MEDIA INFORMATION
Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology (HySE)
47th Dakar Rally
January 3rd-17th, 2025
HYDROGEN-POWERED HYSE-X2 REACHES THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE 47th DAKAR RALLY AND REMAINS ON TRACK FOR A MEMORABLE FINISH
HA’IL (SAUDI ARABIA) – Thursday, January 9: The revolutionary hydrogen-powered HySE-X2 overcame a minor steering issue on stage three but completed the fifth timed section without problems and reached the traditional rest day for the 47th Dakar Rally in the Saudi Arabian city of Ha’il without major dramas on Thursday evening.
Entered in the event’s Mission 1000 category for machines of the future, the HySE-X2 (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology) is a revised SSV, which has been developed for competition as a prototype for the next-generation of carbon-neutral powertrain technologies.
Japanese driver Yoshio Ikemachi and his Portuguese navigator Paulo Marques have been putting the ground-breaking SSV through its paces in the Saudi deserts each day and have been growing in confidence with the positive feedback given to them by the team’s race technicians.
The fourth stage of 96km ran between Al-Henakiyah and the overnight halt in Ha’il. Despite a minor navigational mistake, the HySE-X2 performed admirably on the harder sandy surface.
The crew then tackled a loop stage through the surrounding An-Nafud desert in the north-central region of Saudi Arabia. Stage five ran for 95 kilometres in a day’s route of 355km. Despite a puncture on some of the rocky terrain, the crew were able to bring the HySE-X2 safely to the rest day and the team’s base in Ha’il.
Quotes after Stage 5 on Thursday, January 9th
Yoshio Ikemachi, Driver:
“Today’s 200-metre measurement required acceleration, so I used second and third gears. There were parts where it was hard to shift into gear at high rpm. Also, the engine protection mechanism kicked in twice due to high-load driving, which caused a slight drop in primary output. But it didn’t have a major impact. From there, I kept driving in fifth gear while controlling fuel efficiency. Then, on a stony section about 40km into the stage, I got a puncture, even though I didn’t feel as if I had hit any stones. It cost me time. I’m really disappointed that I just missed out on the time I could have achieved in sport mode.”
Paulo Marques, Co-driver:
“Today, we did a nice stage with some very difficult navigation in some parts. Yoshio was excellent with the driving. There were many stones today. In the end, we had a flat tyre and we changed it in four or five minutes and everything was okay to the end. We are satisfied with this first week of the Dakar. Now we will get the car ready for the next stages and the challenge of the sand dunes in the second week. We are proud of what we have done so far.”
Daichi Kai, Team Leader of HySE Dakar Project:
“Stage five had a 200-metre time measurement, so the power performance of the hydrogen engine was tested. We were able to get results that confirmed our progress since last year. We were able to successfully complete the 95km stage, but we lost time because of a flat tyre. Thanks to the hard work of the driver and co-driver, we were able to complete the day within the target time. We will take a rest tomorrow and thoroughly analyse the data to prepare for the second half of the rally.”
Quotes after Stage 4 on Wednesday, January 8th
Yoshio Ikemachi, Driver:
“The road was hard sand from the start and I drove mostly in four-wheel drive. There was one part where I switched to two-wheel drive, but that was after considering traction and slip. I think the fuel control went well. Even at the assistance point, after 87km, I had about 37% of the time, so I switched from fifth to fourth gear, drove in sport mode and immediately overtook the KH-7 truck and got ahead.
“But I missed one waypoint, lost the road and came back again. It seems the truck was also on the same line, so I returned to the same road and drove at full speed in third gear to the end and was able to reach the finish line. I was glad to be able to finish with just enough fuel left and I hope to continue driving with the same control from the next stage onwards.”
Paulo Marques, Co-driver:
“We started very early, around 07.00hrs, and we did a very good stage until we had some difficult at the end. During the stage, we did good navigation and good driving and we felt the car went very well on the sand tracks. For the next stage we will have less sand and we must organise the tyre pressures for each day. There were some sandy parts with cautions but we are very happy with the project until now.”
Daichi Kai, Team Leader of HySE Dakar Project:
“This was an experimental day for acquiring data, with appropriate switching between fuel-efficient driving and performance driving. The driver and co-driver controlled the car well and performed as expected. Unfortunately, there was a mistake on the course. The car was not judged as a sports driving car, but the data we obtained was more important than the result. We also found new issues with the hydrogen engine, so we will consider our strategy for the next stage and aim to push the limits of its performance.”
The HySE project was established in May 2023. Honda Motor Co. Ltd., Kawasaki Motors Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation and Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. started the Dakar project around September 2023 and joined the Dakar Mission 1000 category with the HySE-X1. The chassis was built by Overdrive Racing, the Belgian car preparations company.
Tomorrow (Friday), competitors and team members will enjoy a well-earned rest at the Dakar’s official rest day. Much of the day will be spent on media activities, carrying out the checking of valuable data and giving the HySE-X2 a thorough inspection before the second half of the event starts on Saturday morning.
Ends