While the H24EVO model, the latest Missionh24 prototype, program in collaboration between the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and H24Project, sits at the forefront of the conference room, the tone is thus given. While the qualifications of the 5th round of the FIA WEC will take place in a few hours, hydrogen will monopolize the attention for a few moments, in order to present the future of endurance; From 2028, hydrogen prototypes will indeed be able to participate in endurance tests, compete with classic thermal motor machines, while not rejecting any CO2 emissions to exhausts! Decarbonier the race and mobility, this is the mission carried by ACO, represented by Pierre Fillon, and the FIA, by Marek Nawarecki.
“It is the DNA of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Endurance World Championship of the FIA,” explains Fillon. “At first, we reduced fuel consumption, almost 50 %, with hydride, today, hydrogen, which is one of the solutions and not the solution, makes it possible to introduce machines with the same autonomy, fixed assets, similar to those of conventional heat engine cars, but zero CO2 emissions.”
“For the FIA, participating in this energy transition or I would even say, this diversification of energies is important,” adds Nawarecki. “We work with ACO to the regulation to introduce liquid hydrogen. The work is well engaged, since last June, we validated a regulatory basis, with in particular the safety conditions, for future categories. The role of the FIA is to take into account the state of the art in the development of hydrogen and to create the relevant regulations, with ACO and interested manufacturers. mobility. ”
Proof of the progress of the work carried out by ACO, FIA and manufacturers, prototypes already roll, such as the Alpine Alpenglow Hy6, or the Toyota Gr Corolla H2 with liquid hydrogen. The latter ‘participated in the 24 Hours of Fuji, last May, in hands, among others of Akio Toyoda (President of Toyota), ‘ Specifies Nakajima. “She did not know any major problem during the test. We were able to improve the refueling system. These are crucial points to deploy hydrogen, a technology that already exists, and which is promising for competition and mobility. It is a beautiful challenge, to succeed together.”
At the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025, Toyota Gazoo Racing presented the GR LH2 Racing Concept, a typed endurance prototype, and announced a partnership with MissionH24, concerning aerodynamics and cooling of the future H24EVO, proto using a fuel cell. For Toyota Gazoo Racing as for Alpine Racing, the choice of hydrogen combustion engine has been retained.
“Hydrogen is an interesting solution, it comes in addition to the whole electric,” affirms Famin. In Alpenglow, hydrogen feeds a heat engine, which requires specific combustion, and a dedicated storage and filling system. The advantage of the heat engine? “This remains a heat engine with all its sensations, noise and vibration but beyond this passion side, there is a real technical interest for this engine which requires a lot of torque, and is therefore adapted to the requests of a racing car like certain utility for mobility.”
Last June, on the legendary 13.6 km circuit, the Alpenglow Hy6 completed several demonstrations, recording a 313 km/h in the Hunaudières. A challenge for tires? Tramond responds: “The efforts generated by these vehicles, heavier at first, are different and represent a real challenge for the tire. We contribute by providing simulations, then more precise models to help the construction of the vehicle. We offer new tires, such as the 71%, designed at 71% of recycled or renewable elements..”
Fillon underlines the reality of this challenge initiated in 2018 : “We must decarbonize the race, it is our mission to bring hydrogen in competition with applications for mobility. It is a question of producing green hydrogen, of studying the whole production chain, storage … We live an extremely interesting moment. We prepare the future for the generations that arrive.”
To complete this presentation, H2 activities were offered to the public in the São Paulo circuit.
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