Ligier Automotive, in collaboration with Bosch Engineering and the Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit, organized a major convention on Thursday, November 20th, dedicated to hydrogen applications in mobility and motorsport. The event brought together industry experts, key industrial players, and institutional representatives from the department and region at the Nevers circuit. The objective was to provide an overview of hydrogen technologies, share practical experiences, and lay the groundwork for a future hydrogen center of excellence at Magny-Cours.
A shared commitment to the energy transition
From the outset, the message was clear: hydrogen represents much more than an energy solution—it's a prospect for industrial, technological, and territorial development. Motorsport, historically a driver of innovation, is once again playing a central role.
For Serge Saulnier, President of the Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit, this momentum is both natural and essential. He pointed out that circuits have significantly contributed to automotive progress over the past century: safety, performance, endurance, and onboard technologies. Hydrogen represents the next step in this tradition of innovation.
“We are committed to the energy transition and to the future of our sport and our infrastructure. With this venture, we are returning to the founding values of the circuits: to be laboratories of innovation.”
The presence of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which has been involved in a hydrogen program since 2018, with the MissionH24 H24EVO prototype, as well as Alpine with its Alpenglow HY6, reinforced this conviction: the motorsport ecosystem is evolving, and Magny-Cours wants to take its rightful place in it.
Hydrogen: a strategic window of opportunity
The experts present offered a clear-eyed assessment of the hydrogen mobility market. While Europe is experiencing a period of uncertainty linked to public investment and consumer hesitancy towards electric vehicles, other regions, particularly Asia, are continuing their rapid growth. This contrast creates a favorable environment for anticipation. For Jacques Nicolet, President of Ligier Automotive, this period should be seized: “There’s a slight lull in the hydrogen market, but we see it as an opportunity. Hydrogen is inevitable in the future, and Magny-Cours has all the assets to become a center of excellence for this technology.”
The site boasts a rare concentration of expertise: mechanical and engine companies, cutting-edge engineering, testing infrastructure, engineering schools, a local industrial network, and the presence of major players in motorsport and endurance racing.
This combination creates an ideal environment for developing a complete sector from prototype to industrial solutions.
The Ligier JS2 RH2: proof by demonstration
At the heart of the discussions: the Ligier JS2 RH2, the hydrogen demonstrator developed by Ligier Automotive and Bosch Engineering. This two-seater, GT-style car, designed for demonstration and training, has covered more than 7,000 km in tests — heat, cold, rain, snow — and demonstrated the maturity of its hydrogen system.
The teams from Ligier Automotive and Bosch Engineering presented the evolution of the project, from its rapid design (only seven months between the start of development and the demonstration at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans) to the current work on the new generation of engines.
For Bosch Engineering, represented in particular by Lionel Martin, H2 Product Manager, hydrogen is a key strategic focus: "Ecological neutrality is a necessity, and that is why hydrogen is now one of the most important strategic topics at Bosch."
Guests also had the opportunity to discover the Enhywhere mobile charging station, installed for the occasion, before embarking on track rides in the JS2 RH2. A demonstration that made a lasting impression on the participants, as Jacques Nicolet recalls: "If we didn't tell you the car was hydrogen-powered, you wouldn't guess. The sensations are the same."
The hydrogen sector of endurance racing: a collective vision
The convention also highlighted the projects led by the ACO and MissionH24, represented by Carole Capitaine, in charge of hydrogen communication and Nicolas Perez, H24Project Manager.
Carole Capitaine highlighted the collective and pioneering nature of the approach undertaken by the ACO since 2018: “Endurance racing is a team sport. We are particularly pleased to be here to share the feedback we have on hydrogen.”
She also mentioned the role of the “Hydrogen Village” at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the need to continue raising public and media awareness of these new technologies.
The side-by-side presence of the Ligier JS2 RH2, the MissionH24 H24EVO prototype, and the Alpine Alpenglow HY6 highlighted the coherence of technological advancements and Ligier Automotive's direct involvement in several major programs.*
* The Alpenglow is another prototype on which Ligier Automotive worked. On this project, Ligier Automotive was particularly involved in the design of the hydrogen circuit, the hardware, the hydrogen storage and cooling, as well as the integration of these different elements into the Ligier LMP3 platform.
A hydrogen ecosystem in sight for Magny-Cours
The emerging perspective goes beyond mere technological demonstration. Magny-Cours aims to become a comprehensive hydrogen hub based on four pillars:
- A testing and rolling platform, enabling the development of gaseous and liquid hydrogen technologies.
- Dedicated infrastructure, starting with temporary or permanent refueling stations.
- A strengthened industrial fabric, with the welcoming of new companies and support for local stakeholders.
- A training program, linked to engineering schools and technical centers in the region.
Beyond applications in motorsport, the stakes are broader. The hydrogen technologies developed and tested at Magny-Cours can be applied to other uses of decarbonized mobility: local transport, light logistics, regional freight, public services or even professional solutions requiring autonomy and rapid refueling.
A strengthened Ligier x Bosch partnership and new projects in development
The agreement allowed for the announcement of new avenues of collaboration. The two partners are already working on liquid storage solutions, required by future FIA regulations, as well as on further developments in gaseous storage — useful for many non-competitive applications.
For Ligier Automotive, this industrial vision translates into concrete projects.
As Richard Tur, COO of Ligier Automotive, explained:
"This new theme can open up a whole ecosystem around this technology in Magny-Cours. We will support companies and major manufacturers, create a testing ground, generate opportunities and, ultimately, jobs. Reindustrialization depends on innovation."
The next step could be the launch of a new generation of hydrogen track day cars, under the Ligier brand or as a white label, designed as technological and educational platforms: to learn, test, validate, experiment.
These vehicles would naturally fit into a hub structured around innovation, testing and training.
The next steps for Ligier Automotive
As the driving force behind this momentum and fully committed to the development of the hydrogen sector, Ligier Automotive reaffirms its commitment to playing a central role in the growth of this technology applied to motorsport and new mobility solutions. Alongside Bosch Engineering, the company intends to continue the momentum already underway and actively contribute to structuring an innovative and sustainable ecosystem at Magny-Cours.
Two major events will further this momentum in the coming weeks: Belfort in early December, during the Hydrogen Business for ClimateThen, at the end of January, in Paris, at the Hyvolution trade show, alongside Bosch. This was an opportunity for Ligier Automotive to present its progress, exchange ideas with all the players in the sector, and continue to advance hydrogen in the competition and mobility of tomorrow.
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