[Rules] How about an electric powered series

[thebear]

"FIA president Jean Todt has been asked by the European Commission to set up electric-powered racing championships for single-seaters, saloons and karts as a means of fostering interest in new technologies. "

Read the article HERE .

[ASCII Man]

And so it begins...

[Spritle]

And so it ENDS!

[Flyin Ryan]

It's called the EV Cup. (for sportscars)

[Burp]

8hour pitstops for a recharge?

[Fox89]

As long as they dont turn F1 into an electric sport, go for it! What better way to improve current inefficient electric technology than with a competitive racing series? I wish them all the best with whatever electric championships they get running.

[thebear]

Originally Posted by Fox89

As long as they dont turn F1 into an electric sport, go for it! What better way to improve current inefficient electric technology than with a competitive racing series? I wish them all the best with whatever electric championships they get running.

However there are the small problems of venues, scheduling and Marshals.

[Fox89]

Originally Posted by thebear

However there are the small problems of venues, scheduling and Marshals.

No more problematic than any other start-up series...whats the issue?

[wnut]

The shape of things to come

SWIGZ electric superbike hoses off most of a superbike field.

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/512...t-petrol-bikes

Watch how quick it is down the straights here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIMQ0c7JKIU

Wow


Interview with rider
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YMjn...eature=related

[Marbot]

One wonders just how much time the I.C. engine has left.

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by Burp

8hour pitstops for a recharge?

Changing the depleted battery for a full one will make the pitstop quicker.

[cmotd]

Originally Posted by Marbot

One wonders just how much time the I.C. engine has left.

governments will artificially increase the prices for petrol to accelerate the move to alternatives for the private sector but allow industry to take the cheaper option of using fuel for a while longer.

maybe motorsport can get around the private use restrictions and be regarded in the same way as industry and allowed cheaper less-taxed fuel so it can keep using IC engines. I doubt that quiet electric racing will ever be popular, you might as well go to a dance party without a sound system or a garden show without any flowers. perhaps they will put mega sound systems on the cars

[wnut]

Guess on a really horrible note you could synthesize any noise you wanted.

[Super Hans]

There was an all-electric category in the Andros Trophy this year. Nicolas Prost (son of) competed in it. The cars were very ugly, but the racing was quite entertaining, from what I saw. The lack of noise is a concern, but I guess we'll have to get used to it.

[mattt]

Why not put speakers on them. you can then have a mixture of V12, V10, V8, Small Turbos etc. you could have the whole selection on one grid.

[Bodysnatcher]

Originally Posted by Super Hans

There was an all-electric category in the Andros Trophy this year. Nicolas Prost (son of) competed in it. The cars were very ugly, but the racing was quite entertaining, from what I saw. The lack of noise is a concern, but I guess we'll have to get used to it.

and those Andros trophy cars are being adapted for circuit racing.

Originally Posted by therbear

However there are the small problems of venues, scheduling and Marshals.

Pau next month 1er Grand Prix Electrique

Here's the schedule. http://www.grandprixdepau.com/index....mid=55&lang=en
Note that Sunday's race is immediately before the FIA F3 race.

I'm marshalling it along with a few continental buddies. Problem solved?

You Americans and your obsession with gasoline powered infernal combustion engines. "It's perverse"

Meanwhile elsewhere in Europe, as mentioned earlier, the EV cup has dates all set for later this year. Progress, it happens.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by mattt

Why not put speakers on them. you can then have a mixture of V12, V10, V8, Small Turbos etc. you could have the whole selection on one grid.

Be a bit false wouldn't it? I'm sure we'll just get used to the hum of electric motors.

[Lotusonpole]

What I'm trying to understand is why everyone and his dog are putting electric cars on the Green bandwagon when they are anything but?
They may be green on the road but where would all that energy come from?
Power stations run on oil, coal, gas, or atomic energy. Not very green at all.
And the more electric cars exist the more electric energy is needed to be generated. 6 hour charge for 1 hour of feeble driving.
Give me petrol or alcohol any time, but not necessarily together of course.

As for a race series running under the Green banner; it would be a joke.
Giant Scalextric anyone? It would need a huge loft space.

P

[Bodysnatcher]

for noise relevant to the speed - ice lolly sticks through the spokes

Dont forget electricity can be made from wind, water and solar sources too. Maybe not much in %age terms now, but it will increase.

[awrb]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

Dont forget electricity can be made from wind, water and solar sources too. Maybe not much in %age terms now, but it will increase.

The problem is that these methods of energy production are incredibly inefficient, so electric cars are at least as harmful to the environment as IC cars because they use mainly coal-produced energy, and possibly worse if you take battery production into account. The IC engine will be around for quite a while longer, simply because there is no solution that will even come close to being as convenient and as effective.

[thebear]

Originally Posted by awrb

The problem is that these methods of energy production are incredibly inefficient, so electric cars are at least as harmful to the environment as IC cars because they use mainly coal-produced energy, and possibly worse if you take battery production into account. The IC engine will be around for quite a while longer, simply because there is no solution that will even come close to being as convenient and as effective.

Also, wind energy is rarely located at the point of use resulting in transmission losses.

[Fox89]

Originally Posted by Lotusonpole

What I'm trying to understand is why everyone and his dog are putting electric cars on the Green bandwagon when they are anything but?
They may be green on the road but where would all that energy come from?
Power stations run on oil, coal, gas, or atomic energy. Not very green at all.

I used to think this kind of thing as well. But it's still a step much more green than petroleum. Think about it this way: Electric cars only hurt the environment once - when you are actually powering the equipment that makes the fuel (in this case, electricity).

With a petrol car, you still have to produce that electricty from the power station. You then use that electricity, not to power the car, but to drill for and refine oil. So already it's doing as much or more damage as an electric car. But then when you have the petrol IN the car, it goes and releases greenhouse gases. So it's doing twice the harm.

I will admit to being a bit Jeremy Clarkson-esque in my attitude towards electric before for the very reasons you have mentioned. But once somebody pointed out to me the simple truth that "But petrol cars need that electricity as well to make the petrol", I was swayed. Now the only problem I have with electric cars is their horrendous inefficiency. But hopefully initiatives like electric racing and the inevitable hydrogen revolution will fix such problems.

The problem is that these methods of energy production are incredibly inefficient, so electric cars are at least as harmful to the environment as IC cars because they use mainly coal-produced energy, and possibly worse if you take battery production into account. The IC engine will be around for quite a while longer, simply because there is no solution that will even come close to being as convenient and as effective.

Hydrogen. It's the future!

[Tourer]

Biggest problem for the venues would be building a high enough gantry so that the people with the radio controls for the cars could see the whole track.

Sorry...

[Paradise City]

Sure why not? If it keeps the tree-hugging attack dogs off the furniture for a few more years then it would be well worth the folly.

They don't care if it makes sense so why should we?

[ASCII Man]

Can't they just put a green sticker on the cars that says its friendly to the environment?
Would fool most of them, I reckon.