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There he goes once more. Alejandro Agag, founding father of the Components E and Excessive E battery-electric racing collection, is now taking goal at gas cell electrical autos and inexperienced hydrogen, too. The brand new Excessive H collection can be a showcase for improvements in gas cell mobility, and that’s simply the tip of the inexperienced hydrogen iceberg envisioned by Agag.
From Components E To EV Charging Stations With Inexperienced Hydrogen
Formua E launched in September of 2013 as a department of FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Car), of the well-known Components 1 collection. I caught the battery-powered motion on the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin in Might of 2015, when Components E was closing out its first season (see tons extra Components E tales right here).
The EV battery charging expertise of 9 years in the past was not what it’s right now. Neither was battery-swapping expertise, for that matter. The “Gen1” autos of the unique Components E got here in an identical pairs, enabling drivers to leap right into a recent EV to maintain the race shifting alongside, somewhat than ready round to recharge or swap out the battery.
Simply three years later, in 2018 FIA ditched the car-switching technique in favor of latest EV batteries with sufficient vary to complete a full race, no swapping allowed.
Three years after that, the Excessive E off-road collection launched with a inexperienced hydrogen twist. With a purpose to recharge the batteries in off-grid places alongside the course, Excessive E featured charging stations powered by hydrogen gas cells. The stations adopted the Excessive E collection because it moved across the globe, demonstrating sturdiness, reliability, and transportability for an off-grid, inexperienced hydrogen EV battery charging answer.
The inexperienced hydrogen for the gas cells was produced from water by electrolysis with the ability offered by on-site photo voltaic panels, eliminating the necessity for a grid connection, and pushing fossil power out of the hydrogen provide chain as effectively.
Inexperienced Hydrogen In The Highlight
With Excessive H, Agag has pushed inexperienced hydrogen entrance and middle, a lot in order that the brand new collection is just not an addition to Excessive E. As an alternative, it’s described as a rebrand of Excessive E right into a “new, more environmentally friendly racing format.”
Leaving that factor about extra environmentally pleasant apart for now, Agag is clearly amongst these desperate to discover new challenges within the zero emission mobility area.
“The evolution from Extreme E to Extreme H is one of the most thrilling advancements in motorsport and sustainable technology I have ever been part of,” Agag defined in a press assertion.
“This evolution promises not only faster and more intense racing, but also a significant step forward in exploring hydrogen as a sustainable and powerful energy source,” Agag enthuses.
Agag explains that Excessive E was geared toward showcasing and motivating planet-saving mobility improvements. With inexperienced hydrogen, the chance for broader functions has emerged. “Now, with Extreme H, we are taking that mission to a new level by embracing hydrogen, the magic molecule in the future of green power,” he provides.
“The core values remain unchanged: we’re still dedicated to creating a pioneering motorsport series that emphasises [sic] sustainability, gender equality, and thrilling competition,” Agag emphasizes.
No matter Occurred To “Fuel Cell Vehicles Are Bull—-?”
If all this speak of thrillingness appears slightly excessive, contemplate that one other excessive profile character within the electrical car area has been trash-talking gas cell autos for years (right here’s one other instance). Consequently, gas cells have some catching as much as do within the public relations division.
Hydrogen gas cell passenger automobiles have been struggling to get a foothold within the world EV market, however trade stakeholders have indicated that gas cells are appropriate for bigger autos together with buses, vans, and vehicles in addition to trains and different off-road autos.
As for hydrogen itself, the “magic molecule” has many different makes use of in industrialized economies except for gas cell autos. The record consists of fertilizer, meals processing, prescribed drugs, toiletries, metallurgy and — considerably paradoxically — petroleum refining. That’s along with stationary makes use of, as demonstrated by the Excessive E gas cell battery-charging stations.
Pure gasoline and gassified coal are the first sources of the worldwide hydrogen provide, which hardly appears magical. What excites Agag, amongst others, is the prospect of pushing that baggage-laden provide chain apart in favor of extra sustainable sources. At present, a lot of the exercise round inexperienced hydrogen entails water electrolysis, although natural sources like wastewater and biogas additionally rising (see tons extra hydrogen information right here).
“Hydrogen’s potential is immense. It’s not just about e-mobility; it’s about creating green power solutions that can be applied anywhere, from remote locations to bustling cities,” Agag explains.
Promoting The Inexperienced Hydrogen Dream
Agag has set a excessive bar for Excessive H. Along with showcasing gas cell automobiles and hydrogen filling stations, Agag anticipates that Components H will contribute to market-building efforts.
“By being the primary motorsport championship powered by inexperienced hydrogen, we’re setting a brand new commonplace and offering a novel platform for power corporations to check and develop hydrogen options, he says.
The market-building angle goes to take some doing. The price of inexperienced hydrogen is coming down, however it’s nonetheless costlier than typical hydrogen. The US Division of Vitality, for instance, continues to be working off a benchmark of $5.00 per kilogram for inexperienced hydrogen, in direction of a purpose of simply $1.00 per kilogram.
Nonetheless, inexperienced hydrogen is already embedded within the decarbonization plans of a number of key governments together with the US, Europe, and India. Among the well-known manufacturers among the many varied motorsports are already dipping their toes within the hydrogen gas cell pool in a single kind or one other, with Porsche and Toyota among the many examples.
Excessive H may make the most of a rising inexperienced hydrogen provide chain involving each startups and legacy stakeholders, like Siemens and Geopura, which had been introduced on board final summer season within the runup to the Excessive E rebrand.
From Excessive E To Excessive H, With Ladies
Agag doesn’t plan on leaving the expertise classes discovered from Excessive E behind, regardless of the rebrand. Along with increasing the marketplace for inexperienced hydrogen, the plan is for Excessive H to hold ahead the Excessive model’s assist for ladies drivers.
“We’ve seen incredible progress in closing the performance gap between male and female drivers, leading to some of the most exciting and competitive racing,” Agag explains.
“This will continue to be a hallmark of Extreme H, alongside our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” he provides.
The gender outreach displays a rising spark of curiosity in ladies’s skilled sports activities, right here within the US and elsewhere. It stays to be seen if Excessive H can entice extra ladies to the game, both as drivers, engineers, or audiences, however you by no means know, the subsequent Mary Barra could possibly be watching.
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Photograph (cropped): The Excessive H racing automobile Pioneer 25 runs on a gas cell powered by inexperienced hydrogen (courtesy of Excessive E).
