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In Australia

When hydrogen burns, the only by-product is water – not the polluting cocktail given off by burning petrol and other fossil fuels.

BMW successfully demonstrated this technology in a fleet of 15 sedans used to ferry people to and from EXPO 2000, the world fair in Hanover, Germany. The fact that no major changes need to be made to the basic internal combustion engine design is a major attraction.

In Australia, working in collaboration with Germany’s Fachhochschule Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences, RMIT University researchers have unveiled Australia’s first hydrogen-powered race car.

The car will be bidding for the title of world’s fastest hydrogen-powered racer when it attempts to break the Guinness World Records mark for speed by a vehicle of its class.
Powered by an internal combustion motorcycle engine that has been modified to run on hydrogen, the hydrogen race car is expected to reach speeds of up to 170 kmh in its world record bid, to be held in Germany 2009

Professor Aleksandar Subic, RMIT Head of the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, said the hydrogen car project could radically change the world’s approach to automotive technologies.

In New Zealand

The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport held in Taupo made history in January 2008 as all 22 national teams competing took to the track with biofuel in their tanks. The landmark event made A1GP the first truly global motorsport series to race on a 30 per cent biofuel mix. After its successful debut in New Zealand, a follow-up meeting at NSW’s Eastern Creek was held on February 1-3.

The cornerstone of an ambitious series of initiatives to help reduce its environmental footprint, A1GP's new fuel, an ethanol based product Hiperflo™ E30, is sourced from sugar beet in Europe and produced specifically for A1GP.  Developed in partnership with Zytek, the series' engine manufacturer, the fuel produces less harmful particulate matter than conventional fuels and will reduce CO2 emissions by 21 per cent per car based on a wheel to wheel calculation.

NSW Premier of the time, Morris Iemma, said: "As time goes by the use of biofuels will be a win for the environment, consumers hip pockets and in NSW regional economies.

The introduction of E30 was delayed from the start of the season to ensure vehicle performance wasn't affected by the change, but A1GP CEO Pete da Silva says the short wait has only made the switch more exciting.

‘Through our THINK Greener Racing initiative we're committed to leading a revolution that helps the planet and safeguards the future of our sport,’ da Silva said. ‘The number one priority is to produce a cutting edge series, but we firmly believe we can deliver exciting racing while minimizing the impact of our operations on the environment.’

A1GP Australian Chairman Alan Evans highlighted the importance of this milestone in Australian racing.

"This is truly a first for motorsport in this country and will be a great opportunity to road test ‘green' racing showing that high performance engines can run on ethanol fuel," Mr Evans said.