Hydrogen off-road race car tested to limits in former coal mine [Video]

At a decommissioned coal mine in Scotland, a stark backdrop for the world’s first hydrogen-powered off-road racing car, testing is underway ahead of next year’s hydrogen racing series, Extreme H.

The series is an evolution of the current all-electric series, Extreme E, with the organisers using it to develop hydrogen as a future car technology and showcase its green potential. “We’re using racing to accelerate the adoption, accelerate the innovation around hydrogen,” says Ali Russell, managing director of Extreme E, allowing “you and I to go out and buy our next car as a hydrogen vehicle”.

The Pioneer 25 car uses hydrogen produced using green solar and wind energy sources by Enowa in Saudi Arabia. “In motor racing, we always shoot for gold standards,” says Mark Grain, technical director at Extreme E, who was responsible for developing the car. “We don’t want to compromise and use a lesser form of hydrogen …