We've been watching from afar as the students of Lawrence Technical University in Michigan have been gearing up for the Formula Zero racing series with their own hydrogen-powered kart. Element One, LTU's team of 50 students from various faculties (including the university's new undergraduate program in transportation design) – has now submitted its design to the FIA-supported Formula Zero Championship, which rated the fuel-cell racer among the top three designs.

The kart's fuel cell, hydrogen tank, electric motor and super-capacitors are housed in a chassis consisting heavily of lightweight but expensive carbon fiber. Camille Robbins, head of Element One's chassis development team, described the design you see above as inspired by fighter jets and instantly recognizable as American. Whether you agree or not, it's one badass-lookin' H-bomb. The design will be finalized by mid-March when the various teams are required to resubmit their final designs to race organizers, after which the students will begin constructing the kart in advance of its race debut in Rotterdam, Holland, this coming summer.

[Source: Lawrence Technical University]

There might be a lot of argument about the sense of using hydrogen as a gasoline substitute for millions of cars, but if you ask Mike Samaroo, it's hard to not be convinced that using hydrogen can a lot of fun.

Mike Samaroo is a mechanical engineering student with a hydrogen fuel cell focus at Lawrence Technological University and is working on the school's racing team in the upcoming Formula Zero hydrogen racing series. F-Zero (not the classic SNES game) will take place over eight races on a 2-mile race track in the 2008-2009 season. This track is mobile, and will be set up at high profile events to attract media coverage and sponsorships. Samaroo is looking forward to racing in Central Park and Paris. Partners in the series include Shell and, possibly and quite fittingly, Coca Cola Zero.

The schools in the contest must put their vehicles through three phases: design, build and race. The top seven entrants that prove they have a solid design and can build the racer will be rewarded with a race package, which includes all sorts of expensive hydrogen fuel cell equipment. But why listen to me describe it? Samaroo's version is much more exciting. Watch the six-and-a-half minute movie, recorded at the Santa Monica Alt Car Expo, for all the details.

For more on LTU's team, check out the team's website at Element One. For other news on Formula One, check out these previous posts:

• Formula Zero hydrogen fuel cell racecars on a portable race track
• Imperial College London get engineering and business students working on Formula Zero