Ligier Automotive in collaboration with Bosch Engineering and the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, hosted a major convention, dedicated to hydrogen technologies applied to mobility and motorsport. The event brought together hydrogen experts, key industrial players, and institutional representatives from the Nièvre department and the region. The objective: to assess the state of hydrogen technologies, share concrete experience from the field, and present the initial foundations for a future Hydrogen Excellence Hub in Magny-Cours.
A Joint Commitment to the Energy Transition
From the opening remarks, the message was clear: hydrogen is more than an energy solution — it represents an industrial, technological, and territorial development opportunity. Motorsport, historically a driver of innovation, once again assumes a central role.
For Serge Saulnier, President of the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, this momentum is both natural and essential. He recalled that for over a century, racetracks have contributed significantly to automotive progress — safety, performance, endurance, onboard technologies. Hydrogen marks the next chapter in this long tradition of innovation.
“We are committed to the energy transition and to the future of our sport and our infrastructure. With this approach, we return to the founding values of racetracks: being laboratories of innovation.”
The presence of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), involved in a hydrogen program since 2018, with the MissionH24 H24EVO prototype, along with Alpine and its Alpenglow HY6, further reinforced this conviction: the motorsport ecosystem is evolving, and Magny-Cours intends to play a leading role.
Hydrogen: A Strategic Window of Opportunity
Experts offered a candid assessment of the hydrogen mobility market. While Europe is experiencing a period of uncertainty due to public investment fluctuations and consumer hesitation toward electric vehicles, other regions — particularly Asia — continue accelerating. This contrast creates an ideal context for anticipation and strategic positioning.
For Jacques Nicolet, President of Ligier Automotive, this moment must be seized: “There is a slight cooling around hydrogen, but we see it as an opportunity. Hydrogen is inevitable in the future, and Magny-Cours has all the strengths needed to become a center of excellence for this technology.”
The site indeed benefits from an exceptional combination of expertise: engine and mechanical companies, advanced engineering capabilities, testing infrastructure, engineering schools, a strong industrial network, and the presence of major motorsport and endurance racing players.
This combination provides ideal conditions to develop a complete hydrogen value chain — from prototype to industrial solutions.
The Ligier JS2 RH2: Proof Through Demonstration
At the heart of the discussions was the Ligier JS2 RH2, the hydrogen demonstrator jointly developed by Ligier Automotive and Bosch Engineering. This GT-style, two-seat vehicle, designed for demonstration and training, has already covered more than 7,000 km of testing — in heat, cold, rain, and snow — proving the maturity of its hydrogen system.
Ligier Automotive and Bosch Engineering teams presented the evolution of the project, from its fast-paced development (only seven months between project launch and the public demo at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans) to current work on the next generation of hydrogen engines.
For Bosch Engineering — represented by Lionel Martin, Head of H2 Products — hydrogen is a key strategic pillar: “Ecological neutrality is a necessity, and this is why hydrogen is one of the most important strategic topics at Bosch today.”
Guests also discovered the Enhywhere mobile refueling station, set up specifically for the event, before experiencing demo laps in the JS2 RH2. A highlight that impressed attendees, as Jacques Nicolet noted: “If you’re not told the car is running on hydrogen, you cannot guess. The sensations are the same.”
Endurance Hydrogen Programs: A Shared Vision
The convention also highlighted the work carried out by the ACO and MissionH24, represented by Carole Capitaine, Head of Hydrogen Communications, and Nicolas Perez, H24Project Project Manager.
Carole Capitaine emphasized the collective and pioneering dimension of the ACO’s initiative since 2018: “Endurance is a team sport. We are especially pleased to be here to share the experience we’ve gained on hydrogen.”
She also highlighted the role of the Hydrogen Village at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the need to continue educating the public and the media about emerging technologies.
Seeing the Ligier JS2 RH2, the MissionH24 H24EVO, and the Alpine Alpenglow HY6* side by side illustrated the coherence of technological progress — and Ligier Automotive’s direct involvement in several major hydrogen projects.
Photo of Ligier Automotive
Press release https://ligierautomotive.com/en/news/ligier-automotive-and-hydrogen-in-magny-cours/
