Future Hydrogen Engineers: Savannah Students Create their own Hydrogen-Powered Cars

SAVANNAH, Georgia (November 9^th 2023): Yesterday 96 middle school students participated in a program designed to inspire the next generation of clean energy specialists, empowering them to design, build and race their own hydrogen-fuelled car. The initiative, called the Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP) XPR program and sponsored by Hyundai USA, came to Savannah in the wake of President Biden’s administration awarding $ 7 billion dollars for a network of hydrogen hubs looking to engage the type of future workforce the program aims to foster.  

“The Hydrogen Car build that we collaborated with Horizon Education and Hyundai on, was the perfect introduction to this new and exciting partnership”, said Todd Wall, CEO of Effingham College and Career Academy. “With over 90 middle school students from the Effingham County School District participating, the students and our teachers had a blast with the Horizon education staff and Hyundai representatives. We look forward to future events and working with these supportive partners.”

The workshop included instructions on how to assemble the small, tabletop-sized car before mounting an engine and fuel cell to the car’s chassis. After the car was assembled, the students were given the opportunity to race against classmates and experiment with different materials in creating their own car chassis. The on-board fuel cell was powered by hydrogen they produced themselves using an included hydrogen generator.

The workshop took place in the aftermath of $ 7 billion being awarded to a network of regional hydrogen hubs across the US. These H2Hubs will form the foundation of a national clean hydrogen industry decarbonizing multiple sectors of the economy, like steel and cement production and heavy-duty transportation. Part of each hub's funding depends on community engagement and building a future hydrogen workforce – something the H2GP program was created to provide.

Organizations looking to become a part of the program can email h2gphorizoneducational.com for more information.