Of late we’ve been noting the rising trend of green cars at the racetrack. Vehicles such as the Kleenspeed EV-X11, Drayson B12/69EV and Audi R8 e-tron have been setting lap records at respected tracks around the world.
Now comes word of another green racer powered by alternative fuel technologies that, while not setting any records, is still getting people to think of the intersection of racing sports and more eco-friendly ways of driving.
The hydrogen fuel cell powered Forze V, developed by a hydrogen racing team from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, made what is said to be a clean and silent debut amongst the loud sounds of roaring combustion engines at the yearly Formula Student event at Silverstone in the United Kingdom.
The team behind this car normally only entered in a dedicated racing series, likely focused on green car technologies, but this year decided to be what is likely the only hydrogen powered vehicle amongst the entries from 132 university teams around the world.
As reported by Inhabitat, the use of battery powered vehicles has increased in recent years at this event, but the hydrogen fuel cell technology is what makes the Forze V unique amongst even those other green cars. Making use of a fuel cell to power its two electric motors, as well as a type of regenerative braking for storing energy, the racing car is capable of hitting a top speed of 75 MPH, and accelerating from 0 to 60 MPH in under five seconds.
The Forze V, which can make use of the energy recovered from braking for a temporary boost of power, can, with a full tank of of 600 grams of gaseous hydrogen, race for about an hour at full speed. The only notable exhaust? Around three liters of water.
The video below shows off an earlier version of the Forze hydrogen racer. Notice how much quieter it is compared to a regular racer as it zips around a track. That’s pretty darn amazing.
The Forze racing team has been developing hydrogen racers for several years now, and certainly aren’t the only college students out there building more sustainable technology alternatives to gas powered automobiles.
Roskva, five students in their 20s the University of Life Sciences in Oslo, Norway, for example, recently unveiled a sleek and fast electric motorcycle that offers a range of around 60 miles or so, a top speed of over 100 MPH and a lightweight carbon fiber body design.
