While the wait for the beginning of the NorCal H2GP season was longer than that for Southern California it was definitely worth it. Eleven teams joined the practice match on 01.29.2022 at Independence High School in San Jose, CA, which was a very strong turn-out considering the global upsets of late.
The student teams quickly got to work breaking out laptops, voltage meters, wrench sets, and other technical equipment in order to start fine tuning their cars.
At least one team also took inspiration from films in designing the covering for their car.
However, the NorCal students also displayed a quality that is one of the best exhibited in any H2GP season: the willingness to help others. Somehow the car for the Automadons on the front passenger side wheel lost a chunk of tread and the suspension bar for that tire also became disconnected from the steering linkage. Thanks to the help from a member of another team the members of Automadons were able to conduct a quick repair and get their car back on the track. It is the ability of students to cross borders, help others, and enhance their understanding of zero emission technology that perhaps provides the most powerful demonstration of the value of the H2GP competition.
The students definitely take to heart the “hands-on” part of H2GP
Despite part of the track having some interesting corners the students soon mastered the corners and powered ahead. Oddly enough it seemed that most of the teams struggled with the straight stretches of the course, since a number of accidents happened in those sections of the track. (Perhaps the straight parts were less than captivating to the drivers?)
As the hours passed and as the cars came into interesting contact with the guardrails (brakes were invented for a reason people), the track began to collect various car parts and even car decorations. Your correspondent picked a Lightning McQueen sticker from off the track after a car had a rather sudden and aggressive encounter with a guardrail.
It was encouraging to hear a number of the teachers who support teams as coaches share stories about different topics such as where car parts can be found cheaply, and to simply see the time and energy the teachers put into the competition along with the students. Any teacher can treat high school teaching as a 9-5 job, but it definitely takes a passion to lift others up to teach the regular school curriculum and spend tens of hours guiding a team in the H2GP competition.
In a world where many “adults” fear hydrogen the first NorCal practice match provided an unequivocal reminder that, like nearly everything else, when handled responsibly hydrogen can safely power many things including vehicles using fuel cells without creating any emissions. The H2GP competition is a beacon of proof that we are not limited to battery electric vehicles, but instead we have another mobility option in fuel cell electric vehicles. However, fuel cells can energize virtually every sector of the economy. It simply takes the courage and will to make that happen. Thankfully, there is no lack of courage or will in the teams in the H2GP competition.
On 02.26.2022 your correspondent will be heading back to San Jose, CA to report on the NorCal regional match at Independence High School, and then it will be onto SoCal to do the same for the SoCal regional match. In other words, the season is just revving up!
Click here to learn more about the H2GP competition.
Jesse Lyon, Contributor
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