HYDROGEN

What makes the competition

particularly attractive to students?

According to my personal experience,

the competition is interesting mainly

because it does not dictate anything to

the students, instead attracting them to

discover and elaborate on what they

enjoy. They all know what it takes to

build a basic model car, but it's entirely

up to them which path they choose. They

can discover their talent for technical

drawing, electrical engineering or even

video cutting and editing. By doing this

extra work on something they enjoy, they

can then quickly become the perfect

engineer, mechanic, promoter, etc.

I think this is evidenced by the fact

that we were not negatively affected

by the covid pandemic - it did interrupt

the activity but when students returned

to school, their interest increased.

a standard next year. Teams learn

quickly from each other and can build

a completely customised car. Students

learn to invent improvements, draw

them out, print what they need on 3D

printers, gain knowledge of materials,

mechanics, CNC machining, etc. They

have begun to look into fuel cells,

energy management, and they can

program everything they need to

control their car. They check all the

data and compare the options and

results internationally. The competition

is noticeably growing year by year, and

the students are getting more and more

dedicated and in-depth each year.

The project introduces students to new

issues, learning about them, inventing,

Do you have a vision for the project’s

future?

We definitely want the competition to

continue to grow globally. We are also

launching two new programs, H2GP

XPR and H2GP SPRINT, which will

not only allow more students to get

involved, but also build further interest

in these technologies at an even earlier

age. We are also working on promoting

the competition every year to attract

more and more companies to help fund

equipment for the schools. We know

we can spark enthusiasm in students

to explore and invent new things. This

spark can be spread endlessly, you

just have to let the right people know

about you.

improving and then driving what they

have put together themselves, not for

a 5 minute race but for 4 or even 6 hour

long race. The entire time they need to

work 100% as a team - from the start

of the design to the finish of the race.

They have to find that optimal way to

combine the speed, the endurance and

the reliability of the car. I don't think

any of us adults learned about these

topics when we were in school, and we

don't really encounter teamwork and

focus on the end result until we are in

the adult working world. It is with this

"preparation for life", that the H2GP

PRO program is very interesting.

Thank you for the interview and we wish

you the best of luck in this innovative

work with the next generation.

“

The competition

is interesting mainly because

it does not dictate anything

to the students, instead

attracting them to discover

and elaborate on what

they enjoy.

”

Can you describe how the competition

resembles professional F1 races?

Yes, that's probably the easiest analogy to

describe the whole H2GP environment.

Just like in F1: racing specials, finetuned to the last detail, with pilots

who need to have a good instinct and

strong nerves, and mechanics waiting

in the background, ready to intervene

quickly if there is any problem.

Just as the F1 environment is evolving,

so is our competition, which is growing

every year.

In 2016, the standard

equipment for our mechanics was

both a screwdriver and duct tape and

to finish the race was an achievement.

Today the mechanic teams are fully

equipped. Besides tools and spare parts,

there is at least one laptop for various

calculations or changes of strategy

and communicating with the pilots via

radios. In the end, it is really the split

seconds you spend on changing a wheel

or fuel that makes the difference, just

like in F1 racing.

How does the project contribute to

innovation and technological progress?

Everything evolves quickly. What is

new this year for one team will be

Students from Litvín broke through in

the USA with a model of a hydrogenpowered car.

Text: Věra Mrkosová, redakce

Foto: Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix

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