A France-based company Gaussin has presented the H2 Racing Truck, the most powerful 100% hydrogen and electric racing truck ever built. The zero-emission racing truck will compete in the World Rally-Raid Championship with the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia as its first stage.
The H2 Racing Truck incorporates a high-performance design to withstand extreme environments, and it is intended to demonstrate the performance and reliability of the hydrogen-electric motorization developed by the company. The data and information collected during the 2022 Dakar Rally will be used to further develop Gaussin’s range of road trucks scheduled for launch in 2022.
Guassin is developing a flexible skateboard chassis you can build all sorts of heavy vehicles on top of. The chassis is available in a long-distance version with a hydrogen refueling time of less than 20 minutes for 800 km (500 miles) of autonomy and in an all-electric version for short distances with a battery charge time of 3 minutes for 400 km (248 miles) of autonomy.
Built on ultra-light skateboard chassis, the H2 Racing Truck will run on two 300 kW electric motors, fuel cells capable of generating a continuous 380 kW and an 82 kWh of batteries. The racing truck will carry 80 kg of hydrogen and is expected to have a range of 250 km (155 miles) in race conditions at limited speeds of 140 km/h (87 mph) in compliance with Dakar regulations. It will take 20 minutes to recharge with a specific hydrogen cooling station. Gaussin’s future product line will look spunky thanks to the design collaboration with the iconic Italian company Pininfarina.
“On January 12 in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, the Dakar organization presented its ‘Dakar Future’ energy transition program, which aims to make the Dakar 100% ‘green’ by 2030,” declared Christophe Guassin, CEO of Guassin. “The climate outlook announced by scientists is indeed alarming. We are the first generation to feel the effects of climate change and the last generation to act. By entering the first 100% hydrogen and electric truck in Dakar, Guassin intends to demonstrate the reliability and performance of its hydrogen road range in a difficult environment. New technologies based on renewable energies are available and mature and should help accelerate the energy transition. For the Guassin Group and its partners, this project, which has now become a reality, represents a technological achievement and the fruit of years of work and experience in zero-emission mobility.”
