H-Racer 2.0
Experience the automotive technology of the future by building and driving your own hydrogen fuel cell car. The latest generation of the H-racer, the H-Racer 2.0, is a tool for teaching that allows you to watch the process of electrolysis and the conversion of hydrogen into electrical energy!
Hydrogen Hybrid RC Car
The latest generation of the H-racer, H-Racer 2.0, allows you to watch the process of electrolysis and the conversion of hydrogen into electrical energy. Both the car and the hydrogen refueling station have transparent casing and LED lighting to showcase the science. This design has garnered numerous awards, including: Time Magazine’s "Best Inventions", Business Week IDEA, Metropolitan Home "Design 100", ID magazine annual review, and Business 2.0 Bottom Line Design Awards.
From Toy to Transport Solution:
There are a few products in the Horizon catalogue which act as milestones. H-Racer is one such product.
The concept was simple enough: a hydrogen hybrid RC car that came with its own hydrogen refueling station. Add in the fact that users construct the car themselves and you have a powerful didactic tool. It didn’t take long for the H-Racer to become the world’s best-selling hydrogen car– albeit also one of the world’s smallest.
Then came the design awards – Time Magazine, BusinessWeek – and we realized we were on to something special. There is a market for well-made hydrogen hybrid vehicles, a big one. What could this mean for real-scale transport solutions?
Firstly, H-racer sells so well because it comes with its own hydrogen. From the users’ perspective all they need is some distilled/de-ionized water and they’re good to go. That makes H-racer a high-value purchase, as well as making storage nice and simple.
Secondly, while H-racer grabs the headline, for over a decade Horizon has been working on large fuel cell system deployment. The H-racer emphasizes the need to build step by step, keep thing small, simple and efficient. The less hydrogen required, the more the technology is in our control. For this reason, Horizon keeps its fuel cell development to below 5kW for inner-city transport and on-demand hydrogen storage systems.
The thinking behind H-racer is the same thinking that produced our Hydrofill series, desktop hydrogen production that simply needs water and a power supply to charge up Hydrostik and Hydrostik Pro metal hydride cartridges. Horizon believes that the future of energy is in localized, domestic production— homeowners choosing the solutions that best match their needs.
So yes, H-racer is a great RC car and awesome fun to build and drive. But it’s also an important precursor of a time soon to come when each one of us will control our own energy destinies.
Quick Product Facts
- Accurately reflects how hydrogen cars and refueling stations work
- Includes solar panel able to power the production of hydrogen
- Infrared control helps guide the car once its tank is filled with fuel
- Comes with a full manual on CD, experiment guide
Curriculum
What is included in the horizon energy curriculum? The lab equipment is just the beginning. We’ve built the horizon energy curriculum to provide teachers with multiple resources for engaging their students.
Materials provided
- Hands-on Lab Activities
- Student's Guide
- Building a hydrogen powered car
- Generating hydrogen with a solar panel
- Moving the car forward and backward using an infrared control
- Understanding fuel cell technology
Hydrogen Car - H-Racer - FAQ
1. The car does not move or runs slowly:
a. Re-insert the batteries in the remote control or remove the used batteries and insert new batteries into the remote control with correct polarity.
b. Turn the switch to “on” position, if it is in the “off” or “warm up” position.
c. Activate the fuel cell by turning the switch to "warm up" position. The light under the gas storage cylinder will not flash. Leave the car until it fully consumes the hydrogen and activates the fuel cell. Turn the switch to the "on" position. The light under the gas storage cylinder will flash.
d. Press the purging valve to purge the remaining gases and then charge the hydrogen storage balloon fully again.
e. Make sure the wheels are free of obstacles. Point the remote control directly at the car.
2. The car runs for a short time:
a. Charge the car until the balloon in the tank swells fully along the wall of the tank.
b. Activate the fuel cell again or prolong the activation process as in 1.c.
c. Charge the car, press the purging valve to purge it, and then re-charge the car again until it is fully charged.
3.The green LED lights do not flash and/or no bubbles appear in the Hydrogen Station’s water tank:
a. If you are using solar panels, make sure the solar panel is in direct sunlight. The standard solar cell included with the Hydrogen Station will fill the H-racer 2.0 after at least 10 minutes in strong sunlight. Also, check whether the cable connections are correct.
b. If you are using the "ON" battery power option and bubbles are appearing slowly the batteries may be out of power. Please replace the alkaline batteries inside the Hydrogen Station with new alkaline batteries.
c. If the bubbles are appearing slowly or if there are no bubbles in the Hydrogen Station’s water tank, first add water to the water tank filling it to the top and then position the tube connected to the syringe at the top left outlet from the tubing where the bubbles should be released. Pull the inner plunge of the syringe towards you. Empty the water in the syringe into the water tank. Repeat this step several times until you see the bubbles come out from the top left outlet.
4. The balloon inside the car's storage tank does not fill up:
a. Make sure all the tubes inside the car are well connected and that the output valve of the hydrogen station is well connected to the input valve of the car (press the output valve tightly into the input valve). You may want to unplug and plug the connectors once more to be sure.
b. If all connections are correct and bubbles are released, and the balloon still does not fill up - your H-racer 2.0 refueling system may be damaged due to improper use. Do not attempt to repair or fix your H-racer 2.0, contact [obfuscate_1_|113|117|112|108|102|112|116|64|100|102|112|105|122|107|101|99|100|117|95|88|114|105|111|106|88|106|46|99|107|100] for assistance.
c. Remove the used batteries and insert new ones with the correct polarity.
