Das Boot

A curious Twitter exchange fired up a unique, hydrogen-powered, cross-country project that will contest the Baja 1000 in November 2022

- ANDREW COTTON

The rivalry is unlikely to become a reality, but Elon Musk's tweet that his Cybertruck was better than a hydrogen fuel cell option sparked Jim Glickenhaus to propose a challenge.'You have said that hydrogen technology is "mind-bogglingly stupid," wrote Glickenhaus in response to Musk.' You've also mentioned that the Baja 1000 would be a great test for your Cybertruck. We say bring it!

It is a classic, old school racing challenge, laid down by one who could afford to back it up to another. Even though Musk went quiet, Glickenhaus pushed ahead with its programme under a new company, Glickenhaus SCG Zero.

This is a project designed to look at carbon zero technologies, including electric, but also other alternatives. It is run by Jesse Glickenhaus, Jim's son, whose life, he says, has been affected by the plight of the population of Bikini Atoll. That's the series of islands used by the Americans to test nuclear weapons after the second world war, and whose inhbitants' attempt to return has now been thwarted by the threat of global warming.

As such, Jesse, who wrote to the first General Assembly Resolution for the UN to say that climate change was an issue of international peace and security, decided the future of mobility had to be more friendly to the environment. He has since been given free reign within Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) to pursue options.

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