Queensland, Australia (March 9th, 2023): Horizon Educational and ANZ Bank have visited Oakey State High School in Australia, checking in on students’ progress with their Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP) race cars. Over the past month, Oakey State High School students have been busy designing and constructing 1:10 scale radio-controlled fuel cell electric vehicles, powered exclusively by hydrogen. These students will put their cars to the test against schools from across Queensland in the Australian H2 Grand Prix Final on April 21st, 2023 in Gladstone, Queensland.  

By challenging students to design, engineer, build and eventually race a hydrogen-powered car, the H2GP program aims to train a future workforce with the skills to master the future renewable energy economy. 

‘The biggest single risk to moving forward with sustainability is people, and the scale is everything’ said Darren Bradfield, Head of Corporate Finance QLD at ANZ. ‘From technicians to engineers, the jobs required in this scope of change is enormous. […] The more people we get in the industry across all facets is important. It’s encouraging being here today seeing the excitement and energy which will continue to drive this change.’

‘I have found the Hydrogen Grand Prix really positive’ said Andrew Pepper, a teacher from Oakey State High School. ‘I teach across a number of subjects; I think with this class, the main thing I have noticed is the self-motivation all of these students have. So, without me setting tasks and homework, they go home and do their own research. They come back into class and say, “hey can we try this” and explore alternative options. They are coming back with solutions to problems they have encountered’. 

‘Hydrogen power will be the new energy source of the future’ said Aiden Hine, an Oakey High School student. ‘It’s renewable, and it’s relatively easy to get. It could be used to power many things in the future. We are already using it for trucks and radio-controlled cars; it can also be used for regular cars and commercial transport. Maybe even be able to be used for aircraft?’

Through the H2GP initiative, High School students get the opportunity to design, engineer and eventually race a hydrogen-powered RC car against teams from around the world. In performing these tasks, students pick up vital STEAM skills such as creativity, teamwork and problem-solving in addition to traditional science and engineering skills. The best teams from around the world compete in an annual H2GP World Final, scheduled for September 11-14, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.