British start-up Riversimple test-drives a faster, more lightweight hydrogen car

British start-up Riversimple test-drives a faster, more lightweight hydrogen car

The Rasa, an innovative new hydrogen-powered car which emits only water vapour, has been test-driven around London. The prototype has been designed with its hydrogen power source as the starting point: it requires ten times less power than a normal car, its motors are located within its wheels, and it stores energy as electricity in a supercapacitor to allow for quick bursts of speed. The car also has an innovative braking system, where the car slows down by reversing the motors in its wheels. Hugo Spowers, founder of Riversimple, explains that braking means “we will recover about 50 per cent of the kinetic energy of the car.”

 

Born to Engineer Weekly

Get the latest Engineering news delivered to your inbox every Monday morning