Last March, Dutch team Forze Hydrogen Racing revealed their design for an innovative prototype powered by a hydrogen fuel cell: the Forze VII.

Team manager Rick Everaert spoke to DSC’s Mat Fernandez about the development of this racecar, which is set to become the first ever hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered prototype to race in an FIA supported championship.

Rick, can you tell us about the appeal of hydrogen and what this fuel-cell technology is all about?

Hydrogen is a very abundant gas in our atmosphere, and in our system it is used as an energy carrier. When it comes into contact with oxygen in the ambient air, the fuel cell converts the chemical energy present in hydrogen into electricity, with pure water and heat as byproducts. This is totally green technology, as there are no related emissions.

A fuel cell running on hydrogen requires a large tank to store the gas. How are you handling this space problem and the related safety concerns?

We solve this issue by pressurizing hydrogen heavily at 700 bars [in comparison, a diver’s tank is pressurized at 250 bars]. Our tank is located at the rear of the car. We don’t really have any serious concerns about its safety. Its robustness is quite impressive. During a recent test, the tank was projected against a wall at high speed. The wall was blown in pieces, not the tank. It is probably actually much safer than a conventional fossil-fuel tank.

Let’s talk about your car. How is the electricity stored?

It ends up in a supercapacitor that feeds two electric motors, one connected to each of the rear wheels. Together these motors can deliver a peak power of 200 kW.

Are you developing your own chassis?

Not entirely. The monocoque is produced by ADESS. The rear subframe is designed by our team.

Why ADESS and not Ligier or Ginetta?

It’s very simple: the ADESS’s LMP3 monocoque has a larger base than the other cars. That allows us to maximize the size of our hydrogen tank.

How long can your car run?

Our fuel cell needs to work permanently on full throttle. The tank’s capacity allows us to do that during approximately 45 minutes.

Back in March, we only saw digitalized computer images of the car. When will we see it on its wheels and running?

The car is currently being assembled by our 65 students. We should be able to do its shakedown towards the end of the month of June. We will test it on several Dutch tracks including Zandvoort. Then, if everything goes according to plan, it should be the first ever endurance prototype running on hydrogen to enter an FIA supported race. The race in question is on August 7, 2016, in Assen as part of the Dutch Supercar Challenge.

Do you ever think about Garage 56 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans?

Of course we do! But we only allow ourselves to dream about it for now.