A three way partnership between Le Mans 24 Hours organiser the Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest and hydrogen specialist GreenGT, MissionH24 gave its LMPH2G hydrogen idea a primary demonstration run at Spa in 2018, earlier than it took half in a stay follow session for a Le Mans Cup spherical the next yr.
Its successor, the H24, featured a very revamped powertrain with two electrical motors (down from 4 on the LMPH2G) and completed 4 Le Mans Cup races in 2022.
Perception: Under the skin of the mobile lab for hydrogen at Le Mans
The H24 automobile has been an vital testbed for the ACO, which arrange a working group that first met in Might 2018 with the goal of creating a hydrogen category for the Le Mans 24 Hours. This can take impact from 2026, with Toyota the first manufacturer to reveal a concept car earlier this year.
MissionH24 acknowledged that now it has accomplished “the important levels of analysis, improvement, verification and burn-in testing” of the hydrogen cell system, tanks, electrical motors and battery that its “focus has switched to efficiency to rival the opposite types of vitality on the monitor”.
The brand new automobile hailed by Mission H24 co-president Jean-Michel Bouresche as “the following thrilling step in our transfer in direction of zero-carbon motorsport” is deliberate to weigh 1300kg, 116kg lower than the H24, and produce 320km/h with a acknowledged purpose of being among the many prime entries within the LMGT3 class.
ACO President Pierre Fillon mentioned: “After introducing hydrogen to the racetrack, MissionH24 is now coming into a brand new part: bringing hydrogen to aggressive racing!
“This new prototype clearly intends to rival the opposite types of vitality within the subject.
“Hydrogen expertise is secure, dependable and might carry out. The ambition is now to supply the primary zero-emission winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
MissionH24 prototype
Photograph by: ACO
GreenGT technical director Bassel Aslan added: “Because of MissionH24, hydrogen expertise has stood out within the competitors world.
“Now the time has come to show that this expertise can provide a substitute for fossil fuels with the identical effectivity and nil CO2 emission.
“This new automobile might be for these concerned the actual image of the way forward for motorsport in keeping with the vitality transition.”
Particular function: How close is widespread adoption of hydrogen in motorsport?
The design of the ADESS chassis, which might be named subsequent month after polling concepts from followers on social media, is about to be accomplished in March with bench testing of the facility unit meeting set to start in subsequent October earlier than automobile meeting and the primary circuit checks from 2025.
It is going to be powered by a single electrical motor, with a most energy output of 650kW, up from 350kW on the H24 whereas saving 18kg, and a battery with a most output of 400kW.
A revised Symbio hydrogen cell system utilizing next-gen multi-stack expertise is anticipated to supply a most energy output of 300 kW, with energy density estimated to be 50% higher than the system used on the H24.
Its effectivity means the automobile will solely have two hydrogen tanks equipped by Plastic Omnium, as an alternative of the three within the H24, with optimised weight distribution in consequence.
Every tank might be able to storing 3.9 kg of hydrogen (up from 2.866kg of hydrogen on the H24) at 700 bars for a complete weight of round 100kg.
The automobile will have the ability to refuel utilizing the infrastructure deliberate for the long run H2 class at Le Mans.
MissionH24 prototype
Photograph by: ACO