Hydro2Motion team shines at the Shell Eco-Marathon 2026

At the end of June, they were back in action: the Hydro2Motion team from Hochschule München (HM) took on the international competition at the 2026 Shell Eco-Marathon with their hydrogen-powered vehicle, the ‘Phoenix’.

It was a great success: the students came fourth in the hydrogen category at the Silesia Ring in Poland, out of 13 participating teams. And they also won the Vehicle Design Award, with prize money of 3,000 US dollars.

Up and running since 2009: the Hydro2Motion team and their hydrogen-powered vehicles

This was the first time Hydro2Motion’s vehicle had competed in the Shell Eco-Marathon: ‘Phoenix’ was developed and built from 2024 onwards, and in this year’s edition of the competition it achieved a range of 743.1 km/m³ straight away.

The Shell Eco-Marathon is one of the largest international efficiency competitions for student teams. The aim of the competition is to design a vehicle that covers a specified distance whilst using as little fuel or energy as possible. Scoring is based solely on energy consumption, not speed. During the event, which lasts several days, the vehicles must complete a minimum number of laps on a race track within a specified time limit.

Since its foundation in 2009, the Hydro2Motion team has regularly taken part in the Shell Eco-Marathon and, without exception, has finished in the top three or four with its innovative vehicles. The team achieved its greatest success in 2023 at the Challenge EcoGreen Energy 2023 in France, where it took first place with ‘Pegasus’.

By finishing fourth in the 2026 Shell Eco-Marathon, the 35-strong student team led by Luca Staudenraus continued its run of success.

"That was just the beginning!"

The race at the Silesia Ring in Poland was, of course, more than just another good result.

“As well as the results, we’re taking away, above all, valuable experience, an even stronger team spirit and plenty of motivation for the coming season,” says Team Leader Luca Staudenraus, who is in his second semester of the Applied Research in Engineering Sciences degree programme. “A big thank you goes to our partners, sponsors, supporters and, of course, every single team member who made this success possible.” Staudenraus: “This was just the beginning.”

Fancy joining in?

The Hydro2Motion team is still looking for motivated team members for the coming season who would like to work on the vehicle together. Anyone who fancies trying out new things and helping to develop them is welcome! Just send an email to info@hydro2motion.de or feel free to pop in and see the team in the W-Bau.

Any questions? Prof. Dr. Annast will be happy to help you all.

GA