Students bring hydrogen to the racetrack with Lotus-based Forze VI

Motor racing pushes the absolute limit of car performance, speed and technology. While hydrogen is not a staple fuel in the automotive arena yet, it’s a realistic future prospect for motorsport and in general automotive applications. But a group of students in the Netherlands is bringing hydrogen closer to now, releasing the first test video of their Forze VI hydrogen racer.

As the name would suggest, this is the sixth iteration of the car since the project’s 2007 inception, based on the Lotus 7 and designed to compete in the Caterham Cup. While other cars in the series run on good old petrol, the Forze VI uses a hydrogen/electric powerplant fed by a 3kg tank.

The result? The students claim a 0-100km/h time of under four seconds, thanks to 258-horsepower, aided by blasts of power from the electric motor. A top speed of 210km/h is also envisioned once the car sheds its prototype sticker.

Two additional goals set by the students include the menial tasks of breaking Zandvoort and Nurburgring Nordschliefe’s hydrogen lap records. Perhaps some day Formula 1 or LMP1 cars will use hydrogen as a base fuel, for now, have a look at the video and enjoy gilmpses into the future (and some heavy drum and bass).