French aeronaut and president of the Solar Impulse Foundation Bertrand Piccard has broken the world record for the longest distance traveled in a hydrogen-powered vehicle on a single refueling. Driving in a Hyundai Nexo, Piccard left the FaHyence hydrogen station in Sarreguemines, a place chosen because of the Grand Est Region's commitment to responsible mobility, with the destination of the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Le Bourget – a distance of 778 km. Never before has a production car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell covered so many kilometres on a single charge.
Accustomed to challenges, including the first round-the-world trip in a balloon with Breitling Orbiter and the first round-the-world trip in a solar plane with Solar Impulse, this time Bertrand Piccard was able to take passengers along on this adventure. This was an opportunity for the adventurer and his guests to discover a new generation of car, to share their experiences in terms of environmental protection and to compare their points of view on sustainable development and mobility.
Arrival of record was celebrated in the setting of ‘’Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace’’ in Le Bourget, a reference to Bertrand Piccard's aerial exploits. In his capacity as the new world distance record holder with a hydrogen vehicle, Bertrand Piccard said: "With this adventure, we have proven that with clean technologies, we no longer need revolutionary experimental prototypes to break records. Everyone can now do it with standard zero-emission vehicles. A new era in performance is beginning, for the benefit of environmental protection.”
