Who says hydrogen fuel cell cars are slow?

Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 recently broke the land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats at a speed of 207 miles per hour (333 km/h). According to Ford, the Fusion is the world’s first and only fuel cell technology production based race car.

The result of a partnership between Ford, the Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research, Ballard Power Systems and Roush Racing, the Fusion was developed after 10 years of R&D into hydrogen vehicle technology and over a year of specific design and development of the 999 model.

Although more aerodynamic than a standard race car, the Fusion Hydrogen 999 has an exterior similar to the latter but it is closer to the ground, has no side mirrors and since there is no radiator, it lacks a grille to let air in. Weighing 6,700 pounds (over 3 tons) with a driver and a fully loaded cooling system, the 999 is twice as heavy as a normal race car.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is novel to the race car industry. Ford might have made a milestone with its Hydrogen 999 speed record. Only time will tell how much further this new technology will go.