{"id":136262,"date":"2025-03-16T01:10:34","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T01:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/business\/insurance\/hydrogen-cars-in-motorsport-is-it-the-next-big-thing\/"},"modified":"2025-03-16T01:10:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-16T01:10:34","slug":"hydrogen-cars-in-motorsport-is-it-the-next-big-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=136262","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogen cars in motorsport: Is it the next big thing?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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As long-standing fans of motorsport, we\u2019re always curious about how championships might change as new technology and laws come into play.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the upcoming 2035 ban on petrol and diesel cars moving ever closer, we wanted to see how racing was planning on using alternative fuels. Would the series continue to stick with electric vehicles? Or, since we\u2019re seeing hydrogen being touted as the next big thing in several different areas of transportation, including for long-haul HGV use<\/a>, could it also start to play a role?<\/p>\n

We explore our findings here and share comments from motorsport leaders looking to pave the way for alternative fuels. But first, which alternative fuels are already being used in motorsport?<\/p>\n

Alternative fuels in motorsport: the current status<\/h2>\n
\"Red,<\/figure>\n

Motorsport<\/a> has proven that you don\u2019t need petrol or diesel vehicles to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Formula E<\/a> uses fully electric race cars and is one of the fastest-growing sporting events, with 491 million global viewers during its 2023\/24 season \u2013 up by 35% over the previous year.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, electric vehicles are tearing it up in various other championships, including the FIA Rallycross World Championship<\/a>, the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship<\/a>, and off-road electric racing series Extreme E<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whilst electric motorsport is becoming increasingly popular, it wasn\u2019t always this way. Just a decade or so ago, using these types of vehicles in motor racing was unheard of as the technology simply wasn\u2019t advanced enough to compete at a high level.<\/p>\n

Now, Formula E cars are capable of reaching speeds of up to 200mph (322km\/h), and many electric road vehicles can go from 0-60mph faster than their petrol and diesel counterparts.<\/p>\n

The technology has come a long way, and many car manufacturers believe this is in part due to the uptick in electric motorsport championships over the last decade. Jaguar, in particular, are vocal<\/a> about the fact that data from the carmaker\u2019s Formula E racing team helps them improve the performance of their road cars. And Nissan has also explained<\/a> that the Formula E series helps \u201cdeliver innovation and excitement on and off the track.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that hydrogen motorsport events would help speed up the development of hydrogen cars on the road<\/a> too. And, incidentally, it appears as though the very first motorsport championship of its kind is just a few short months away.<\/p>\n

Hydrogen in motorsport: Extreme E\u2019s new championship<\/h2>\n
\"Car<\/figure>\n

Extreme E, now known as Extreme H<\/a>, is shifting gears to race hydrogen cars instead of the electric vehicles it was once known for. The championship, which races in remote areas of the world that have been affected by climate change, has now completed its production run of the hydrogen cars and will be starting to race them this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seeing hydrogen in a similar stage to how renewables were placed 15 to 20 years ago, where technologies were in their infancy so the supporting infrastructure was a lot more expensive to get up and running,\u201d said Genevieve Horton, marketing and sustainability executive at Extreme H.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re aiming to do is to create a unique ecosystem with Extreme H where we\u2019re speeding up the development of hydrogen technologies. With championships such as Extreme E, they are in a unique position to speed up development of the technology much quicker than just on the public roads themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve essentially got a unique opportunity to act as a catalyst and accelerate that adoption of hydrogen as a means for propulsion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur aim isn\u2019t to replace electrification with hydrogen, but to compliment it,\u201d says Extreme H executive<\/h2>\n
\"Off-road<\/figure>\n

Similar to Riversimple founder Hugo Spowers\u2019 thoughts during our interview with him on hydrogen<\/a>, Genevieve explained that they don\u2019t see hydrogen and electric power at odds with each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not trying to convey that hydrogen technologies are out to supersede electricity, but it\u2019s continuing on with that decarbonisation route that EVs have made such great headway on,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we found with the electrification is that it\u2019s made great leaps and bounds in terms of progress, but there are areas such as heavy freight and public transportation which have been harder to decarbonise, and so hydrogen can be a really key complement to what we have with electric technologies already, in terms of filling those last gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve seen with electric racing, this shift could allow car manufacturers to use their findings to improve hydrogen road vehicles too.<\/p>\n

With many OEMs now innovating with the alternative fuel, Horton explained that Extreme H have created a \u201chydrogen hub\u201d where they\u2019ve \u201cbeen meeting with a lot of the key OEMs (original equipment manufacturer) who usually aren\u2019t allowed to communicate directly around their own hydrogen development.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cBut we get them all in the same room where they can speak openly about hydrogen development.<\/p>\n

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