What was the first hydrogen race car?

There is no single universally accepted answer to what counts as the first hydrogen race car. If you mean hydrogen internal-combustion engines, or hydrogen-powered fuel cells, and whether you count demonstrations versus sanctioned competition, the historical record splits into parallel threads. This article surveys those threads and explains why there isn’t a lone “first” car.

Defining the question: what counts as a hydrogen race car?

To make sense of the question, it helps to distinguish two technologies that have competed for attention in racing: hydrogen internal-combustion engines (H2-ICE), which burn hydrogen in place of gasoline, and hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains, which generate electricity onboard to drive electric motors. Each technology has followed its own developmental arc, with different events, records, and showcases. In racing history, a vehicle can be a pioneer in one category while not being the first in another.

Hydrogen internal-combustion engine (H2-ICE) racers

These are cars that run on hydrogen as their fuel in an internal combustion engine, much like traditional race cars run on gasoline or diesel. The earliest experiments occurred decades ago, and teams used hydrogen-burning engines primarily to study performance, safety, and practicalities of fuel handling. Because many of these efforts were small-scale demonstrations or research projects rather than official championship entries, no single, widely acknowledged “first” H2-ICE race car is recorded in a definitive global registry.

• Historical hydrogen-burning engine testbeds and demonstration cars were developed by several manufacturers and private teams during the late 20th century.


• Occurrences tended to appear in local, regional, or experimental racing settings rather than a singular, universally recognized international event.

Conclusion: H2-ICE racing began as a research and demonstration niche, with no widely agreed-upon first race car.

Hydrogen fuel-cell (FCV) race cars

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles began appearing in racing contexts primarily as prototype and demonstration efforts, focusing on energy efficiency and endurance rather than outright speed. These programs emerged later than the earliest H2-ICE projects and often involved universities, collaborations with industry, and participation in specialized endurance or concept events. As with H2-ICE, there is no single “first” FCV race car that is universally agreed upon in the motorsport record.

• Early FCV race concepts and prototypes appeared in the 2000s and 2010s across various endurance, demonstration, and student competition formats.


• Many FCV programs were built to test hydrogen efficiency, reliability, and refueling logistics in a racing environment rather than to win traditional races outright.

Conclusion: FCV-based hydrogen racing helped establish a track record for the technology, but no single first FCV race car is universally named in the history books.

Current landscape: why the “first” is elusive and what the field looks like today

Today, hydrogen racing exists mainly as a landscape of development, demonstration, and niche competition. Teams pursue both H2-ICE and FCV approaches, driven by safety standards, refueling infrastructure, and the broader push toward low-emission motorsport. In 2024–2025, several programs continue to explore hydrogen as a viable racing propulsion option, but a clear, universally recognized first car remains elusive because the definitions of “race car” and “first” differ by technology and by the level of competition.

Representative milestones (a varied, non-exhaustive sketch)

Below is a representative, non-definitive snapshot of the kinds of milestones that have shaped hydrogen racing, highlighting the parallel paths rather than pinpointing a single origin.

• Early decades: hydrogen-burning engine prototypes used in research and selective competition as testbeds rather than full-fledged championship cars.


• 2000s–2010s: hydrogen fuel-cell race concepts and prototypes appear in endurance, research demonstrations, and university-led programs geared toward learning and validation rather than dominant race results.

Conclusion: The history of hydrogen racing is better read as two concurrent strands—H2-ICE and FCV—each with its own milestones and timelines, rather than a single first car.

Summary

The question of the first hydrogen race car does not have a single, definitive answer. Historical records show two main streams—hydrogen internal-combustion engines and hydrogen fuel-cell race programs—each beginning with experimental work and evolving at different paces. As of the mid-2020s, hydrogen racing remains an area of active development and demonstration, with ongoing efforts to standardize safety, refueling, and performance. If you have a specific category (H2-ICE vs FCV) or a particular era in mind, I can narrow the history to the most relevant examples and provide precise dates and contexts.

What was the first hydrogen car?

The first hydrogen car was the General Motors (GM) Electrovan, a prototype unveiled in 1966. While the Electrovan was the first vehicle to use a fuel cell as a power source, it was not a commercially available production car. The first hydrogen fuel cell cars designed for mass production or available for commercial leasing began to emerge much later in the 2000s, such as the Toyota FCHV and Honda FCX.
 

• GM Electrovan (1966): This is widely recognized as the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, built by General Motors. It used cryogenic liquid hydrogen and oxygen, and the technology demonstrated that fuel cells could power a vehicle. 
• Commercial and production vehicles: The transition to modern, commercially available or leased hydrogen cars took decades. 
  • The Toyota FCHV and Honda FCX began being leased in 2002 after being certified by the government. 
  • The Honda FCX Clarity, launched in 2008, was the first designed specifically for mass production and available for lease to private customers. 
  • The Hyundai Nexo, which succeeded the Tucson FCEV, became commercially available in 2018. 
• BMW's pioneering work: BMW has a long history with hydrogen research, including the first hydrogen-powered 12-cylinder car, the BMW 750hL, a small-series production vehicle introduced in 2000 for demonstrations like EXPO 2000. 

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Why did Toyota Mirai fail?

The Toyota Mirai has failed primarily due to a combination of limited hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high and increasing fuel costs, and reliability issues that have led to owner frustration and lawsuits. The lack of available and functional hydrogen stations, particularly outside of California, makes the car impractical for many, while technical glitches and high maintenance costs create an unreliable ownership experience.
 
Infrastructure and refueling 

• Scarcity of stations: Hydrogen refueling stations are rare and concentrated in a few areas, with a severe lack of them in many states, rendering the car unusable for some owners who need to move. 
• Unreliability and downtime: Even where stations exist, they are often out of order, leading to long waits for pumps to recompress or the need for a 30-minute wait for a pump to warm up. 
• Refueling difficulties: The fueling process can be frustrating and time-consuming, with the car not always filling up completely. 

This video explains why the Toyota Mirai is a bad investment and how the lack of infrastructure makes it impractical: 57sThe AutopianYouTube · Jan 30, 2024
Cost

• High fuel prices: Hydrogen fuel prices have risen significantly, making it much more expensive to drive than a comparable electric vehicle or gasoline car. 
• Misleading fuel card: The promised $15,000 fuel card is not lasting as long as advertised due to the high cost per kilogram of hydrogen. 
• High purchase price: The car's retail price is expensive, though Toyota has offered large rebates to try and attract buyers. 
• Poor resale value: The vehicle has depreciated heavily, with used models selling for a fraction of their original price. 

Reliability and technical issues

• System glitches: Owners report glitches with the car's software, including issues with the touchscreen, GPS, and Bluetooth connectivity. 
• Hardware problems: The Mirai has experienced problems such as coolant leaks, electrical failures, and hydrogen system leaks. 
• Inaccurate range estimates: The advertised range is often not achieved, with drivers consistently reporting falling significantly short of the promised mileage. 

This video discusses the reliability issues with the Toyota Mirai and the resulting lawsuits: 1mDonutYouTube · May 20, 2024
Lawsuits and owner frustration

• Class-action lawsuits: Owners have filed lawsuits against Toyota, alleging that the company misled them about the Mirai's performance, reliability, and the practicality of the hydrogen refueling infrastructure. 
• Lack of disclosure: Plaintiffs claim that Toyota failed to disclose the true costs, the limited infrastructure, and the potential for breakdowns, leading to a vehicle that is often unusable. 

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