Dakar 2024: what is Future Mission 1000, the parallel competition with prototypes powered by renewable energy

Mobility is at the center of a great revolution. Sustainability, energy saving, evolutions and all types of experiences are undergoing transformation move from one place to another without damaging the environment.

Carbureted engines have a death date, depending on each region of the world, and the advancement of other types of vehicles They are gaining ground in various markets.

Even if the world of motorsports is oriented, depending on needs and trends, towards the direction in which the industry is turning, for the Dakar everything is more complex. The activity is not limited to one circuit, but is nomadic on inhospitable terrain.

And here lies the key to the paradigm shift for the most extreme race on the planet. How to transfer various energy sources to power vehicles.

With the aim of developing valid alternatives to then define the definitive path of the competition, in parallel with the great dispute in the Arabian desert, the Dakar Futura Mission 1000.

There they participate, in the form of an exhibition, several prototypes powered by electricity, hydrogen or hybrid energy. The organization highlights this group of 15 vehicles to raise awareness, but also to weigh the pros and cons of each variant.

“New mobility is very important for us. We will start next year with biofuels. This will be mandatory for the first car teams and we will see if we can incorporate it for the first motorcycle teams as well. You need to test it because consumption varies and is higher. This would be the first deadline. We have already made the specifications to find the product. You too have to go further. We have selected 7 non-competing projects to test”explained to Clarion David Castera, general director of the Dakar.

This is why some silent motorcycles pass through the fields. Among the six registered motorcycles, lThe aces of the Tacita team are heirs to a long-standing project: the Italian brand has already registered an electric motorcycle in 2012 Merzouga Rally. It is now an improved version. They try to verify a constant transit of 300 kilometers of autonomy in the middle of the desert.

Jean-Michel Paulhe He works year-round for Airbus Helicopters and used his knowledge to power a hybrid-powered SSV. It combines an electric and a combustion drive, powered by bioethanol: a system designed to achieve a 90% reduction in the carbon footprint, and with a range of more than 200 kilometres.

“Hice is a Japanese consortium that includes Suzuki, Kawasaki, Toyota, Honda and Yamaha. The weight they have is very important. They work together to develop this type of mobility. “When they have the solution, they will go in the same direction.”determined Castera, in his evaluation towards a sustainable career.

“My dream is to one day see a race with a Dakar completely renewed in this sense. This is why Mission 1000 is neither more nor less than the Dakar of tomorrow. It’s the will we have.”Castera underlined, despite knowing that the undertaking is not simple.

“It is very complicated to develop different strategies at a logistical level. For example, we have the hydrogen mobile charger, it is the first that exists with these characteristics. “It’s worth a lot of money, about a million dollars each, and I would need 20 or 30 if the whole park was mobilized with this kind of energy,” the Frenchman explained.

It is true. The automotive industry itself moves between different parameters to find a definitive path. Electricity has gained momentum, but now several producers are pulling the handbrake, waiting for other developments. The truth is that each alternative has its advantages, but also its cons.

“We are at the beginning of the story. It’s a very interesting time.”highlights Castera, faced with the great challenge of leaving “fuels” behind.

“They started with electricity to stop the common engine. But they are all there and the sector is not defined. We will follow the path that comes. I think that could be a solution. Maybe the future goes there. But it will be a long process. There should be no errors.”the leader advances.

And we refer to the test: “Lithium, for example, is very polluting. You don’t just have to look at the car moving, but at the entire process. From the beginning, how the battery elements are obtained, when they are not used they are discarded. From the environment, this is not fully considered. Everything needs to be taken into account.”.

“What you see with electrification is not so simple. It will be a very long process. What if green fuels took center stage? We have to wait”, India David Castera. Meanwhile, the Dakar is no exception and tries all the alternatives. Like the industry itself, even if in the middle of the desert.

Loeb cuts differences with Carlos Sainz

The emotions of the 2024 Dakar seem to focus on the automotive category, in which two former world rally champions are satisfied with the final victory. The Frenchman Sebastien Loeb RHe closed the gap compared to the Spanish rider, reducing 7 minutes and now reaching 13m22s. Both had a disappointing tenth stage, as Loeb was 17th in the Hunter, while Sainz was 21st in the Audi. Argentina’s Juan Cruz Yacopini took eighth place and is 21st overall.

In the Challenger category, the light cars, Nicolás Cavigliasso of Cordobawho had won the previous day, came second, behind the Brazilian Marcelo Gastaldi.

On motorcycles, American Ricky Brabec (Honda) won the stage and increases his lead in the general classification, with 10’54 over Ross Branch (Hero). Kevin Benavides (KTN) is 5th, at 32’43, and his brother Luciano (Husqvarna), 7th, at 51’42.

On quadricycles, Manuel Andujar won another stage and he has now extended his lead in the general classification to 8’51 over Frenchman Alex Giraud.

The penultimate stage will take place on Thursday, from Al-Ula to Yanbu, with a total route of 587 kilometres, of which 480 are special.