Almost every automaker has abandoned its efforts when it comes to hydrogen propulsion. Toyota is one of the only few automakers who remain committed to the tech, but it seems another automaker is willing to explore hydrogen powertrains as well. As a way of "safeguarding" the future of the internal combustion engine (ICE), French sportscar manufacturer, Alpine, says that they are "actively" exploring hydrogen power for its future sports cars.

With this in mind, we can already dismiss what's called the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), which is the type of hydrogen vehicle that's probably in your mind. With FCEV, this tech uses pure hydrogen as fuel to bond with oxygen, and the reaction that happens when hydrogen combines with oxygen is what produces the electricity to power the vehicle. This is how the Toyota Mirai works. 

On the other hand, what Alpine is openly exploring is the hydrogen combustion engine, which means hydrogen is combusted instead of gasoline or diesel. This is what Toyota is also experimenting with their GR Yaris prototype and a Corolla hatchback racecar that the automaker entered in an endurance race in Japan.

Alpine, like most automakers, is supposed to reinvent itself as an all-electric performance brand by 2024. The GT X-Over electric SUV and an electric successor to the A110 are some of the vehicles to spearhead this change, but Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi's recent announcements seem to suggest that the internal combustion engine will still play a role to the brand moving forward. Rossi says: 

Alpine wants to preserve the ICE for its future vehicles and offer it alongside their upcoming electric vehicles (EV). To achieve this, Rossi says that in terms of future-proofing low-volume, high-output sports cars, a sustainable fuel like hydrogen could be a solution. 

Rossi also said that Alpine aims to use a hydrogen combustion engine in motorsports applications such as Le Mans. In addition, the idea of creating a bespoke prototype whose primary purpose is to beat a Nurburgring lap record also isn't out of the picture. 

This isn't the first time that Alpine has explored the idea of using hydrogen as a fuel source for its future vehicles. Earlier this year, Alpine partnered with Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) to create the A4810 concept car. Alpine says that it is powered by hydrogen, though they did not disclose whether this car uses an FCEV powertrain or a hydrogen combustion engine.