Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Sets World Record for Distance on a Single Tank

The experimental hydrogen vehicle Eco Runner XIII, developed by students from Delft University of Technology, has set a world record. During testing, the vehicle traveled a distance of 2,488 km on a single tank of fuel.

The experimental run took place on a test track in Germany. Before the tests began, the tank was filled with 950 grams of hydrogen. The run started on June 23 at 5 a.m. and lasted, with brief breaks, for several days. The car maintained an average speed of about 45 km/h along the track.

Breaking the previous record of 2,056 km was the main goal for the students. Eco Runner XIII reached this milestone on the second day of the race, but there was still hydrogen left in the tank afterward. Following a brief celebration, the engineers decided to see how far the remaining hydrogen would last and continued the run. Ultimately, the vehicle came to a stop at the distance of 2,488 km.

The Eco Runner is a series of experimental vehicles developed by TU Delft students since 2005. In the same year, the first experimental vehicle (Eco1) set a record distance of 557 km traveled on just one liter of gasoline. Subsequent developments focused on replacing gasoline with environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel. Over the years, the models created have set various records multiple times.

Electric vehicles are considered the classic alternative to hydrogen-powered engines. However, hydrogen fuel cells allow for faster refueling and provide sufficient power for heavy vehicles. Engineers believe that the development and testing of various components on experimental models will eventually lead to upgrades for mass-produced vehicles.