Forze: Driving innovation in hydrogen racing with IAR Embedded Workbench

Achieving milestones on the track 

Last year, Forze reached a major milestone when their hydrogen racing car made its first laps on the so-called superbattery at the Circuit of Zandvoort. With a top speed of 300 km/h, the car is designed to compete against top production vehicles in the GT class of the Supercar Challenge, like Lamborghinis and BMWs. Supported by IAR, the Delft students aim to demonstrate that hydrogen technology is not only environmentally sustainable but also highly competitive on the racetrack. 

The hydrogen system uses fuel cell technology to convert hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity. This electricity powers the car’s wheels, and the only emission is water vapor, achieving a truly clean exhaust. 

Pioneering hydrogen technology

Forze's journey began with hydrogen-powered go-karts in 2008. By 2013, the team had built its first full-sized hydrogen racing car, and in 2019, they made history by securing a podium finish in a race at the Circuit of Assen, competing against traditional petrol-powered cars. 

The team’s latest project, the Forze IX, is an ambitious leap forward in hydrogen technology. Designed for endurance racing, the car features: 

• Two hydrogen fuel cells producing electricity for four electric motors. 
• An 8.4kg hydrogen capacity for extended performance. 
• A supercapacitor energy storage system, delivering over 800 horsepower and enabling rapid power boosts during races. 

The superbattery-powered first meters at Zandvoort marked the beginning of this journey. The focus now shifts to optimizing and integrating the hydrogen system and competing in the Forze IXs first race in 2025. 

A partnership that drives innovation

IAR Embedded Workbench provides the tools we need to write, test, and debug the software that brings our system together. With its intuitive coding environment, we can ensure all components work seamlessly while optimizing performance and reliability.” Thijs also emphasizes the importance of IAR’s debugging tools: “The debugging environment is fast and intuitive, allowing us to quickly identify issues, trace variables, and make real-time adjustments. This saves us valuable time during testing and helps us get the most out of our code.

 

- Thijs den Bouw, Chief Embedded Systems at Forze

The IAR Embedded Workbench platform also enables live sensor data analysis on the team’s test benches, providing real-time insights that are critical for fine-tuning their racing car.