Hydrogen supercharged four-cylinder racer “HySE-X2” enters Dakar 2025
The Dakar Rally – often hailed as the world’s toughest motorsport event – will welcome back a hydrogen-powered contender in 2025 as the Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology Association (HySE) enters its upgraded HySE-X2 vehicle in the “Mission 1000 ACT2” category.
If you’re unfamiliar with HySE, it’s a collaboration of major manufacturers – Kawasaki, Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, and DENSO – focused on advancing hydrogen engine technology and developing the fuelling and storage systems needed for hydrogen vehicles.
The 2025 Dakar Rally will run from January 3rd to 17th across the unforgiving deserts of Saudi Arabia. HySE’s X2 will compete in Mission 1000 – Dakar’s sandbox for futuristic, carbon-neutral vehicles, which was introduced in 2024.
Spanning up to 1,000 km of challenging terrain, this category pushes cutting-edge tech like hydrogen engines to their limits, facing blistering heat, rugged landscapes, and relentless conditions.
Building on Dakar hydrogen success
HySE made their inaugural debut at Dakar 2024 with the hydrogen powered, four cylinder HySE-X1.
Proving the durability and potential of hydrogen internal combustion engines, the team secured 4th place in the Mission 1000 category and identified several key areas for improvement for 2025.
Now, armed with their learnings and improvements, the next-gen HySE-X2 is a more advanced and refined hydrogen racer ready to take on the next year’s challenges.
HySE Dakar 2025 Team Manager, Daichi Kai, said:
“We aim to refine technologies for compact hydrogen mobility by addressing issues uncovered during this year’s rally and exploring higher-performance areas for the engine”.
The HySE-X2 introduces several upgrades over its predecessor, including a reengineered engine, enhanced chassis design, and a larger hydrogen tank capacity – up from three hydrogen tanks in the X1 to now four in the X2.
The increase in fuel storage, enabled by clever chassis layout adjustments, is paired with targeted improvements in engine output at high rev’s and fuel efficiency at ‘mid-range speeds’.
Key specs of the HySE-X2:
- Dimensions: 4,000 mm (L) x 2,000 mm (W) x 1,900 mm (H)
- Weight: 1,250 kg
- Engine: Liquid-cooled, supercharged, 4-stroke, inline four-cylinder with DOHC (twin-cam / dual overhead camshaft)
- Hydrogen tank: 70 bar internal pressure, 7.2 kg capacity
Experienced hands behind the wheel
The next-gen HySE-X2 will be driven by Yoshio Ikemachi, a Dakar veteran with accolades in both the motorcycle and four-wheel categories.
Co-Driver Paulo Marques, another experienced Dakar racer, will be shouting pace notes to navigate the hydrogen racer through the treacherous desert stages.
Together, the team embodies the mottoes that have carried them through past challenges: “Dreams come true” and “Never give up.”
In addition to the Dakar 2025 event, HySE are showcasing the HySE-X2 at European Hydrogen Week in Brussels from (today) November 18th to 22nd, furthering its aim to build a cross-industry hydrogen network.
