Perhaps the fastest hydrogen car in the world goes for a big prize

Electrically powered cars with a relatively small battery pack that is constantly powered by a fuel cell are still losing out significantly to the more traditional EV on the car market. That is not so strange. The range of hydrogen cars in Europe is extremely limited, with only the Hyundai Nexo and Toyota Mirai. BMW also has big plans in the field of hydrogen, but for the time being the market for hydrogen cars is small. In racing, cars with a fuel cell on board are certainly not commonplace. But there’s a new one!

At least, there’s almost a new one. The crack nose that plays the leading role in this article is officially still a prototype. And from a serious club too. The white racing car in these photos comes from MissionH24, a project that the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, H24Project are behind and in which Shell and Michelin are also involved (financially). The prototype racer is not the first from MissionH24. It previously presented the long-distance racers LMPH2G and H24.

With the as yet unnamed racer, MissionH24 wants to start a new racing class for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Indeed: a class for hydrogen racers. The prototype has a 300 kW fuel cell and two hydrogen tanks that together produce 7.8 kilos of hydrogen. According to MissionH24, the car should be able to drive around for about 25 to 30 minutes before it needs to be refueled. This means that during a 24-hour race you have to refuel approximately 48 to 58 times. The single electric motor on the rear axle has 884 hp. The car weight: about 1,300 kilos. That must be fast. And so it goes. The top speed of the colossus is 320 km/h… The first tests on the circuit must be completed in January 2025. The name of the car will be released on November 13.