Williams Unveils Hyper-Hydrogen Hybrid Powertrain

A hydrogen fuel cell hybrid powered hyper-car has been unveiled by the engineering wing of the Williams Formula One racing organization aimed at both sports focused products.

Williams Advanced Engineering Technologies (WAE) claims its ultra-high performance hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle platform, dubbed EVRh, has been developed to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen (H2) powered powertrain systems. It claims the system will power a sub-1.9 metric ton vehicle to a sub-2.5 second 0-to-62mph sprint time.

The powertrain has a liquid-cooled FCEV battery pack at its core and is capable of discharging 430kW (576bhp) of power and having a 120kW charge power, enabling an estimated lap time of the Nordschleife Nürburgring in under 7mins 20secs. Hydrogen storage is in two tanks with a combined volume of 100-litres claiming a range of 372 miles.  All-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive layouts are supported through multiple e-motor configurations.

WAE says the H2 hybrid powertrain also brings multiple benefits to manufacturers, enabling an accelerated route to market, with the entire engineering and assembly completed by WAE, significantly reducing time and cost from development to market launch. Similarly, both automakers and Tier 1s have the chance to incorporate new products into the powertrain using EVRh, since the rolling chassis can undergo continuous enhancements by thanks to WAE's developing motor and battery technologies.

Produced by WAE in Oxfordshire, EVRh’s unveiling comes exactly one year since the reveal of its fully electric derivative, EVR. EVRh utilises an H2 fuel cell system, to produce electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell stack. Working with partners for the H2 fuel cell system, paired with WAE’s systems integration and electrification technology, EVRh illustrates the potential of hydrogen powered performance systems, as a parallel-hybrid derivative of its EVR rolling chassis concept.

Featuring a lightweight composite structure, the high-performance H2 fuel cell and battery system are situated in the middle of the vehicle, lowering the center of gravity. The platform’s design flexibility enables manufacturers to create multiple configurations from track-only vehicle to roadgoing models of both open-roof Targa and fixed-roof GT style.

Paul McNamara, technical director for WAE, said: “Since its inception in 2010, WAE has been dedicated to innovating cutting-edge and transformative technologies across a variety of applications and industries. EVRh, on display at CENEX LCV for the first time, is another key example of WAE’s capabilities in the development of solutions for zero carbon vehicles, enabling state-of-the-art FCEV vehicles to be brought to market rapidly and cost-effectively.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_  and Threads