Sewage-powered hydrogen car aims to shatter speed records with recycled parts

A team led by college students is building a hydrogen-powered car fuelled by sewage and constructed using recycled parts.

The project, Waste2Race, is being carried out by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick in association with the hydrogen technology firm Wastewater Fuels.

Aiming to break land speed records, the car features a supercharged V6 engine which will be converted to run on hydrogen with bespoke injectors.

The team has already built a Le Mans Prototype class 3 car (LMP3) prototype that was constructed from various spare and unwanted parts that were slated for garbage.

“Fifteen years ago, we built the world racing car that showed that high performance and sustainability could be achieved together. The Waste2Race platform builds on that pedigree and brings it firmly into today’s arena,” said Kerry Kirwan, head of the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Research Group at WMG and Warwick’s Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), in a statement.

Waste-powered racing

A firm named Ginetta Automobiles in Leeds built the Waste2Race prototype car using discarded and surplus parts that were originally destined for the landfill. The team claims the innovative project repurposed waste materials to create a competitive, eco-friendly racing vehicle.

Highlights include a wing mirror built from beetroot waste (cellucomp), a steering wheel made entirely of biosource materials from the National Composites Centre (NCC), and a car battery that ENRG MotorSport retrieved from a crashed vehicle are just a few examples of parts that have been modified using sustainable resources.

The research comes as automakers like Toyota and Alpine are investigating hydrogen as a potential fuel for future racing vehicles. BMW has revealed that its first hydrogen-powered vehicle will go on sale in 2028.

Wastewater Fuels highlights that recovering value from waste streams will be a crucial aspect of any future net-zero economy. One key area to focus on is wastewater, which is continuously generated by society, industry, and agriculture.

Their patented Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MECs) use electrogenic bacteria to anaerobically break down organic waste, producing hydrogen gas and treated water. The energy-positive technology consumes less energy and reduces carbon emissions compared to standard wastewater treatment methods, while also being less carbon-intensive to operate and build.

Hydrogen-powered future

Engineers and students are now collaborating to develop a sustainable powertrain for a new vehicle. The car will feature a supercharged V6 engine from Revolution Cars, converted to run on hydrogen using custom injectors from Clean Air Power.

According to the team, Protean hub motors equipped with recycled magnets will be installed on the front wheels, allowing energy recovery from braking to be stored in the battery .

WMG claims that throughout the summer, university students gained practical experience working alongside engineers, enhancing their skills for future careers in motorsports and manufacturing while contributing to the development of innovative, environmentally friendly automotive technologies.

The project will be finished by 2025, and the team hopes to use it to highlight a variety of sustainable ideas being developed at the university and in business. WMG researchers will also use Life Cycle Assessment studies to ensure the vehicle breaks speed records and wins the sustainability race.

“This sort of collaboration with our local, regional and national partners is a great example of how business, universities and the endless curiosity of our researchers and students, can break barriers and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Kirwan.