A team, dedicated to prestigious electric vehicles, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is working on a fuel cell-powered motorbike with the aim of functioning as a showcase.

According to news published on MIT’s official website, the motorbike of the future could be hydrogen-powered. While some doubt the relevance of using hydrogen for mobility, it is interesting to see others think otherwise. Designed as an open-source platform, the motorcycle first hit the road in full test-track in October 2023 as shown in a video on the institute’s YouTube channel.

A project initiated by a motorbike enthusiast

The project was started by Aditya Mehrotra, a graduate student working with mechanical engineering professor Alex Slocum, the Walter M. May and A. Hazel May Chair in Emerging Technologies. Being a huge motorcycle fan, his choice was evident. MIT helped with the design while the twelve students assigned to the project managed to put together components, such as the fuel cell from Korean Doosan (normally used for drones).

Unlike prior projects of this team, who has been a part of MIT since 2005, this bike will not take part in any races or competitions. It will rather be presented during multiple conferences. For instance, the hydrogen-powered motorbike was presented at the Hydrogen America Summit in October. It was also presented in May during the World Hydrogen Summit in the Netherlands and was set to make an appearance at the CES in Las Vegas.

For this particular motorbike, MIT adapted an existing electric model adding the fuel cell and hydrogen tanks. The next step could probably be starting from scratch for optimal design. The team believes that hydrogen represents an interesting alternative to battery-powered vehicles, which are limited in terms of range and have an impact on the environment due to lithium-mining emissions.

To learn more about hydrogen-powered motorbikes you can check out our article here.

Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili