Derived from a Lotus 7 chassis, the Forze VI is the brainchild of approximately fifty students at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Powered exclusively by a hydrogen fuel cell, this emissions-free science experiment has just lapped the Nurburgring faster than any other fuel cell vehicle before it.

The Forze VI is capable of 0-60 mph in under four seconds and a top speed of over 130 miles per hour, and with former F1 driver Jan Lammers at the helm, the Forze VI managed to lap the famous German racetrack in under 11 minutes. What’s more, it should be able to do the deed even faster with no modification whatsoever if they go for another attempt – Lammers ran into traffic throughout the lap, so an open course would undoubtedly yield an even quicker time.

After setting the record, Lammers had this to say of the Forze VI: “It is truly awe inspiring how the students have designed and built a race car that also handles so well, even more so considering the highly advanced technology it contains. I tip my hat to them.”

The car’s electric motors output a total of 260 horsepower and the Forze VI is capable of carrying 3kg of hydrogen onboard. 3kg of hydrogen is reportedly enough to run the car at full power for 30 minutes at a time and the tanks can be refilled in as little as three minutes.

Echoing the notions of many automotive engineers, the students from Delft University of Technology created the Forze VI to showcase the potential of hydrogen fuel cells as a viable alternative to both internal combustion and battery-powered alternative fuel vehicles like those made by Tesla Motors. And because the hydrogen tanks can be refueled in such a short amount of time, they do not present the same range issues as pure electric vehicles face.