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French Company Modifies Renault Zoe Electric And Transforms It Into A Hydrogen And Manure-Powered Car With A Range That Can Go From 385 Km To Over 2,000 Km.
A Renault Zoe, fully electric, was modified with a hydrogen and biomass fuel cell and saw its factory range quintuple, setting a world record of over 2,000 km. The feat was accomplished by the company ARM Engineering last Wednesday (11) at the Albi circuit in France. The electric car chosen, the Renault Zoe, had a range of nearly 400 and received improvements to complete a journey of 2,055.68 km without the need for refueling.
Understand How The Hydrogen And Manure-Powered Car Works
To achieve such a distance and break several records, the hydrogen and manure-powered car used a full charge of its battery and a tank with 200 liters of G-H3, a biofuel generated from hydrogen and manure, which powered a fuel cell to generate electricity.
The process, carried out by the French company, allows the biofuel to be used to reform hydrogen and thus develop energy to power the battery, according to Marc Lambec, president of ARM Engineering.
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To make this possible, five drivers took turns at the wheel of the manure-powered car on the Albi circuit for about three days, from 7 AM to midnight, to break the distance record of 1,360 km previously held by a Toyota Mirai in the United States.
The mechanism can also be adapted to cars with internal combustion engines, like vehicles powered by fuels such as alcohol and gasoline. In a thermal vehicle, the device allows for a reduction of 80% in pollutant emissions such as carbon dioxide, for example.
Learn More About G-H3
To set the record of over 2,000 km of range, approximately 580 laps were completed consecutively on the 3,565-meter circuit. For comparison, a Formula 1 GP, which lasts about 1 hour and 30 minutes, has just over 300 km in length.
Meanwhile, a long-duration race, like those at Le Mans, which last 24 hours, can reach 5,000 km. The G-H3 used in the manure-powered car goes through a reformer where hydrogen is extracted after being converted into electricity.
This biofuel used is a type of synthetic methanol obtained through the anaerobic digestion of non-food biomass, such as plant waste and manure. In a reformer present in the fuel cell, CO2 and hydrogen are converted through the electrolysis of water.
Renault Announces New Hydrogen-Powered Concept Car
At the same time that a modified vehicle was breaking records in France, the automaker itself announced a hydrogen-powered concept car, which will be revealed this Thursday (19). The French company claims that the model will be made of 70% recycled materials and 95% recyclable materials.
The hydrogen car features a dashboard with multiple screens, elongated backrests on the seats, and different textures on the steering wheel. On the outside, the model features the illuminated Renault logo and other details. For now, there isn’t much information about the vehicle, but it is already possible to see that the front consists of a split headlight and a hood with a design featuring various details.
The automaker has also not confirmed whether the vehicle is an SUV or hatchback, and the French company will showcase the model at the Change NOW event, which will take place in Paris, France, from the 19th to the 21st of this month.
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