Bosch Engineering's and Ligier Automotive JS2 RH2 demonstrator vehicle, which stands out for its hydrogen operation, was officially presented in the circuit village as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
With this innovative car, both companies demonstrate the potential that alternative and climate-friendly drive systems have in high-performance applications, as required in motorsport. Hydrogen cars - it was said during the presentation - could participate, in an ad hoc class - in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2026.
Look at the photos Bosch and Ligier bring hydrogen to racing
The JS2 RH2 berlinetta is powered by a 6 hp V3 0.564 hydrogen engine and uses a carbon monocoque (instead of the tube chassis of the conventional JS2) in which three 700 bar Type IV hydrogen cylinders from Hexagon Purus are integrated.
These tanks meet the requirements in terms of size, performance and safety for the high-performance demonstration vehicle. The total capacity of the tanks is 6.3 kg of gas.
Their separation, together with that of the control components and the engine compartment, ensures - and also using a passive ventilation system through pipes and chimneys - that the gases are specifically removed outside in the event of a failure and avoid entering the passenger compartment or coming into contact with hot parts of the engine compartment. In addition, any leaks are detected by a complete sensor system.
"Hydrogen engines offer enormous potential for high-performance applications, especially in motorsports," commented Johannes-Jörg Rüger, President of Bosch Engineering GmbH, which also oversees the company's motorsport department, "and with the construction of the demonstration vehicle, we have demonstrated the contribution that can come from our many years of experience as an engineering service provider and, in particular, our expertise in the complex hydrogen environment."
Bosch Engineering oversaw the overall design of the vehicle and played a key role in the development of the engine and tank concept, as well as developing the aforementioned multistage hydrogen safety system.
Rüger explained that "depending on the type and severity of the problem, the system uses a multi-stage active safety concept, ranging from a warning to the driver on the display to the switching off of individual line circuits to the shutdown of the entire system."
Bosch Engineering experts have also converted a standard 6.3 V0 biturbo gasoline engine for hydrogen use. This involved adapting the ignition and the entire injection system. This development of the engine not only guarantees very poor combustion, with particularly low nitrogen oxide emissions up to partial load.
But it also provides a very high specific yield.
Another challenge during engine development was to achieve stable combustion without pre-ignition at high loads and engine speeds above 7,000 rpm.
"With such new technology, you need to overcome the challenges," Rueger said, "and the first was the short time frame for development. Starting in November and being here in June with a car that has already been on track, is a fabulous achievement for the whole team."
Other features of the JS2 RH2 include Brembo brakes along with a Bosch anti-lock braking system and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The JS2 RH2 has already been driven on test tracks in Germany and will be further developed and tested during the summer.