Bruno Famin, from Alpine, believes that the power of hydrogen has great potential for sports cars, as the French manufacturer unveils its updated concept car Alpenglow. The Alpenglow, initially introduced in 2022 as a glimpse into the future of the brand, has now evolved into the HY4, a “rolling racing lab” equipped with a hydrogen internal combustion engine with 4 cylinders. Famin, Alpine’s vice president of motorsports, emphasizes the advantages of hydrogen, stating that it offers a promising solution for sports cars in terms of road and racing applications. He highlights the low emissions of the internal combustion engine, with a special focus on reducing harmful NOx particle emissions through the use of water emissions. Alpine is already working on additional advancements, including hydrogen storage in liquid form. Famin also expresses gratitude to the ACO and FIA for their support in introducing the hydrogen class for the 24 Hours of Le Mans until 2027.
The HY4, based on an LMP3 chassis, features a 4-cylinder engine generating 250kW (340hp), reaching a top speed of 270km/h and hitting up to 27,000 RPM. Alpine is also developing a “bigger sister” car, the HY6, which will be powered by a 6-cylinder engine specifically designed for hydrogen use. The HY6 is currently undergoing tests and will be unveiled later this year. While the torque and power of the HY4 are comparable to a gasoline engine, the range is lower. However, François Champod, Alpine Racing’s vehicle director, is proud of the car’s ability to cover almost 100 kilometers on the track without refueling. The HY4 is equipped with three 55-liter fuel tanks to store hydrogen in gaseous form, a feat Champod describes as quite challenging due to safety considerations and the drastic pressure change during injection.
Famin clarifies that the HY4 is not intended for racing, but serves as a platform to learn about hydrogen technology and explore its potential applications in road cars and hypercars. He confirms that the car will not be used for racing in 2027, the year when the ACO plans to allow hydrogen cars to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When asked about the possibility of Alpine competing with a hydrogen car in Le Mans before 2027, Famin believes that focusing on one project at a time is essential and suggests that parallel development is not feasible.
