Exploration and experimentation were the essence of the first three editions, but the Dakar Future Mission 1000 has now entered a new phase in its development. The programme, a full-blown test bed, has attracted a varied mix of projects that reflects the wide range of solutions to the mobility of tomorrow. This broad vision is an integral part of Mission 1000, which continues to articulate its approach around three major technological families: electricity, hydrogen and hybrids.
The 2027 edition is raising the bar to emphasise the sporting and competitive dimension, introducing formats that will place drivers directly against the clock and move closer to the standards of rally raid and the Dakar itself. A daily points classification will be established, with a target reference time to achieve on speed test zones (one to two per stage), along with penalty points for missed waypoints. Within this more demanding framework designed to test technologies, one promising project will be selected to join the 2028 Dakar under more flexible regulatory conditions than other vehicles, modeled on the “Stand 56” concept at the 24 Heures du Mans.
2027 FIELD: IT’S GETTING CROWDED IN HERE
23 vehicles have tackled the first three editions of the challenge, representing projects that have proved their ability to make breakthroughs, reinvent themselves, experiment and draw lessons from their Dakar experiences. Pending the confirmation of several programmes at an early stage, two outfits have already committed to fielding new vehicles in 2027:
- Hydrogen takes center stage with Inocel, the company co-founded by South African adventurer Mike Horn and specializing in hydrogen fuel cells. A high-power fuel cell will be integrated into a chassis designed to accommodate a combustion engine.
- Mission 1000 has become a gruelling litmus test for e-bikes. The Slovenian manufacturer STRiX is counting on the 2027 Dakar to further refine its tech. Its enduro model has already proved its solidity in a partnership with the Slovenian Army. Now, STRiX is handing its prototype to the Portuguese rider Pedro Bianchi Prata, a veteran of ten editions of the Dakar on two wheels.
