Hydrogen on the Tracks at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans
During the week-long event of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, hydrogen demonstrated to spectators its potential on the track and its various uses, already well established. On the track, the Le Mans circuit, the Le Mans airfield, and the streets of Le Mans were able to accommodate various hydrogen vehicles. This energy carrier, which will be introduced in competitions, in endurance racing, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and in the FIA World Endurance Championship starting in 2028, is one of the solutions for decarbonizing motor racing and mobility.
In the ACO H2 village, racing prototypes were on display, as well as MissionH24, a collaborative program between the ACO and H24Project, as well as a TotalEnergies H2 station, which allowed the Alpenglow Hy6 and the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2 to be refueled before their demonstrations on the legendary Sarthe circuit. Relive the 312.9 km/h of the Alpenglow Hy6 but also the official inspection of the track by hydrogen bus or the presentation of a hydrogen plane or the announcement of the MissionH24-Toyota Gazoo Racing partnership...
MissionH24 and Syensqo partner on zero emission racing
Composite materials maximize lightweighting and performance.
MissionH24, a collaborative program between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and H24Project is partnering with Syensqo, a leader in advanced materials and specialty chemicals, to advance the decarbonization of motor racing and mobility.
Syensqo’s materials will enable the design and manufacture of the ultra-lightweight and high performance H24EVO prototype. Established MTM®, CYCOM® and LTM® epoxy prepregs will be used across the racecar’s structural parts and battery enclosure.
“Our composite materials have a long history of performance in racing and have been trusted for over twenty years by the top teams competing in the most demanding forms of motorsports", said Marc Doyle, Executive Vice President, Composite Materials at Syensqo. "We are thrilled to contribute our extensive experience in motorsport to a project that aligns with our values of innovation, safety and sustainability."
Pierre Fillon, President Automobile Club de l'Ouest, and co-president MissionH24: “MissionH24 is a pioneering program which is arousing strong interest among motor sport players, as demonstrated by the commitment of Syensqo, which shares our values in terms of decarbonization.''
"Syensqo's advanced composite materials are a game-changer for our prototypes," said Jean-Michel Bouresche, President H24 Project and co-president MissionH24. "We focus on the deployment of hydrogen in endurance racing and Syensqo’s expertise and innovative solutions are instrumental in achieving the performance and sustainability goals of our project."
Bassel Aslan, MissionH24 Technical Director: “Thanks to this partnership, our next hydrogen racing car prototype will benefit from Syensqo high performance composite materials as many other top categories in motorsport! Achieving significant weight reduction while keeping a robust and safe chassis structure is the added value we aim for thanks to Syensqo materials combined with their valuable instructions and expertise.”
The H24EVO model was officially presented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024, and will be on track in 2026, with the aim of competing with the best LMGT3. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest is working with the main players in endurance racing, manufacturers and technical partners, to create a category reserved for hydrogen powered prototypes at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2028.
MTM®, CYCOM®, and LTM® are registered trademarks of Syensqo.
About Syensqo
Syensqo is a science company developing groundbreaking solutions that enhance the way we live, work, travel and play. Inspired by the scientific councils which Ernest Solvay initiated in 1911, we bring great minds together to push the limits of science and innovation for the benefit of our customers, with a diverse, global team of more than 13,000 associates in 30 countries.
Our solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices and healthcare applications. Our innovation power enables us to deliver on the ambition of a circular economy and explore breakthrough technologies that advance humanity.
Learn more at www.syensqo.com
About MissionH24
MissionH24, a collaboration between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and H24Project, is helping to create an H2 prototype class at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in FIA WEC. Launched in 2018, with the LMPH2G, a laboratory car, this program then developed the H24, the first H2 racing prototype to have evolved to this level of competition and finished all its races in 2022. The H24EVO heralds a new era of pure performance!
To find out more https://missionh24.fr
MissionH24 and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, together for decarbonization
At the Automobile Club de l'Ouest press conference, Pierre Fillon, along with Kazuki Nakajima, Vice President of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe, and Bassel Aslan, Technical Director of MissionH24, announced the collaboration between the two entities. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will assist MissionH24 in its research into the aerodynamics and cooling of the H24EVO.
MissionH24 and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, a collaboration for hydrogen in racing
This strategic partnership between the ACO program and H24Project, along with the Japanese manufacturer, demonstrates the automotive industry's commitment to decarbonization through hydrogen.
MissionH24 and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will work together on key areas: aerodynamics and cooling. The H24EVO, MissionH24's latest hydrogen-powered electric prototype, will benefit from this collaboration.
With this completely new technology in racing, studies and research are needed to make hydrogen-powered machines more efficient than conventional combustion engines. A Hydrogen Endurance category is expected to appear on the track by 2028. As a reminder, liquid hydrogen has been chosen to power prototypes equipped with fuel cells or combustion engines.
MissionH24 has chosen the fuel cell for the H24EVO. Bassel Aslan, in charge of developing this innovative machine, will be able to rely on the expertise and resources of Toyota GR to define the most efficient aerodynamics and cooling system possible. A schedule of studies, then tests, and finally validations will be put in place.
Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO and Co-President of MissionH24:
"For MissionH24, which already has valuable partnerships, notably with leading international companies, announcing this collaboration with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing today is a major new step. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has been involved for several years in the deployment of hydrogen in competitions in order to decarbonize racing and more global mobility, as well as industry. Toyota is leading a real fight against CO2. Being able to rely on such a partner ensures an unwavering commitment to achieving our objective: to offer a technological laboratory demonstrating to all the potential of hydrogen to succeed in the energy transition."
Jean-Michel Bouresche, CEO of H24Project, Co-President of MissionH24:
“I have been observing Toyota’s involvement in motorsport for many years, particularly in endurance racing, with 7 Constructors’ World Championship titles since 2014 and 5 victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, among others. To be able to count today on a player of this caliber, at the forefront of technology and innovation, alongside MissionH24 is a great honor and a source of great pride. I am convinced that Toyota’s technical contribution and experience will be very beneficial to the development of the H242EVO and will contribute to achieving MissionH24’s objectives, namely the decarbonization of motorsport.”
Bassel Aslan, Technical Director of MissionH24:
“Toyota has declared the war against CO2 at a very early stage with hybrid automotive solution for mass production. Who can forget the Prius. Today by joining MissionH24, Toyota joins another motorsport decarbonization battle. Toyota expertise will be of great added value to the aero and cooling performance of our next hydrogen car prototype H24EVO. Finding the right trade-off between an efficient cooling system and performant aerodynamic behavior will be the challenge that we trust to overcome thanks to Toyota support.”
Kazuki Nakajima, vice-chairman TOYOTA GAZOO Racing:
"As Bassel mentioned, we are pleased to announce that TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will become a strategic partner of MissionH24.TOYOTA has been advancing our hydrogen technology in domestic racing in Japan, in "Super Taikyu", led by Morizo-san, our Chairman Akio Toyoda. We are also working on technology development with an eye toward future global race participation, including the liquid hydrogen-fueled "GR LH2 Racing Concept" that was unveiled at H2 Village on Wednesday. We will support the strengthening of the MissionH24 project by utilizing the know-how we have gained in developing hydrogen technology through motorsports. ACO is a pioneer of hydrogen in motorsports, and we empathize with their strong commitment. As well as our technical contribution, we would like to build a partnership that can expand the potential of hydrogen not only in motorsports but also in other fields. TOYOTA believes that carbon neutrality is an urgent issue for cars to remain necessary in society and that a variety of options are required to achieve this. We will continue to work on hydrogen technology as one of the technologies within our multi-pathway approach. We look forward to working with the ACO and MissionH24 towards a carbon-neutral future for Le Mans.’’
ACO Hydrogen Village: Announcements for its inauguration!
With transparent "bubble" structures of varying sizes to accommodate H2 racing and mobility, the Hydrogen area stands out on the 24 Hours of Le Mans site. Its inauguration also featured notable announcements: the presentation of the liquid H2 prototype, the GR LH2 Racing Concept from Toyota Gazoo Racing, and the presence of an ever-growing team for MissionH24.
Visible by day and even more so by night, with its lighting effects, the Hydrogen Village has opted for a Transparent Bubble scenography in 2025. This allows the prototypes on display to be clearly visible to spectators: the Alpenglow, the Ligier Bosch, the GR LH2 Racing Concept from Toyota Gazoo Racing, the day's revelation, and of course, the H24EVO from MissionH24.
In its 14-meter diameter dome, the H24EVO is surrounded by some of its partners, in a very concrete way, with the elements that intervene in the optimal functioning of the prototype. It is a true technological exhibition. TotalEnergies, official hydrogen supplier of MissionH24, supplies gaseous H2 to the prototypes and also a bus. The refuelings planned for public will allow spectators to familiarize themselves with this energy vector. Thus Symbio presents a component of its fuel cell, Michelin, a tire that explains its sustainable composition, McLaren Applied, Multimatic, Bosch, Isoclima, Sobek, BrightLoop and Momo also demonstrate their commitment to the program also supported by Dietsmann, Richard Mille, or Fortescue Zero.
New partners were unveiled at the village inauguration: Syensqo, Next Solution, Texense, and Kappa optronics.
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Co-President of MissionH24:
"We wanted to round off this hydrogen village inauguration ceremony with MissionH24, our collaborative program between the ACO and H24Project, to showcase the route we've been running since 2018. This space is growing and diversifying year after year, and it all started with MissionH24, with this shared desire to deploy hydrogen in competitions, because we believed in its potential to decarbonize racing.
When we see the number of exhibitors gathered here, from backgrounds as varied as education, or solid hydrogen storage, manufacturers, 2-wheel mobility as well as maritime, aeronautical or space, we can rejoice in the connections established. Likewise, when we realize the number and identity of the sponsors who are now joining our program, and are present here today concretely around the car, we can only be pleased to see that MissionH24 brings together, motivates companies, pioneers. It is proof of a beautiful energy, a clean and new energy.
Jean-Michel Bouresche, CEO of H24Project and Co-President of MissionH24:
"At the end of January, at the Hyvolution trade show in Paris, we presented Fortescue Zero, McLaren Applied, PKM-Multimatic, Bosch, and Isoclima, the new partners who had joined MissionH24.
Today, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I am pleased to announce that new technical partners have also decided to take on this technological challenge: Syensqo, Next Solution, Texense, and Kappa Optronics. Other companies will be joining us very soon, which reinforces our belief that the H24EVO is a fantastic laboratory and demonstrator for those involved in hydrogen technology."