MissionH24 has unveiled a new hydrogen-electric race car to take on the LMGT3 class on the track.
MissionH24 project has unveiled a new, as yet unnamed hydrogen-electric prototype that will be tested on the race track from 2025 and is expected to be significantly faster than the current model.
MissionH24, a joint venture between the organiser of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, and hydrogen specialist GreenGT, has been working for five years on electric racing prototypes that draw their energy from a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.
The first model, the LMPH2G, was unveiled at Spa-Francorchamps in 2018 and took part in practice for a Le Mans Cup race the following year. Its successor, the H24, featured a completely revised powertrain with two electric motors (instead of four in the LMPH2G) and took part in four Le Mans Cup races in 2022.
Lap times targeted at LMGT3 level
The H24 car was an important test for the ACO to create a hydrogen class for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This will be introduced from 2026 and Toyota was the first manufacturer to unveil a concept car earlier this year.
MissionH24 said it had now completed “the key phases of research, development, verification and burn-in testing” of the hydrogen cell system, tanks, electric motors and battery, and was now “focusing on performance to compete with the other forms of energy on the track.”
The new car, which Jean-Michel Bouresche, co-president of MissionH24, described as the “next exciting step on our journey to carbon-free motorsport”, is expected to weigh 1300 kilograms, 116 less than the H24, and be 320 km/h fast. Lap times are expected to be on par with the new LMGT3 class.
Bolder engine, bigger tanks
The design of the ADESS chassis, which will be named next month after a poll of fans on social media, is expected to be ready in March. Bench testing of the power unit is due to begin in October before the car is assembled and the first track tests will take place from 2025.
The car will be powered by a single electric motor with a maximum output of 650 kW (350 kW for the H24), which weighs 18 kilograms less, and a battery with a maximum output of 400 kW. A revised next-generation Symbio hydrogen cell system with multi-stack technology is said to deliver a maximum power of 300 kW with a 50 per cent higher power density than the H24.
Thanks to its efficiency, the vehicle will have only two hydrogen tanks instead of three, resulting in optimised weight distribution. Each tank can store 3.9 kilogrammes of hydrogen (compared to 2.866 kilogrammes for the H24) at 700 bar, which corresponds to a total weight of around 100 kilogrammes. The car can be refuelled using the infrastructure planned for the future H2 class at Le Mans.
Hydrogen is to be a real alternative
“After the introduction of hydrogen on the race track, MissionH24 is now entering a new phase: making hydrogen competitive,” said ACO President Pierre Fillon. “This new prototype clearly intends to compete with the other forms of energy in motorsport. Hydrogen technology is safe, reliable and powerful. Our goal now is to provide the first zero-emission winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
Bassel Aslan, Technical Director of GreenGT, added: “Thanks to MissionH24, hydrogen technology has arrived in the world of racing. Now it is time to prove that this technology can be an alternative to fossil fuels, with the same efficiency and without CO2 emissions. This new vehicle will be a real symbol for the future of motorsport in line with the energy transition for all involved. “
