2 2 strategic partnership
AVL is leading in new
applications of clean hydrogen
combustion technologies
In the quest for alternative power sources, much of the attention goes
to hybrid and BEV concepts and, dependent on the application, there is a
strong interest on hydrogen combustion engines. Considered CO2 neutral
and with water vapor as primary emissions, these engines offer a great deal
of potential, particularly in heavy-duty applications.
AVL continuously drives hydrogen combustion development, and our latest
engines are specifically tailored for heavy-duty vehicles. The aim, ultimately, is
to reduce the contribution of these vehicles to climate change, and the applica-tions
for this technology are not just limited to the road. We are excited to ex-plore
the full potential of this alternative power source, which is why our experts
in the racing department, that has recently been renamed AVL RACETECH,
are taking on an exciting new challenge: The hydrogen truck land record.
BREAKING BOUNDARIES, SETTING RECORDS
CO2 reduction is the primary objective in many automotive sectors. This is
mainly driven by legislation and market pressure, and even includes motorsport.
Initiatives such as Formula E or ETCR, a full electric touring car series
being organized as a World Cup in 2022, shine a light on where high-perfor-mance
automotive engineering is heading. At AVL RACETECH we are look-ing
at all aspects of potential CO2-free racing, including hydrogen combustion.
An initiative like the hydrogen
truck land record has never been
attempted before, and to make
sure we set the standard high,
AVL RACETECH is partnering
with the BUGGYRA Racing Team.
BUGGYRA spent the last 53 years
racing new vehicle concepts – espe-cially
trucks – in competitions such
as The Dakar Rally. And they know
what it takes to break speed records,
having been active in this area since
2011. They currently hold world
records in six different categories.
Drawing on BUGGYRA’s exper-tise
in truck racing, pairing it with
AVL RACETECH’s high-perfor-mance
engine development know-how
and AVL’s testing and simu-lation
competence, we will build
a 13-liter hydrogen combustion
engine to set the bar for this new