In 2022, Alpenglow was revealed as a concept car to showcase the brand’s future direction in design and sustainable innovation. The car features a high-performance hydrogen combustion engine, making it a realistic solution for offering sports models with high carbon reduction targets. “Alpenglow” refers to an optical phenomenon that brings a glowing light to the mountains before sunrise, symbolising the dawn of a new world.
The Alpenglow Hy6 is equipped with a ground-breaking 3.5-litre V6 engine that produces 544 kW (740 bhp), more than double the power of the previous engine. This unique engine is powered entirely by hydrogen and was developed by Alpine for optimum hydrogen combustion.
The Alpenglow Hy6 is designed as a race car based on an LMP3 carbon chassis, tailored to match the performance of the all-new Hy6 V6 engine. The engine, developed over two years, is a 3.5-litre V6 open at 100°, supercharged by two turbochargers, and is designed specifically for hydrogen. It features a solid aluminium engine block, crankshaft with crankpins offset by 20°, cast aluminium cylinder heads with optimised cooling circuit, and a ‘super-square’ engine format with a 95 mm bore and 82.3 mm stroke.
The engine’s development philosophy favours a version designed for racing but could be used in series production. It utilises Formula 1 engine development methodologies and is designed to use hydrogen, favouring turbulent movements to ensure a homogeneous mixture before ignition. The engine’s maximum power output is 740 bhp at 7,600 rpm, with a top speed of over 330 km/h.
The Alpenglow Hy6 stores hydrogen in gaseous form in three tanks at 700 bars, and numerous safety measures have been implemented to ensure absolute safety, including Regulation 134-certified composite cylinders, rapid fuel evacuation valves, hydrogen presence sensors, and a rigorous start-up procedure with colour-coded alerts for different types of incidents.
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