Extreme H’s hydrogen rally car is ready for action – “it’s a proper race car”
Extreme H has just wrapped up final testing on its new hydrogen off-road racer – the Pioneer 25 – with drivers Molly Taylor and Kevin Hansen giving the 550-horsepower machine their seal of approval.
Built by Spark Racing Technology and developed under the FIA’s new Extreme H series, the Pioneer 25 is set to become the world’s first hydrogen-powered off-road race car to compete at an international level.
Testing concluded this week in the rocky, unforgiving terrain of Fontjoncouse, in the south of France.
“Instantly confidence inspiring” – driver reactions
Molly Taylor, former Extreme E champion and current driver for E.ON Next Veloce Racing, was one of the last drivers to get behind the wheel before competition begins.
“It was really cool,” she said. “The car’s got a lot more potential to be pushed further. It’s instantly very confidence inspiring.”
“The suspension has a lot more scope – where we are testing, the terrain is really rough, but the car can take a lot more than the Extreme E car could”, she added.
“And seeing the steam come out when they fired up the hydrogen system – that really makes you realise you’re driving something different.”
Her teammate, Kevin Hansen, echoed the sentiment: “The Pioneer 25 is a really good development from the Extreme E car. It’s more robust. It’s a proper race car.”
A hydrogen rally car with 550 horsepower
With a peak motor output of 400kW (550hp), the hydrogen-powered machine can sprint from 0-60mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds – no mean feat given its 2.2-tonne weight – and scale gradients of up to 130%.
Fuelled by green hydrogen and emitting only pure water vapour, the Pioneer 25 is the centrepiece of the FIA Extreme H World Cup, due to begin later this year.
Testing the tech behind the scenes
Extreme H’s Technical Director, Mark Grain, said the final session had been “especially valuable”, fine-tuning the hydrogen fuel cell system, tyre performance and component durability.
“The tyres we’ve been testing this week are a big step forward from our last test”, he said. “It’s also been fantastic having Molly and Kevin involved – their experience is really helping push the car forward.”
Extreme H says the Pioneer 25 has already endured the equivalent of three full seasons of Extreme E racing during its development phase.
While most of the vehicle is standardised across teams, the hydrogen fuel cell and bodywork allow room for technical innovation and branding.
Every car runs a 75kW hydrogen fuel cell from Symbio – the hydrogen powertrain skunkworks of Stellantis, Forvia and Michelin.
Countdown to competition
The FIA Extreme H World Cup – supported by NEOM energy subsidiary ENOWA and backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund – is expected to name its first race location imminently.
The series aims to demonstrate the real-world potential of hydrogen fuel cells while maintaining the equal-gender driver format introduced by Extreme E.
