Dutch students create the most efficient hydrogen car

Students at TU Delft have developed the most efficient hydrogen car. At least that’s the goal. The Eco-Runner team wants to break the world record for the longest distance ever covered on a tank of hydrogen.

The students already had this record in 2021. With a distance of 1196 kilometers, they ousted the Toyota Mirai from the throne. Later, this record was broken again by that Mirai, who drove 1360 kilometers on a tank. Last year, the Delft team was the last to retake the record with a distance of 5407 kilometers.

The most efficient hydrogen car

Eco-Runner Team Delft is an annual university project. The 24 students will build a completely new hydrogen car that is as efficient as possible within a year.

The Dutch students are confident they will break the record. The car is now more robust and should be able to cover 2055 kilometers, enough to break the world record.

The goal is obviously to win, but that’s not the team’s only goal. The Eco-Runner team wants to use the car to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen. Not for cars, but especially for the transport sector. “If a group of students can do it, why can’t the rest of them do it,” wonders Eline Schwietert, student of the Eco-Runner Team Delft.

A disadvantage of hydrogen

The hydrogen project has a major downside. “Green hydrogen is currently hard to come by in the Netherlands and as a team, self-production is not efficient. One of our goals as Eco-Runner Team Delft is to tackle this problem as well,” says Schwietert.

On May 2nd, the students will show the public – if all goes well – the most efficient hydrogen car. In June, the world record attempt takes place on a test track where the students drive the car themselves. The car is not allowed to drive on public roads.