Tradition and innovation have always met at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the iconic cars of the past are accompanied by the latest creations of the automotive industry. During the 2022 edition, the Apricale was presented, the first hypercar in the world powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The car was made by Viritecha company that aspires to become a leader in the development and supply of hydrogen powertrains, while the design bears the Italian signature of Pininfarina. The Apricale stands out not only for the novelty aspect of the fuel-cell, but above all for the expected record-breaking performance, managing to combine the reactivity of an electrified powertrain with the light weight of a thermal car.
Hydrogen propulsion is the natural solution for the search for environmental sustainability on sports vehicles, eliminating the need to rely on a heavy weight battery. Viritech Apricale boasts in fact a total mass contained within 1000 kgdespite a declared potency of 1100 horsepower, making it the first sustainable car with a weight competitive with that of a car powered by a combustion engine. While the dynamic performance figures are still missing, one can only imagine the accelerations achievable thanks to the responsiveness of electric all-wheel drive combined with the agility of the light weight of a thermal car.
The primary power source of Apricale is therefore represented by the fuel-cell for the production of electricity from hydrogen. It benefits from the support of a high-voltage lithium-ion accumulator, however drastically smaller than that traditionally found on a battery-powered car, with capacity limited to just 6 kWh. The battery plays the role of power-buffer, bridging the demand for power peaks in transients, thus allowing the fuel-cell to work at approximately constant power, maximizing its efficiency. One of the limitations of electric cars is also the impossibility of optimizing the battery both in terms of power and energy. However, since the Apricale’s autonomy is guaranteed by the hydrogen stored on board, the battery has been designed to maximize power density. This allows the car to enjoy higher power regenerative brakingincreasing the energy recharged in braking and extending the range.
Matt Faulks, Viritech Technical Director, explains: “Until now, hydrogen fuel cells have been exploited to extend the range of powertrains with the battery at their heart. We have essentially reversed the approach, developing a powertrain of hundreds of kW around the fuel-cell system supported by a light but extremely efficient battery. This guarantees high performance to the Apricale, but at less than half the weight typical of battery-powered hypercars. The weight reduction not only transforms the Apricale’s driving dynamics, but our lower dependence on batteries means a reduction in the demand for rare earths ”. Apricale also boasts the energy management system Tri-Volt, developed directly by Viritech, and innovative patent-pending control electronics. The car is powered by two electric motor generators, mounted respectively on the front and rear axles together with two mechanical differentials, guaranteeing four-wheel drive for a maximum power of 800 kWthe equivalent of 1100 horsepower.
However, one of the key points of the project is the storage of hydrogen, which due to the pressure of 700 bar typically reaches an efficiency of 5%, i.e. that the storage of 5 kg of H2 requires a tank weighing 100 kg. Viritech went further, however, by implementing another patent-pending technology renamed Graph-Pro. The tanks are made of ultralight composites largely based on graphene, moreover incorporated in the supporting structure of the monocoque, further reducing the weights. All this means that with 5.4 kg of hydrogen it is possible to cover a distance of 560 kilometers, without furthermore the external design being altered by prominent tanks. The total weight is less than 1000 kg, which when compared to the 800 kW available outlines a power-to-weight ratio of 0.8 kW / kg.
The absence of a high-capacity battery results in a low weight, but above all in a low polar moment of inertia, improving responsiveness when changing direction. The longitudinal and lateral load transfers are also attenuated, benefiting the grip of the tires. Still on the subject of vehicle dynamics, Apricale resorts to wishbone suspension with torsion bar pull-rod pattern on both axles, while the power steering is electric. There is also an active partial height control system, adjustable between 95 and 135 mm. To complete the technical figures of the Viritech hypercars, the 280 cm wheelbase, the 455 cm length, the 190 cm track width and the 115 cm height should be noted.
Still no performance data, if not an expected maximum speed above 300 km / h. At the moment, in fact, only two test vehicles have been built, which will establish the performance limits of the Apricale with greater precision. The first model in particular will go through a test program of 100,000 kilometers. The production prototypes will see the light in 2023, while deliveries will begin in the first part of 2024. In this regard, Viritech is in talks to entrust the limited production of 25 units to Pininfarina’s Cambiano (TO) atelier, which oversaw the design of the Apricale. However, no information on the price, which, however, will hardly discourage potential buyers of the hydrogen hypercar.
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