Lemon peel and H2: Hydrogen racer to star at Goodwood
Michelin will run its hydrogen-powered race car at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, serving as early preparation for an electric-hydrogen category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024.
The GreenGT MissionH24 hydrogen racer, given the catchy name LMPH2G, has been backed by French tyre company Michelin and French parts supplier Faurecia. These companies co-own hydrogen fuel cell maker Symbio.
British fans will get to see the prototype racer tackle Goodwood’s famous hillclimb, with its Symbio-created four-stack hydrogen fuel cell powering and electric motor on each of its four wheels, creating a combined output of 487kW.
Lemon peel tyres?
Michelin says thanks to the racer’s lightweight chassis and aerodynamic features it has a top speed in excess of 300km/h.
With Michelin pledging to make all of its tyres from 100 percent sustainable materials by 2050, and 40 percent by 2030, the GreenGT H24 will run on a new race tyre made up of 46 percent sustainable materials. This includes carbon from pre-used tyres, orange and lemon peel, sunflower oil, pine resin and recycled steel.
Goodwood’s 1890m hillclimb track has an average gradient of 4.9 percent and climbs almost 93 metres on the run. Record time was set in 2019 by Romain Dumas in an electric Volkswagen ID.R at 39.9 seconds. That was almost two seconds clear of the fastest Formula 1 time, set by Nick Heidfeld in 1999 in a McLaren MP4/13.
Exactly how quickly the Michelin hydrogen racer can tackle the climb will be interesting to see, but it should certainly set a new record for a hydrogen vehicle.
Polestar playing too
An experimental Polestar 2 – based on the Tesla-fighting Polestar 2 that arrives in Australia in November – electric fastback is also tackling the Goodwood hill, this hotted up version with power increased from 300kW to 350kW. The Long range dual motor version has borrowed the high performance Polestar 1’s brakes, 21-inch wheels and Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres to fit under widened wheel arches.
It also boasts stiffer springs, given Öhlins three-way performance dampers, a +10mm wider track each side and ride height lowered 30mm for better handling. Updated front and rear bumpers and a Snow Matte colour help with the aesthetics.
Expect Polestar 2 buyers to be knocking on dealer doors for an aftermarket upgrade kit.
The weekend’s ever-excellent Festival of Speed in the English countryside will also feature a greater focus than ever on sustainability.
Its Future Lab presentation includes two-seat urban EVs from Switzerland’s Microlino and Poland’s Triggo, a Gordon Murray-designed MOTIV single-seat electric autonomous vehicle, a hybrid ultra capacitor electric racing motorcycle from France’s NAWA, and UK’s EAV with a ‘last mile’ electric delivery vehicle.
Even in the high octane heartland of Goodwood, the electric future is being embraced more and more each year.
