Students of the Technical University of Delft presented the design of their newest hydrogen racing car on Wednesday.
This car is revolutionary, as this technology has never been used before in such a powerful hydrogen-electric race car. The car will compete with the best conventional racing cars on long distances, a challenge no one has taken on before.
Not All Work in Vain
Originally, Forze Hydrogen Electric Racing had organised a large event for the Forze IX reveal on the 20th of April, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus. Determined to still share their hard work with the world, they decided to go online with their presentations: A new reveal every month until the grand finale, which took place yesterday.
The team consists of 23 students that have voluntarily worked full time on the development of a race car for the past year.
“The construction and ambition of this team are like no other. We work so intensively that it was a huge blow when we were forced to work from home,” says team manager Jesper Frijns. While presenting in front of a live audience was unfortunately not possible, last night, Jesper Frijns and chief engineer Antonio Scoccimarro told the inspiring story of Forze online.
“It was amazing to, on behalf of the team, part-timers, sponsors and partners, be able to present the design. We have achieved something incredible in these turbulent times,” said Frijns.
The result of the presentation can be seen on the YouTube channel of Forze Delft.
Racing Against Porsche
Besides the story of the team itself, there were extensive talks about the latest design of the team, a race monster named Forze IX. “We want to continue growing, challenge ourselves and push the limit of technology. That is why we accepted the challenge and that is why the Forze IX will race faster than any hydrogen car before,” says Frijns. As soon as the Corona crisis allows for it, production will take off, after which the racing car will be competing against Porsches, Lamborghinis and BMWs soon. A year ago, the predecessor of the car, the Forze VIII, gained a podium place in the Supercar Challenge Sport’s Class. With 520hp, the new hydrogen-electric car will have twice that of its predecessor. The Forze IX can reach a top speed of up to 300 km/h. With an acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h within 3 seconds, sharp turns and a perfectly thought-out race strategie, they expect to be able to handle the competition. With these impressive numbers the students prove once again that racing can also be green and without emission.
Emission-Free Racing
Despite the many revolutionary technologies implemented within the Forze IX, the basic principle of the hydrogen car remains the same. During racing, hydrogen from the tanks is combined with oxygen from the air in the fuel cell. There, a chemical reaction takes place where electricity is generated, with which the electric motors are powered. The only emission from this process is water. It is comparable to electric driving, although there is a big difference: instead of waiting for charging, you can just refuel the hydrogen tank, and the race car is ready to hit the track within a few minutes. With this design the team expects to make a big leap in the world of green racing. Therefore, they will put in all of their efforts to make sure the Forze IX will be able to complete its first laps in the summer of 2021.
Source: TU Delft
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