Red Bull Racing’s high-performance arm has partnered with AVL to develop ‘ultra-high-power density’ fuel cell technology to support the use of hydrogen in high-performance mobility, motorsport and aviation.
Under a joint project, Red Bull Advanced Technologies and AVL hope to deliver a PEM fuel cell system for high-performance applications “that exceeds those currently available” globally.
Leveraging AVL’s portfolio of PEM fuel cell technology and Red Bull’s methodologies in lightweight design, construction and aerodynamics, the pair anticipate the solution could be two-thirds lighter than conventional fuel cell systems
Initial investigations have indicated the developed solution could achieve 6kW/kg at a stack level and 2kW/kg on a fuel cell system level, which the duo believe could result in “the world’s highest gravimetric power density PEM fuel cell system.”
The developed system is hoped to come as a “significant milestone” for Net Zero carbon technology, to enable sectors including aerospace, motorsport and more to embrace hydrogen.
Jürgen Rechberg, Vice-President at AVL, said, “This partnership will combine the knowledge and experience of our experts, allowing us to improve the gravimetric power density of our fuel cell technology by a factor of three and hence meet the requirements of high-performance applications like aviation and racing.”
Rob Gray, Technical Director at Red Bull Advanced Technologies, added the collaboration showed the benefits of applying “cutting edge F1 inspired engineering” in solving “real-world problems.”
In 2021, Red Bull Advanced Technologies joined forces to develop the chassis for a hydrogen-powered racing car set to take place in 2024’s 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.
Just last year (2023), the FIA and Extreme E signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a pathway for hydrogen off-road racing (Extreme H) to become an FIA Championship in its inaugural 2025 season.
Read more:FIA and Extreme E set out to establish hydrogen off-road racing world championship
While Symbio was named as the fuel cell provider for the 2025 championships, hydrogen technology has been well within the sights of the FIA as it looks to enable a clean future for motorsport.
Having approved outlined safety regulations for hydrogen-powered vehicles in its International Sporting Code in 2020, earlier this year, the FIA said it would focus efforts on developing and promoting liquid hydrogen storage solutions across different disciplines and competitions.
Read more: FIA focuses efforts on liquid hydrogen storage for motorsport
Hydrogen driving motorsports towards sustainability
© Extreme E
Worth $5.11bn in 2022 and projected to reach a valuation of $7.47bn by 2028, the motorsports industry is in a race to reduce its emissions and secure its future – with hydrogen’s role increasingly edging to the forefront of plans.
The pinnacle of motorsports, Formula 1 (F1), amassed an average viewership of 1.11 million per race in the 2023 season, whilst the viewing figures for the first 12 races of the 2023 season in MotoGP saw a 20% audience increase from 2022, proving the scale of the motorsports market.
In 2019, F1 launched its Net Zero Carbon by 2030 initiative, after an extensive report into the championship’s environmental impact found it was responsible for generating 256,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the 2019 season.
F1’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de I’Automobile (FIA), established seven new engine regulations from 2026, such as F1 power units running on fully sustainable fuels, which has been researched and tested by the organisation and its partner ARAMCO.
Electric off-road racing competition, Extreme E, signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FIA in August (2023), with intentions to establish the first hydrogen-powered racing world championship, Extreme H…
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