Alpine, the French performance car brand, is advancing a novel approach to hydrogen power, focusing on internal combustion engines for motorsport applications, a strategy that could redefine the future of high-performance racing. The company's Alpenglow Hy6 prototype, featuring a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, demonstrates 740bhp and a top speed exceeding 205mph, with zero carbon dioxide emissions from the tailpipe. This development comes as the World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, prepares to introduce a hydrogen-powered vehicle class, now slated for the 2028 season.

While hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) face significant hurdles in widespread road car adoption, primarily due to a nascent refueling infrastructure and efficiency challenges at peak power demands, Alpine's strategy circumvents these issues within the controlled environment of motorsport. Pierre-Jean Tardy, Alpine’s chief engineer for hydrogen technologies, emphasized, "On the roads the main issue today is the network for hydrogen refuelling. That depends on the politics and the will to build up a network. [But] on the racing side we do not have this problem."

The Alpenglow Hy6 utilizes direct hydrogen combustion rather than a fuel cell stack, which generates electricity electrochemically. Tardy highlighted several advantages for racing applications: a hydrogen combustion powertrain is inherently lighter than a fuel cell system of equivalent output, crucial for performance vehicles. Furthermore, while fuel cells are highly efficient at low to mid loads, their efficiency tends to drop significantly at high power demands. Conversely, the efficiency of internal combustion engines, when burning hydrogen, tends to increase with load. Heat management, a critical factor in racing, also favors combustion engines as much of the waste heat is expelled through the exhaust, simplifying cooling requirements compared to fuel cell systems.

From a manufacturing perspective, hydrogen combustion engines are also more cost-effective due to the maturity of the underlying technology, being fundamentally similar to petrol engines. Crucially for motorsport fans, this approach retains the distinctive sound of a high-performance engine, a significant emotional factor. The Alpenglow Hy6, which stores 6.4kg of compressed hydrogen gas in three tanks, has already captivated audiences with its sound during demonstration runs, signaling its potential to maintain the auditory spectacle of racing while pursuing decarbonization.

Alpine is also exploring liquid hydrogen, which offers higher energy density and faster refueling, potentially allowing a Le Mans racer to carry up to 17kg of fuel for a range comparable to current top-tier Hypercar entries. While acknowledging the current dominance of battery electric vehicles for mass-market road cars, Tardy envisions a future energy mix, where hydrogen combustion could find its niche, particularly in performance-oriented applications. The high-visibility platform of racing serves not only as a rapid development laboratory for these technologies but also as a powerful public relations tool, demonstrating the viability and excitement of hydrogen power to a global audience, including policymakers.