Alpine unveils Alpenglow, a hypercar powered by a hydrogen engine.

French performance manufacturer Alpine has unveiled an updated version of its hypercar concept Alpenglow, which will run at the Spa-Francorchamps race track in Belgium on Saturday.

The run coincides with the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the third round of the 2024 World Endurance Championship, where Alpine will enter its A424 LMDh race car in the premier hypercar class.

Dubbed the Alpenglow Hy4, this latest concept will not be racing. A further demonstration run is planned for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in mid-June.

The original Alpenglow concept was presented as a hint of a new design language for Alpine's future lineup, but it also introduced an internal combustion engine designed to burn hydrogen. The engine in the Alpenglow Hy4 is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a maximum output of 335 hp, but Alpine says a more powerful V-6 is also in development for a debut later this year.

The design of the Alpenglow Hy4 has also changed significantly from its original concept, making it more like a production car. The front mask is simpler, the headlights are now independent of the front light bar, a roof scoop has been adopted, and the cabin seats two people.

Alpine has not confirmed plans to produce a hydrogen vehicle, but said the Alpenglow Hy4 concept shows that it is ready for when hydrogen becomes a common fuel choice. Unlike gasoline, hydrogen combustion does not emit carbon. Harmful nitrogen oxides are emitted, but there are ways to minimize this, such as using urea-based selective catalytic reduction found in diesel engines.

Because of the lack of carbon, some automakers and motorsports organizations are turning to hydrogen to keep internal combustion engines viable in a world with zero carbon emissions. Another solution aimed at saving the internal combustion engine is the use of carbon-neutral e-fuels. These fuels are produced by combining hydrogen with CO2 taken from the air

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Formula 1 is considering introducing a sustainable fuel option in 2026, possibly based on e-fuel.

The ACO, organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also hopes to introduce a class of racing cars powered by hydrogen by the same date.

Last year, the ACO unveiled the MissionH24 hydrogen-electric concept, which features an electric drive system powered primarily by a hydrogen fuel cell stack; the MissionH24 concept will also take to the Spa race track on Saturday. Toyota also unveiled a hydrogen-powered racing car last year, the GR H2 Racing concept, and Ferrari is also known to have patented a hydrogen engine.

While hydrogen continues to evolve as a potential future fuel source, Alpine will focus on electric vehicles to curb emissions. The company's first electric car is the A290 hot hatch, which is scheduled to be launched later this year.