Bosch Motorsport's commitment to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is once again focused on sustainability this year. The demonstration of long-distance-capable alternative motorsport powertrains from Bosch Motorsport enters its next phase with the optimised hydrogen engine based on Maserati's Nettuno gasoline engine.
Bosch’s strategic partnership with Ligier Automotive is the foundation on which the vehicle is developed and tested. At the same time, its collaboration with Maserati provided a first-class basis for the engine. This pooling of expertise is our key to bringing sustainable performance to the road faster," says Ingo Mauel, Head of Bosch Motorsport.
Innovative engineering for hypercar performance
The hydrogen engine developed by Bosch Engineering is fundamentally based on the Maserati Nettuno, a 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine with twin turbochargers and dry-sump lubrication. For the conversion to hydrogen operation, core components such as the cylinder head and turbocharger were retained from the original design. Within the base engine, only one significant modification was made to the pistons, which were optimised in shape and adapted to lower the compression ratio in order to achieve even greater power and performance at high engine speeds. The modifications include, among other things, the injection system, the ignition system, and the engine control unit. Instead of the combined direct and port injection, the current version uses a modern hydrogen direct injection system with Bosch HIDI-LCV injectors. This allows the 3.0-liter hydrogen engine to deliver approximately 480 kilowatts and 880 newton-meters of torque in this motorsport application. Davide Danesin, Head of Maserati Development, says: “Nettuno is a state-of-the-art engine that continues to demonstrate robustness, efficiency, and versatility. For this reason, thanks to its inherent strength, which allows it to withstand very high cylinder pressures, it has proven to be particularly well-suited for conversion to hydrogen.”
A strong partnership brings innovation to the racetrack
To realize the potential of a hydrogen-powered race car, Bosch Engineering entered into a strategic partnership with Ligier Automotive in 2021. This resulted in the development of the hydrogen-powered race car prototype Ligier JS2 RH2. The vehicle was first presented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2023. In subsequent tests, the vehicle and engine have proven their robustness over nearly 8000 km of track driving under various weather conditions without any technical issues. Continuous optimizations have led to the further development of the hydrogen concept; for example, the torque and power of the drive system have been increased while emissions have been further reduced. “The Ligier JS2 RH2 project perfectly illustrates what can be achieved when three complementary fields of expertise come together. Our collaboration with Bosch Engineering and Maserati allows us to explore the full potential of hydrogen in motorsport, combining performance with sustainability. It also reflects a significant chapter in our history – the original Ligier JS2, powered by a 3.0L V6 Maserati engine, won the Tour Auto in 1974. Today, this heritage inspires us to look ahead. Together, we are not only developing a race car demonstrator, but also opening the door to future applications, such as a decarbonized track-day car that integrates Maserati engine technology and Bosch hydrogen systems,” says Jacques Nicolet, President of Ligier Automotive.
As in previous years, the Ligier JS2 RH2 with its hydrogen engine will complete a demonstration lap on the Le Mans race track on Saturday, June 13, 2026, and will be on display in the H2 Village throughout the race week.