World's first hydrogen racing car passes FIA crash tests

The Pioneer 25 marks a significant step in the world of motorsport, having passed the mandatory FIA crash tests. The car was developed exclusively for Extreme H, the world's first hydrogen-powered motorsport, and has a top speed of 200 km/h.

Over the years, a number of functional hydrogen rally and race cars have been built as prototypes, but none have ever been successfully certified for competition, so Extreme H's successful testing is significant – particularly given that hydrogen as a fuel for motor vehicles is still relatively new and rare, and is known to be explosive in certain mixtures with air.

However, it is important to remember that even if there is a hole in the tank, hydrogen gas will still escape, as it is about 14 times lighter than air and therefore tends to flow upward at a speed of about 20 meters per second (66 feet per second). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, hydrogen is therefore less likely to explode than regular gasoline.

The FIA ​​crash test regulations focused on side impact and rollover safety. After completing these crash tests, the Pioneer will undergo 25 more tests on the race track.

“We shouldn't underestimate this,” said Mark Grain, technical director of Extreme H. “It's the first hydrogen race car to pass FIA testing. We worked with the FIA ​​to define these crash tests and there was a lot of collaboration with constructive conversations back and forth to define the loads and speeds and so on, but ultimately they defined them and we designed and built a car that passed them.”

The Pioneer 25 is powered by Symbio Hydrogen fuel cell technology with a hydrogen tank of 2 kg at 700 bar. The car has a tubular space frame chassis with a central driver's seat surrounded by FIA-mandated impact structures.

It can produce a maximum power of 550 hp (400 kW), accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and can climb gradients of up to 130% (52.4 degrees). The car's ride and handling are improved by a low center of gravity and improved suspension geometry.

Extreme H

“The chassis itself is much stronger, however we have added carbon composite crash structures that sit over the two hydrogen tanks and for the side impact test we have composite structures on both sides that absorb energy. The high and low pressure hydrogen systems were also fitted during testing,” Grain explained.

He adds: “The systems were pressurised for both tests and the pressures within them were monitored as live data. This was to ensure that the systems were not damaged and lost pressure. I am pleased to say that in each of the tests both the high and low pressures were maintained and this is an indication that the hydrogen system was not damaged.”

Spark Racing Technology offers an exclusive package of standardised parts for each Pioneer 25 that would compete in Extreme H. However, teams are given some leeway to tinker with the front and rear fascias to mimic conventional internal combustion engine motorsport cars.

Alastair Staley

Extreme H is the hydrogen-based, emission-free version of electric off-road motorsport, ExtremeE. The launch is planned for 2025. The latest hydrogen engine technology will be presented in a competitive racing environment, representing an ambitious step towards clean energy. Extreme H is a one-make series, which means that the car was not developed with the aim of having an advantage over a competitor.

The Pioneer 25 car was due to take part in both of the Island X Prix events in Sardinia in September, however both races have since been postponed. As a result, the car will return to France where a significant amount of remaining testing will be completed. In theory, this gives Extreme H more time to complete development of the Pioneer 25, but Grain insists nothing has changed and operations will continue according to the exact same schedules.

“The worst thing we can do from a technical and car perspective is to take our foot off the accelerator and lose the opportunity to race. If Alejandro (Agag, founder and CEO of Extreme H) turns around and says, 'I want to race on January 1st,' we want to be able to say, 'Yes, we can do it,'” Grain adds.

Before further track testing takes place later this month and in October, Pioneer 25's next major milestone is to put the tanks and batteries through an FIA endurance test. All cars competing in Extreme H are due to go into production in the coming weeks and the respective teams should receive their deliveries by the end of the year.

Source: Extreme H