Pioneer 25 has become the first hydrogen racing car to pass the FIA’s mandatory chassis crash test, which focuses on side impact and rollover safety.
Speaking to Racer, Mark Grain, technical director at Extreme E, said “I am pleased to say that the Extreme H Pioneer 25 has passed its mandatory chassis FIA crash tests with flying colors. It’s the first hydrogen race car that’s met stringent FIA criteria. We’ve worked with the FIA to define these crash tests, and there’s been huge collaboration in order to achieve this important milestone.”
Grain added, “The chassis itself is much stronger. However, we’ve added carbon composite crash structures that are sitting over the two hydrogen tanks; also, for the side-impact test we’ve got composite structures either side that are energy absorbing. The hydrogen high-pressure and low-pressure systems were also fitted during the tests. The systems were pressurized for both tests, and the pressures within them were monitored as live data. That was to ensure the systems were not damaged and lost pressure.”
Following this, the Pioneer 25 is expected to take on FIA resilience tests for its tanks and battery packs, before entering the track testing phase later this month and in October. Production of the Extreme H cars for their inaugural campaign will also begin in the coming weeks, with their delivery to teams expected before the end of 2024.
