The First Hydrogen-Powered Truck Will Race Through Massive Sand Dunes in 2022

France-based Gaussin unveiled its H2 Racing Truck, which is the first model in the new range of the firm's zero-emission, 100 percent hydrogen, and electric road trucks lineup that is set to launch in 2022.

And to demonstrate its performance and reliability to the world, the H2 Racing Truck will compete in the World Rally-Raid Championship and take part in the Dakar Rally, an annual rally raid organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation, in Saudi Arabia in 2022.

The truck will race across the sand dunes to show off its hydrogen-electric prowess, and it's ready to withstand whatever the desert may throw at it.

Meet the H2 racing truck

The racing truck was built in less than a year, with the Gaussin team solving the technological problems of hydrogen propulsion and testing the fuel cells under extreme conditions.

When on the sand dunes to show off its capabilities, the H2 Racing Truck will be equipped with a combined output of 402 hp (300 kW), a fuel cell with a maximum output of 510 hp (380 kW), and a fuel tank with a capacity of 176 lbs (80 kg). It will also include an 82-kilowatt-hour battery to keep up with the desert racing conditions, as well as a speed limit of 87 mph (140 kph) to comply with Dakar rules. It will be able to go up to 250 miles (400 km) on the rails thanks to a hydrogen system built for an ultra-light chassis that can be refueled in under 20 minutes. With all that in its pocket, the firm thinks the truck can handle the full-throttle demands of desert racing and come on top.

Testing the racing truck on the sand dunes and gathering the performance data will aid the company's road truck lineup development. Then, Gaussin wants to release four more zero-emission vehicle models; a road tractor, an autonomous truck, a distribution truck, and a construction truck.

The Dakar Rally will kick off in January, and the newly released video of the H2 Racing Truck gives you plenty of reasons to get excited.