The Green Corp Konnection showed for the first time its new prototype with which it aims to race the Dakar in 2024.
The French team has been developing a hydrogen-powered rally-raid car since November 2020, which was unveiled today at the Riyadh bivouac.
His ambitious project is called GCK e-Blast H2. For now it will continue to compete with the Thunder DKR driven by Guerlain Chicherit, which is biofuel in 2022, to collect data for the first tests of the hydrogen prototype.
The vehicle was developed in collaboration with the German company FEV and has a volume of 30 kg in its hydrogen fuel cell at a pressure of 700 bar. The power it is capable of providing is 200 kW. This hydrogen cell is directly connected to a latest generation lithium-ion battery that generates 50 kWh.
The GCK-2 electric motor is capable of delivering 320 kW (429 HP) with rear-wheel drive (buggy style) powered by the hydrogen cell; GCK has found the solution to the usual delay of hydrogen systems, which is to use the battery as a buffer to compensate for the time it takes for the cell to transmit power to the engine. In addition, it has a two-speed gearbox.
“The hydrogen cell is a component that works at a constant level, because there is a delay when accelerating and a delay when you stop accelerating,” Sebastian Lesonneur, GCK Motorsport team manager for the rally program, explains to Motorsport.com. -raid.
“That’s why we need the batteries, which act as a buffer. When you need more power, the battery gives it to you, and when you stop accelerating and the hydrogen cell is still generating 200kW of power, it is used to regenerate the battery. , instead of pushing the engine “.
Weight-wise, it’s currently around 2,200kg (like the Audi RS Q e-tron which debuted at the 2022 Dakar), but Lesonneur says the key is that it won’t vary based on fuel consumption, so it will offer stability. in behavior and performance from the beginning to the end of the stages.
Preliminary calculations say the vehicle would be capable of 250km at race pace, so GCK hopes the regulation will be adapted to allow them to refuel under the same conditions T3 and T4 currently do (20 minutes).
In February, they will finalize the H2 capacity and the final location of the hydrogen fuel cell (now on the left rear side of the car). After that, a program of field tests in real conditions will begin around June-July to optimize the powertrain in view of the completion of some stages of the Dakar 2023.
“We are very proud to present the first hydrogen cross-country racing car with an integrated fuel cell,” adds Eric Boudot, CEO of Green Corp Konnection and GCK Motorsport.
“For Green Corp Konnection, motorsport represents a unique innovation laboratory for developing technological solutions that we can then offer to customers through our industrial activities.”
“We are very excited to be involved in the #DakarFuture movement and to create other milestones towards greener mobility solutions.”
One of the key points according to GCK Engineering, is that all the components they use in this project will also be good for the industrial sector of their business.
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