In Brussels, MissionH24 participated in the founding event of the European Commission's hydrogen strategy, the formalization of Hydrogen Valleys, at the invitation of the Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel.
A few hundred meters from the historic headquarters of the European Commission, the Berlaymont, in front of the Autoworld Museum, MissionH24 gave a presentation to European institutions and elected officials, various hydrogen stakeholders, the media and, of course, the public.
The partnership program between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and GreenGT, which aims to create a dedicated hydrogen category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has unveiled a new livery for its H24, the first hydrogen-powered racing car competing at this level of endurance racing. It is accompanied by a TotalEnergies mobile hydrogen station, a Symbio fuel cell, and one of the Plastic Omnium tanks, all essential elements in making the sporting promise of this hydrogen prototype a reality.
A pioneering racing car, a technical laboratory of excellence, a demonstrator of the energy transition for zero-emission mobility, the H24 continues to be celebrated in a classic world, on racing circuits and at more exclusive trade fairs such as the European institutions or at industrial trade fairs for specialists in sustainable mobility.
In 2019, one year after MissionH24's official debut on the track in Spa, Belgium, a letter of intent for the promotion of hydrogen was signed between ACO, Hydrogen Europe, and FCH JU (Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Enterprise), a structure that brings together the European Commission, Hydrogen Europe, and Hydrogen Europe Research. Since 1923, the ACO and the 24 Hours of Le Mans have contributed to the progress and development of mobility for all. With MissionH24, the ACO and the 24 Hours of Le Mans are participating in a revolution in the automotive, transport, rail, and energy sectors for sustainable, zero-emission mobility. On March 1, 2023, MissionH24 shared its experience in Brussels, contributing to research on the energy transition.
On March 1st, the H24 was unveiled with a new livery. A livery with multiple silhouettes, showcasing different aspects of the car, a demonstrator of the energy transition. The latter, through blue and bubbles, symbolizes hydrogen, the car's emissions, and water. The chronograph evokes the passing of time to commemorate the centenary of the 2023 Hours of Le Mans in 24, where the hope is to save the planet time thanks to the zero-emission technology research acceleration program.
Partners TotalEnergies, Michelin, Symbio, Plastic Omnium, Richard Mille, Dietsmann and Essilor are featured on this new original livery of the H24, demonstrating their daily involvement.
TotalEnergies
"TotalEnergies has been proud to support the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and MissionH24 projects since its inception. In 2019, we designed and built the first mobile hydrogen refueling station for the project.
The station supplies hydrogen to the MissionH24 racing prototype. Endurance is TotalEnergies' research laboratory for the ecological transition for mobility. Furthermore, TotalEnergies and Air Liquide announced on February 3 that they had decided to create a 100/XNUMX joint venture to develop a network of more than XNUMX hydrogen refueling stations in Europe (France, Benelux, and Germany) over the next few years. These TotalEnergies-certified heavy-duty sites will help facilitate access to hydrogen, enabling its use in freight transport to grow and further strengthening the hydrogen industry.
Michelin
“Motor racing has always been a driving force for innovation for Michelin. The MissionH24 project perfectly illustrates the pioneering and bold attitude of our Group, which regularly invests in the mobility of the future.”
Over the past three years, the share of sustainable materials used in Michelin H24 car tires has steadily increased and now exceeds 60%. This progress is fully in line with Michelin's commitment to produce 100% of its tires exclusively from bio-sourced and recycled materials by 2050.
symbio
"Symbio is a key partner for MissionH24, providing hydrogen fuel cell technology. For Symbio, motorsport is a true laboratory in extreme, real-life conditions, allowing us to test our high-power hydrogen fuel cell systems.
It is also an illustration of the "ecosystem" approach necessary for the deployment of hydrogen mobility, which is becoming increasingly concrete every day. Symbio is pleased to participate in the unveiling of the H24 in 2023 livery as part of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership event, symbolizing the importance of a public-private approach to accelerate this zero-emission mobility."
Plastic omnium
“While the decarbonization of cars is a major challenge, Plastic Omnium aims to be the leader in the hydrogen market by 2030.
When the ACO asked us to join the MissionH24 operation, our ambition was to be able to enter hydrogen-powered cars to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, we accepted it quite naturally with the ambition of entering hydrogen vehicles capable of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the near future. MissionH24 is a visible, ambitious and motivating program, a technical laboratory that allows us to develop innovations that challenge our teams. The high-pressure hydrogen storage solutions implemented are the technical optimizations of our products for the vehicles of the future.
Richard Mille
“Since its creation in 2020, Richard Mille has been a partner of the MissionH24 project. Innovation has always been at the heart of the brand and resolutely focused on the future, so it seemed natural to contribute to this adventure in hydrogen technology for motor racing.
The automotive industry is facing its biggest challenge in a century, and we must adapt to reduce our dependence on natural resources and limit carbon emissions. MissionH24 is positioning itself as a leader in the application of this new technology in motorsport and it is only a matter of time before manufacturers enter this technological race. MissionH24 has made significant improvements over the last 3 years, but we are still in the early stages of the future of mobility.
Dietsmann
“As a leader in the energy industry, Dietsmann has always been a pioneer in maintenance, investing in new technologies and adapting to developments in the energy industry, particularly in terms of sustainability.
Dietsmann is proud to partner with MissionH24 as it represents a unique opportunity for mobile development. This collaboration combines our passion for cars with our commitment to developing hydrogen as a clean energy source. With MissionH24, we look forward to continuing our innovative and sustainable competition to raise awareness about clean energy.
Patrick Koune
