Hydrogen is one of the fuels of the future; there is no doubt about that today. However, we should be looking for new ways to develop zero-emission vehicles and reduce dependence on EVs. One of them is the first water engine, which has just smashed FCEVs and moved the industry several decades ahead at a stroke.
New water engine to revolutionize the roads: No more EVs (neither Chinese ones)
AVL Racetech, the motorsport wing of AVL, the Austrian–based mobility technology company, has recently presented what would perhaps be the most surprising form of hydrogen engine—a 2.0-litre turbo one, which does not support the low power density concept traditionally associated with hydrogen engines.
The performance data for this innovative engine are as follows: the specific power is approximately 205 horsepower per liter ( 150 kW/liter), the power maximum is 410 horsepower at 6500 rpm, and the torque is 500 Newton meters between 3 000 and 4 000 rpm.
This engine’s impressive output can be seen thanks to the shocking system of injecting additional water into the engine’s intake air to moderate combustion and prevent early ignition. This configuration makes it possible to achieve a stoichiometric A/F ratio.
What can we expect from this “water” engine? The future of this project
The engine itself provides a wastegate turbocharging system for the intake air to be burned, enabling the car to be competitive in Motorsport. The water injection, together with the turbocharger, makes it possible to create one of the highest specific power outputs, with a power-to-weight ratio of 205 hp/liter.
The following steps to the completion of the project are to create a synthesis of previous prototypes. With the hydrogen turbo engine now a reality, taking it back from the 2.0-liter hydrogen turbo theory and putting it into an actual race car to test its performance is essential.
This is a significant milestone in assessing whether the engine is feasible for adoption throughout Motorsport and how it will sustainably form and develop the future of Motorsport. Leveraging its experiences and expertise in Motorsport, AVL Racetech is well on its way to making Motorsport greener.
You will soon see the AVL hydrogen engine, which will be only a few years later.
The powertrain should have been “sooner than you might expect” with Le Mans 2027 being proposed as the movie’s premiere race. It is a strategic shift that suits this firm, as it aims to promote hydrogen combustion technology and make sustainable Motorsport a reality.
According to the brand, the problem is the lack of service stations, known as hydro generators. In America, for example, there are only a few hundred, which is not far short of the number needed to make this fuel profitable. The same goes for the lack of subsidies for hydrogen, but why?
You should know that approximately 80% of those granted at the government level (also from the White House) are destined for EVs and not to the search for new options that could be alternatives. Anyway, the brand has taken into account all these forecasts and difficulties.
Now, they have set a time horizon that gives them more room to continue innovating (hence the year 2027, as you have seen). This is a strategy shared by other brands, such as the Japanese ones, for the most part, most of which you have seen some prototypes in previous articles.
Do you understand what makes this hydrogen engine so unique? The key lies in its potential to develop a thermal efficiency never seen before, surpassing that of other brands that have presented very promising prototypes. The challenge now lies in developing a network of hydro generators, which we have discussed on different occasions and remains the main obstacle.