The French race organizer is confident that the rules it is putting in place for zero-emission fuel will be adopted in a meaningful way.
According to president Pierre Fillon, there will be at least one hydrogen prototype on the starting grid of the FIA WEC round in 2028.
“The following year I am convinced that there could be even more. We have been working on hydrogen since 2018 and the interest from manufacturers is real,” the Frenchman told Motorsport.com.
“Initially we were a bit alone with our ideas, but now there is a good follow-up.”
The original plan to integrate hydrogen cars into the Hypercar class was to introduce it this year, although this was later postponed.
Fillon confirmed that the regulations will be in place for 2027, but admitted that an alternative fuel prototype will almost certainly not arrive until 2028.
Toyota appears to be the first manufacturer to have it ready, having declared its intention to compete at Le Mans with a car powered by a hydrogen internal combustion engine at the launch of the GR HY Concept show car last year.
Alpine is evaluating the same technology for both road and track application and launched the Alpenglow Hy4, which it called an “on-track laboratory”, at last weekend’s Spa round of the WEC.
Alpine Alpenglow Hy4
Photo by: Alpine
Neither manufacturer has given a timetable for arriving at Le Mans with the hydrogen prototype, stressing that there are currently no regulations in place.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe director Rob Leupen said having a car ready for 2027 would be “extremely challenging”.
Alpine has not yet committed to a hydrogen racing programme, but brand boss Bruno Famin has hinted it could be ready by 2027.
“We hope to be able to do it by 2027, but it doesn’t matter if in ’26, ’27 or ’28 – he declared to Motorsport.com – What matters is that the ACO, with the support of the FIA, is really pushing to have hydrogen technology at Le Mans, and we are very happy about it.”
More manufacturers have shown interest in hydrogen: there are believed to be at least eight in the FIA working group.
“There is interest from most manufacturers in Hypercars,” Fillon added, explaining that the upcoming rules will allow the use of hydrogen and fuel cell cars, the original intent of the regulations before Toyota showed interest for the use of hydrogen in a conventional engine.
“It’s not our job to decide what the best technology is,” he said.
GR H2 Racing Concept
Photo by: Toyota Racing
Fillon reiterated the ACO’s intention to allow hydrogen cars to compete for overall victory.
“There is no interest from manufacturers in entering a hydrogen category. It will be a new technology and will take a year or two to become fully competitive, but the regulations are designed to allow a hydrogen car to win. Next month at Le Mans there will be an important announcement about hydrogen.”
The ACO will also present a display version of the third-generation hydrogen fuel cell prototype developed in collaboration with the Franco-Swiss organization GreenGT under the MissionH24 brand.
Called H24EVO, the car will begin testing early next year and is expected to race, like its predecessor, in the Le Mans Cup, as part of the European Le Mans Series.
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