7 SoCal Schools Take Part in World’s Largest Hydrogen Race  

Students from Boyle Heights, South Gate race self-built, 1:10-scale cars against schools from over 20 countries including Australia, Germany and Chile.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2023 -- Students from 7 SoCal Schools traveled to Las Vegas to take part in a six-hour, hydrogen-fueled ‘endurance race’ yesterday, testing their clean energy STEM skills against 200 students from over 20 countries. The program, the Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP), is designed to boost vital engineering skills in underserved communities, building SoCal’s future renewable energy workforce.

“I always tell students, it’s difficult to be something that you do not even know exists. So I think that the exposure that students are getting in this field, through this program, is extraordinary” said Isreal Hernandez, Teacher at the STEM Academy of Boyle Heights. “It is a lot of work, but I think in the end it’s exciting to see that they can expand their opportunities for employment.”

‘I like that H2GP is really challenging, I like coming up with solutions to challenges', said Jorge Sorto of the STEM Academy of Boyle Heights. 'I’m really into engineering so building things with my hands is a great experience for me. So being in this program is a really fun thing to do.
 

 

‘One of the big problems that we had to overcome was the fact that our car shut down randomly, so for that we had to take it to the pit stop, work on it and find a solution. Now it's back it's going even faster than before, so we’re really proud of the work we’ve done here.’

The Horizon H2GP is a global school-based science and engineering program that provides students with hands-on experience in designing, engineering, and racing remote-controlled fuel cell electric vehicles powered by hydrogen. Students taking part gain employable skills in science and technology while also developing competence in critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. At the end of the program students are well-equipped for a variety of careers in renewable energy.

This year’s Horizon H2GP World Final was the biggest yet, with hundreds of students making the trip to Vegas after taking part in national qualifiers in 30+ countries including Australia, Singapore, and Germany. The winning team, Oakwood Pink, completed 1264 laps in just over 6 hours

The event was held at the RE+ Las Vegas, North America’s largest clean energy conference.