ROME – Starting from the most extreme test to demonstrate the capabilities and reliability of the product. With this goal, Gaussin launched the H2 Racing Truck, the first vehicle in the range, designed by Pininfarina, of hydrogen, zero-emission electric road trucks. The high performance hydrogen electric racing truck is the first vehicle of its kind in the world and will serve as a “laboratory” for the development of the range of four other road models which are expected to launch next year.
The H2 Racing Truck will participate in the World Rally-Raid Championship, with the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia as the first stop for its official debut. “With the launch of the first hydrogen electric truck at the Dakar, Gaussin intends to demonstrate the reliability and performance of its hydrogen road range in a challenging environment – said Christophe Gaussin, CEO of the company – New technologies based on renewable energy are now available and mature, and should help accelerate the energy transition. For the Group and its partners, this project, which has now become a reality, represents a technological achievement and the result of years of work and experience in zero-emission mobility “.
The innovative hydrogen-electric engine developed by Gaussin will equip the family of zero-emission heavy vehicles (one road engine, one self-driving truck, one distribution, one construction site and one racing), with a particularly refined look thanks to to the original design created by Pininfarina. “We made sure that the design faithfully represented the Group’s values and roots – explained Kevin Rice, Pininfarina’s chief creative officer – reliability, performance and robustness,“ Be faster… Safer & Cleaner ”.
This defines Gaussin’s new style applied to all vehicles in the range ”. Compared to the solutions currently on the market, the implementation of the hydrogen system was developed on the basis of an ultralight frame designed around hydrogen and electric powertrain, based on the modular skateboard launched last April by Gaussin. In short, the H2 Racing Truck is a concentrate of technology, power and sturdiness designed with high quality components to be perfectly at ease even in extreme conditions.
The equipment includes two electric motors of 300 kW each, 380 kW of fuel cells, 82 kWh of batteries, 80 kg of hydrogen, a high-performance cooling system, a lightweight chassis designed specifically for performance and integration of the hydrogen electrical system. The speed of the racing truck is limited to 140 km / h, with a range of 250 km in race conditions, while the recharge takes place in 20 minutes with a specific hydrogen cooling station.
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