Forze Hydrogen Racing is partnering with Hyundai for the creation of the Forze IX, which they claim will be the fastest hydrogen-powered race car on earth.
Powered by two fuel cell systems, the Forze IX will have a maximum power output of up to 800 hp on boost, which will be sent to all four wheels. It will weigh 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs), hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in less than three seconds and should have a top speed in excess of 300 km/h (186 mph).
To create it, Forze has tapped Hyundai as consultants on hydrogen power. The automaker will make engineers from its Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center in Russelheim, Germany, available to the Forze Team.
Also See: Forze VI Sets Nurburgring Lap Record For Hydrogen-Powered Cars
“Forze is an exciting team made up of some of the brightest young minds, and with a proven pedigree of bringing fuel cell mobility to the race track,” said Tyrone Johnson, Head of Vehicle Development at HMETC. “Hyundai is delighted to enter into this partnership with Forze.”
Indeed, the team is full of very young minds since it is made up of 60 students at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, who can work full or part-time for the Forze team as part of their studies.
As the vehicle’s name suggests, this isn’t the team’s first car. In 2015, it produced the Forze VI, which lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife in less than 11 minutes, setting a record for hydrogen-powered vehicles in the process.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a bit before we see the Forze IX in its full glory. The team only expects to finish the car in 2022, but it should be pretty impressive when it does. Moreover, since there aren’t many other hydrogen track cars to compete with, the Forze IX will, like its predecessors, race against internal combustion engine rivals.
“By drawing on our leadership in fuel cell mobility and Forze’s ambition to take hydrogen to the next level, together we will push the boundaries of what’s possible in the development of zero-emissions racing,” said Johnson.