But it’s about more than just winning today. Dick Huisman, training manager at Drenthe College, sees hydrogen as the future. In addition to racing cars, hydrogen-powered engines, trucks, ships and trains are also being examined. “It is not a game, but a serious business. Also because in this way we can show that Assen is a place where you can get things off the ground internationally.”
Huisman envisions this event on a large scale in a few years’ time. “I already have very nice follow-up ideas in my head for this event: my dream is to race hydrogen cars on the TT circuit soon with all the partners that are needed around it.”
It is therefore extra handy that the MBO students have the knowledge with all the technological developments in the field of hydrogen. “I think it’s also a theme with which we show students, who don’t have technology in their heads yet, that technology is not just a hammer and a nail or a blue everywhere with dirty hands, but that this form of technique is also technique.”
The race lasts six hours. The teams can do with 22 hydrogen cells and 3 batteries. Especially in the duration Kraeima and Lettinga see their chance. “We can’t go as fast as the others,” Lettinga explains. “We are not here for that. We mainly try to drive as sustainably as possible every six hours.”
The Drenthe College team eventually finishes in thirteenth place today. Kraeima: “You can’t always throw a six. In general, we’re doing fine.”
According to Lettinga, the interest in the product is still there: “It’s still fun to delve into this. Of course I’m doing the automotive engineering course, so this appeals to me anyway. But this is the future and I think we should be working on this more. to go.”