Alpine believes hydrogen will play an important role in the future automotive market and has turned its 2022 Alpenglow concept into a fully drivable Alpenglow Hy4 prototype.
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The meticulously repurposed supercar, now a two-seater, will debut at the 6 Hours of Spa this weekend for a demo before returning to Le Mans in June.
Although the prototype had supercar styling and a premium carbon fibre chassis, the Hy4 is now powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes only 335 horsepower. But Alpine said a second prototype will be released later in the year, when it will be upgraded to a V6 engine, again fueled by hydrogen.
In order to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, water is injected into the engine. Hydrogen (H2) is injected directly into the combustion chamber from three hydrogen storage tanks, one on the sides of the cockpit and one at the rear, at pressures of up to 40 bar. The hydrogen in the three tanks is compressed to a pressure of 700 bar.
The inline-four engine can reach 7,000 rpm, and Alpine says it is the equivalent of a petrol-powered car, with a top speed of 270 km/h. The engine was retrofitted from the existing Renault Alpine internal combustion engine and was fuelled by hydrogen, but the upcoming V6 engine was designed from the ground up specifically for hydrogen.
Alpine didn't directly state that it wanted to involve Alpenglow in racing, but did say it was "closely watching" the changes to the rules of the car. Alpine reminds us that from 2027, hydrogen cars will be legal to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and that by 2031, it is even possible that F1 will switch to hydrogen as fuel.
Finally, Alpine hinted that hydrogen could be a future for road cars. This echoes the news revealed last year by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo that Alpine is working on a supercar.