in race car competition, hydrogen is an element of success

High school student Ronan Johnson loves racing cars and is eyeing a future in renewable energy.

So when he learned about an opportunity that combined his passion and his career aspirations, he leaped at the chance—with great success. The 17-year-old from Western Australia recently participated in a regional hydrogen-powered car competition, which he and his teammate won.

“This has been a great opportunity for us, and I’m grateful for it,” Johnson said. “It has taught me a lot about how hydrogen systems work and how they have real-world applications. It has also pushed me further toward a career in renewable energy.”

The Hydrogen Grand Prix series is billed as the world’s largest hydrogen STEM competition. It challenges students to design, construct and modify their own hydrogen-powered, radio-controlled model race cars.

Budding engineers from around the world raced those cars at regional and national events earlier this year. In September, finalists traveled to Anaheim, California, for the showdown.

The final race—which drew 60 teams from four continents—was a test of speed and endurance, with the car that completed the most laps in six hours emerging victorious.

Johnson and his teammates started prepping for the competition by building the car from a kit that was provided to them and ensuring that its fuel cell was working properly. From there, they made competition-approved adjustments to help maximize the car’s speed.

The modifications paid off when the team advanced to the finals after winning a regional competition. At the finals in Anaheim, they placed 10th.

Also competing in Anaheim was Kruz Chan of Singapore. The Temasek Polytechnic student is part of the school’s Temasek Racers team, which placed first in the Singapore finals.

“Participating in this program has been nothing short of exhilarating,” Chan said. “Before this, hydrogen as a fuel source was something I had only read about in research papers and articles. This program provided me with a unique opportunity to see hydrogen’s potential in real time.”

Designing and creating solutions has always been a passion for Chan. And although he feels drawn to an engineering career, he doesn’t yet know which specific field he wishes to pursue.

“This uncertainty is why I’m eager to participate in competitions and courses like this one,” Chan said. “They allow me to explore different facets of engineering, giving me hands-on experience in areas I might not have considered otherwise.”

Hydrogen’s growth is important for advancing a lower carbon future. Chevron has knowledge and experience with hydrogen and is focused on creating a hydrogen business that offers a portfolio of lower carbon solutions to customers.

“Chevron is proud to support the Hydrogen Grand Prix program,” said Andrew Mingst, general manager, Asia Pacific at Chevron New Energies. “Similar programs could help prepare tomorrow’s STEM professionals to tackle complex challenges like developing lower carbon solutions to meet growing demands for energy.”

Chevron helped fund the program by sponsoring 20 teams in Singapore and 20 others in Australia, including Johnson’s and Chan’s. Chevron hopes this will encourage students to pursue careers in STEM.

For students like Johnson, the challenge wasn’t just about emerging victorious. It also gave him knowledge and skills that may help him as he pursues a career in electrical engineering and renewable energy.

“This contest has showed me some of these real-world applications and what they could be,” he said.