Extreme H: Pushing Hydrogen Power to Extremes

The FIA Extreme H World Cup is the world’s first hydrogen-powered racing series. 

It is an evolution of Extreme E, the off-road race series started by Formula E founder Alejandro Agag in 2018. 

With a top speed of 200 KpH and 550 BHP, Extreme H’s hydrogen-powered Pioneer 25 race car certainly isn’t lacking in power. It is designed to demonstrate the viability and performance of hydrogen fuel cells. 

The Pioneer 25 is designed and manufactured by Spark Racing Technology and equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell from Symbio. 

“Fuel cell technology offers the best of both worlds,” says Serge Grisin, Motorsport Director at Symbio.

“It combines the long range, fast refuelling and payload capacity of combustion engines with the clean, quiet and pleasant driving experience of electric vehicles.

“Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are electric vehicles, and they are part of the electric mobility revolution. They use the same type of driveline as battery-electric vehicles to convert energy into motion, without producing harmful emissions.”

“Another key advantage is that fuel cells perform as reliably as ICE vehicles, even in tough weather conditions like winter.”

Extreme H is not an easy testing ground for hydrogen — its predecessor saw races across army training areas, sand deserts and even near glaciers.

Mark Grain, Technical Director for Extreme H, explains: “Motorsport has got a history of developing new technologies. The motor industry and big original equipment manufacturers have got processes they have to follow, and those lead times for new technology can be anything — up to five years or even longer. 

“In Motorsport, our next deadline is the next year's championship or the next race, so it’s fast paced through necessity. We can take these new technologies and put them through our rigorous processes at a really fast pace. 

“With hydrogen, in under a year-and-a-half, we've designed and developed this new race car, we’re taking it track testing and we're ready to go.”

Serge says: “The development of a high-power solution for demanding uses is well underway and is approaching large-scale industrialisation.  

“Symbio’s involvement in Motorsport is a big part of this — it's a real-world laboratory to push the limits under extreme conditions, with technical stakes that are very similar to what we see in on-road and off-road high-performance applications. 

“Power density and efficiency are key in motorsport as well as in heavy mobility.”

Mark says: “This is going to sound really mundane, but you know what the most exciting thing about it is? The fact that it operates just like any other race car.”

Perhaps hydrogen’s biggest challenge as a fuel is the infrastructure needed to support it. 

Extreme H isn’t just about the cars — it’s a fully hydrogen-powered series. This includes broadcasting, catering and even the energy to charge a phone. 

Andrew Cunningham is CEO of GeoPura, a company that provides hydrogen powered solutions to supplement the grid and replace diesel generators for Extreme H.

“Our society has the challenge of building the energy storage reservoirs and the distribution needed to turn intermittent sources of clean energy, like solar PV and wind turbines, into power we can always rely on wherever we are,” Andrew says.

“GeoPura does this by harnessing renewable power to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis. This hydrogen is stored and transported to sites, where it seamlessly recharges the HPU's advanced battery system. In this way we deliver clean energy on demand, with the only byproduct being water.

“The lessons we learn from motorsport will help refine hydrogen technology, making it even more accessible for large-scale commercial applications. 

“As awareness and infrastructure grow, hydrogen will become the mainstream energy solution it needs to be, supporting electrification and driving the global transition away from fossil fuels.”

To read the full story in the magazine click HERE

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