The H2 RACING TRUCK® is the first vehicle in GAUSSIN’s range of zero-emission, 100% hydrogen and electric road trucks
Pininfarina designed the H2 RACING TRUCK® as part of its engagement with GAUSSIN for its new line of road trucks
HÉRICOURT, France —GAUSSIN (ALGAU – FR0013495298), a pioneer in the clean and intelligent transport of goods and people, presents the H2 RACING TRUCK ®, the most powerful 100% hydrogen and electric racing truck ever built. The GAUSSIN H2 RACING TRUCK ® will compete in the World Rally-Raid Championship with the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia as its first stage.
The H2 RACING TRUCK® incorporates high-performance design to withstand extreme environments, and it is intended to demonstrate the performance and reliability of the hydrogen-electric motorization developed by GAUSSIN. The data and information collected during the 2022 Dakar Rally will be used to further develop GAUSSIN’s range of road trucks scheduled for launch from 2022.
The PSG football players discover the GAUSSIN H2 RACING TRUCK®
The H2 RACING TRUCK®, the first 100% hydrogen and electric powered racing truck.
An immediate ecological imperative
“On January 12 in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, the Dakar organization presented its ‘Dakar Future’ energy transition program, which aims to make the Dakar 100% ‘green’ by 2030. The climate outlook announced by scientists is indeed alarming. We are the first generation to feel the effects of climate change and the last generation to act. By entering the first 100% hydrogen and electric truck in the Dakar, GAUSSIN intends to demonstrate the reliability and performance of its hydrogen road range in a difficult environment. New technologies based on renewable energies are available and mature and should help accelerate the energy transition. For the GAUSSIN Group and its partners, this project, which has now become a reality, represents a technological achievement and the fruit of years of work and experience in zero-emission mobility,” declared Christophe GAUSSIN, CEO of GAUSSIN.
“We are delighted that Gaussin, a pioneer and visionary company in the transport market, is taking part in the Dakar Future initiative with a 100% hydrogen truck. By competing in the Dakar, Gaussin is laying the foundation stone for the energy transition we all want to see, and the Dakar is the ideal open-air laboratory for manufacturers,” said Yann Le Moenner, CEO of Amaury Sport Organisation.
GAUSSIN unveils its range of zero-emission road trucks designed by PININFARINA
The H2 RACING TRUCK® is the first model in the new range of GAUSSIN’s zero-emission, 100% hydrogen and electric road trucks that will be launched from 2022. Unlike the solutions currently available on the market, GAUSSIN’s hydrogen system has been developed for an ultra-light chassis designed around the hydrogen and electric powertrain, based on the modular skateboard launched last April by GAUSSIN (see April 27, 2021 press release).
- The skateboard is available in a long-distance hydrogen version with a hydrogen refueling time of less than 20 minutes for 800 km of autonomy and in an all-electric version for short distances with a battery change time of 3 minutes for 400 km of autonomy.
- The design of the range has been entrusted to the iconic Italian company PININFARINA. Its team has created a whole range of dramatic, exciting trucks forming a harmonious overall family.
Pininfarina Chief Creative Officer, Kevin Rice sums it up perfectly: “We made sure the design faithfully represents the group’s values and roots: reliability, performance and robustness, ‘Be faster… Safer & Cleaner’. This defines GAUSSIN’s new signature which is shared across all the vehicles in the range.”
- The zero-emission road truck is available in five models: road tractor, autonomous, for distribution, construction and racing. The overall construction and design consider technical requirements linked to the hydrogen and electric powertrain and the operation of fuel cells, as well as the junction with the modular skateboard and the latest technologies in terms of materials and Human Machine Interface.
“We are thrilled to see the first-born truck running, as a result of the extraordinary collaboration with GAUSSIN,” affirmed Silvio Pietro Angori, Pininfarina CEO. “We have leveraged our long experience in designing sustainable and intelligent mobility combined with our ability to create unique user experiences to shape the full GAUSSIN range of zero emission road trucks. We are sure that this new range of ecological, smart and unique style trucks will write a new chapter in the history of the zero-emission mobility.”
Advanced technology and high performance for the most powerful truck on the market
The H2 RACING TRUCK® is the most powerful hydrogen truck in the world combining technology, power and robustness designed with high quality components to operate in extreme environments, including:
- Two e-motors of 300 kW each
- 380 kW of fuel cells
- 82 kWh of batteries
- 80 kg of hydrogen
- A high-performance cooling system
- A lightweight chassis designed specifically for the performance and integration of the hydrogen electric system
- A speed limit of 140 km/h in compliance with regulations
- A range of 250 km in race conditions
- A 20-minute recharge with a specific hydrogen cooling station
- Registered for the road
Operational safety and security is our motto
High-quality components, input from dozens of experts recognized in their fields, thousands of hours of development and testing, certification of components by control organizations, vehicle approval: these are the safety measures implemented in the development and design of the H2 RACING TRUCK®. For example, the fuel cells have been bench tested under extreme conditions that go far beyond the usual tests performed by manufacturers for road operation. Safety continues to be a priority in this project even beyond vehicle certification.
The full range of GAUSSIN hydrogen class 8 trucks scheduled for launch from 2022
Commitment to a low-carbon world – a human and collective challenge above all
A passionate team
The GAUSSIN team has achieved the feat of designing the H2 RACING TRUCK® in the space of a year, demonstrating its extraordinary passion and creativity. Stimulated by a pioneering spirit, the team took up the technological challenges of hydrogen propulsion while forging the partnerships necessary for the project’s success, often with world leaders. In doing so, they have illustrated the GAUSSIN Group’s mission to develop clean mobility technologies with the ultimate goal of a world without fossil fuels. This passion will undoubtedly be reflected in the Dakar Rally, which will take place next January 2022.
A shared climate imperative
GAUSSIN’s approach is part of a wider framework and echoes the sentiments expressed during the 26th Annual UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26) continuing this week in Scotland. In his introduction to the conference, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recalled that “the six years since the Paris Climate Agreement have been the six hottest years on record. Our addiction to fossil fuels is leading humanity straight to the abyss.”
In Saudi Arabia, where the Dakar Rally will take place, important measures are also being taken. On the eve of COP26, the Saudi Arabian government committed itself to carbon neutrality by 2060. For its part, the oil group Saudi Aramco has set itself the goal of reducing its net emissions to zero by 2050: “Saudi Aramco will achieve the ambition of being net zero from our operations by 2050,” Amin Nasser, Saudi Aramco CEO told the Saudi Green Initiative summit.
About GAUSSIN
GAUSSIN is an engineering company that designs, assembles and sells innovative products and services in the transport and logistics field. Its know-how encompasses cargo and passenger transport, autonomous technologies allowing for self-driving solutions such as Automotive Guided Vehicles, and the integration all types of batteries, electric and hydrogen fuel cells in particular. With more than 50,000 vehicles worldwide, GAUSSIN enjoys a strong reputation in four fast-expanding markets: port terminals, airports, logistics and people mobility. The group has developed strategic partnerships with major global players in order to accelerate its commercial penetration: Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics in the airport field, Bolloré Ports and ST Engineering in ports and Bluebus for people mobility. GAUSSIN has broadened its business model with the signing of license agreements accelerating the diffusion of its technology throughout the world. The acquisition of METALLIANCE confirms the emergence of an international group present in all segments of intelligent and clean vehicles.
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