of a single reduction gear. 7.8 kilos of hydrogen are stored in the two tanks, which are located where the engine and transmission are normally housed.

This can take about half an hour to complete. A first model of the car is due to be ready at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024, with an initial chassis dynamometer test a few months later and rollout on the race track in early 2025, so the car will hopefully be ready in time for the 24 Hours to participate this year. The aim for the time being is to be able to drive at a comparable pace to the GT3 cars.

Ligier

Meanwhile, the French racing car manufacturer Ligier and the German mechanical engineering giant Bosch are working on another project. Ligier donates the base car and ensures that it drives properly, Bosch takes over the vehicle integration and develops all hydrogen-relevant parts including a safety concept.

This is a converted version of the Ligier JS2 R Silhouette Racer, usually intended for participation in one-make cups, free racing classes or track days. Its tubular frame was partially replaced by a composite monocoque and the standard Ford V6 powertrain was replaced by a Bosch invention. This is a “well-known” three-liter V6 biturbo series engine that has not been named and has been converted to run on hydrogen.

The result is a 1,450 kilo, ready-to-drive car with 570 hp, 650 Nm, a top speed of around 280 km/h and all the joys that come with driving a petrol engine: rummaging through the eight gears of the dual clutch transmission, enjoy the increasing speed or the slapping sound when downshifting. Until the 6.3 kilos of hydrogen in the three 700 bar tanks are used up. And all of this with relatively low emissions.

Little, but not nothing, because the combustion of hydrogen also produces NO2 and other pollutants. At least there is progress with these two cars, but bringing them to series production and, above all, being able to offer them at a price that is interesting for racing teams (not to mention the necessary fuel infrastructure) will be at least as big a challenge for the future.