24h Le Mans
Hydrogénie, the conversational hologram developed by McQueen Design, welcomed its first visitors on Wednesday. Among them was Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, who was there to inaugurate the Hydrogen Village for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The large delegation included representatives from the FIA, SDIS72, the 2nd Rima, the city of Le Mans, and Le Mans Métropole, with Mr. Le Foll in attendance, as well as Le Mans University.
A tour was held in this space dedicated to hydrogen, bringing together manufacturers (Alpine, Toyota Racing, Ligier-Bosch-Maserati), MissionH24, the collaborative program between the ACO and H24Project, the TotalEnergies hydrogen station, Le Mans University, Ecogreen Energy Challenge, Vision Technology, Eodev, Hyliko, Blue Spirit Aero, Ariane Group, the Maison de l’Europe, and Horizon Educational...
The goal of this Hydrogen Village is threefold: to engage spectators, the media, and mobility stakeholders. Various themes are thus presented: motorsports, of course, with a 19-meter-diameter dome (Fugu structure) housing four prototypes, including the Toyota TR LH2 Racing Prototype, which will make its track debut at Le Mans, alongside Alpine’s Alpenglow and the Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2, on Thursday and Saturday, shortly after noon, but also research and science with Le Mans University and Ariane Group, as well as more fun and educational activities such as Horizon Educational and the Ecogreen Challenge Energy, along with the race cars from the energy races.
Hyliko and its truck, Eodev and its generator, Blue Spirit Aero and its aircraft, and Toyota with a fuel-cell bus and a combustion-engine van showcased the various mobility options made possible by hydrogen. Vision Technology also demonstrated the appeal of hydrogen-powered vehicles, ranging from go-karts to prototypes.
To liven up this space and introduce spectators to hydrogen, a multimedia display featuring holograms and lighting effects was set up in the dome, while a karaoke machine powered by a fuel-cell bus allowed spectators interested in the energy transition and music to sing along!!
The Hydrogen Village is open until 5:00 PM on Sunday. Don’t hesitate to visit.
Following the village’s inauguration, a conference organized by IDEC Group and the ACO brought together numerous experts and guests to discuss the contribution of motorsports to research on new energy sources.
