CLUB ACO - USA MEMBERS KICK OFF 2024 AT THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA RACE
The ACO USA Members Club was at the 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona Race from Friday January 26-Sunday January 28 for an exciting weekend of racing and special events.
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Stéphane Le Foll, mayor of Le Mans, Dominique Le Mèner, President of La Sarthe local council, Christelle Morançais, President of Pays de la Loire regional council, and Philippe Callejon, Total Marketing France Mobility and New Energies Director, were present to witness Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) cut the ribbon to officially open the hydrogen filling station. Located near the aerodrome, opposite the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, the station is open to the city’s buses and will soon be serving trucks and fleet vehicles. The initiative is part of the ACO’s ongoing commitment to zero-emission transport.
A pioneer in automotive development since 1906, the ACO launched a two-pronged initiative to promote hydrogen-fuelled transport in 2018. Alongside the MissionH24 project, which will see hydrogen-electric vehicles compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as of 2024, the club is encouraging zero-emission mobility on a local level. An essential component in the local scheme, the hydrogen station was built by the ACO with support from local authorities, whose leaders are convinced of the potential of the gas as a fuel for transport. Le Mans is proud to be home to a hydrogen service station.
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organiser of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: "For the good of our planet, today’s transport projects are necessarily zero-carbon and responsible. Hydrogen can be used on all road networks, on short or long journeys, in cars, lorries and buses and also for rail, sea and air transport. Not only is it versatile, it is emission free. We needed a filling station to develop hydrogen use locally. We couldn’t promote hydrogen without one. Our club plays a real role in the quest for zero-carbon mobility. We are glad to be able to count on the support and the vitality of our local authorities, who take their environmental responsibilities seriously. I would like to thank the town councils, local authorities, the chamber of commerce and our long-standing supplier, Total, for their help. This filling station is the result of teamwork."
Stéphane Le Foll, Mayor of Le Mans and President of Le Mans Métropole: "A filling station in Le Mans shows we can decentralise production and at the same time, render the energy easily available to all users. If you are aiming for zero-carbon, then hydrogen is a must."
Christelle Morançais, President of the Pays de la Loire regional council: "As President of the region, I am proud to see my home city open the region’s second hydrogen filling station. Thanks to the collective response from local authorities to the climate emergency, this station lays the foundations for a hydrogen ecosystem in and around Le Mans. Concerning energy transition, my aim is clear: I support a positive approach to ecology, one that initiates projects and progress that get everyone on board. Collective responsibility calls for a collective response. The first hydrogen filling station is therefore a major step, a springboard for clean energy within the Pays de la Loire."
Dominique Le Mèner, President of Sarthe local council, and President of the Syndicat Mixte des 24 Heures (consortium of local authorities): "Sustainable green energy that creates jobs is good news for La Sarthe. This hydrogen filling station is further proof that our département is a leader in technological innovation for mobility. It is the cornerstone of a platform that will provide the local public transport network with fuel. As ever, Sarthe is playing an active role in protecting the environment and leading the energy transition."
Philippe Callejon, Total Marketing France Mobility and New Energies Director: "Total supports the goal of reaching zero-carbon by 2050. Our venture with the ACO is a ground-breaking one. Together, we have already developed a mobile filling station for trackside use during races and we are well on the way to introducing a hydrogen category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024. We at Total are proud to have contributed to the hydrogen infrastructure in this city."
About the Le Mans hydrogen filling station