Just saw this news post from Top Gear on a new F1-like electric series. Basically, the idea is to create a race series for purely electric cars. The article mentions go-karts though to a single seater series, which I'm guessing could potentially race the same calendar as F1 (to help exposure). The idea seems to be to try and bring sponsorship from eco-conscious companies, as well as to try and produce technology which could potentially be worked into road cars. I think this sounds like a good idea in principal, although it'll need some serious support, both financial and from key figures in F1. High performance electric cars may be even more expensive than F1, as the drivetrains are going to be reliant on more cutting edge technology. Also, they can't give teams a generic drivetrain (unless as a starting point) as this cuts the creativity they seem to be after, in one of the key areas for future development in road vehicles. I imagine, guessing quite a bit here, that the sport would initially take a very different focus to F1, in terms of car design. In F1 downforce is king, but in this new series, downforce would have a negative impact on the efficiency of the batteries/solar panels/wind turbines/etc (I don't know). So the cars may be highly reliant on very sticky tyres for cornering, and sleek designs to maximise 'fuel' economy. I'd be interested to see how pitstops work too. For this to work, F1 will need to really support it. If multiple teams could be persuaded to run a team in the series, then that will already bring sponsorship with them (may need to squeeze sponsors!) but also fans of the teams to bring television money. Also, high profile drivers would help too. I can't imagine (although I'd love to be wrong) that electric cars would have anywhere near the speed of F1 cars, so it'd be nice to bring in some GP2 drivers, or similar, and then maybe ex-F1 drivers who are past their best, but still damn good drivers? People would definitely watch a series which could boast the drivers of the calibre of Damon Hill, Jaques Villneuve, Eddie Irvine, Jonny Herbert Mika Hakkinen, David Couthard (for an awesome Mclaren link up team??), Martin Brundle? (Ok, that list of drivers might also mildly be fantasy, but an awesome one!), and they'd probably do it for fun, not massive pay-checks. I think theres potential in the idea of it is fully thought out, what do you guys think?
Electric cars can shift fairly. If they were to do a race though I imagine they'd need to change the batteries at pitstops because you could never get a decent range racing them. The major drawback with electric racing is the lack of noise. In theory this is a decent idea but I think a noisier alternative to petrol should be found for F1.
Electric F1, being an Electro-Mech engineer, I find the idea interesting to say the least, but there is one hell of a lot of development needed to make it work, maybe F1 is the ideal platform as that's where the brains, technology, money exists. As for the green aspects I'm not so sure, there are some evil unfriendly elements needed for the battery technologies, but I believe it could be a way forward, but it won't be easy.
It's a great idea but the development platform already exists if the FIA would wake up and make use of what they already have: KERS. Unlike Ernie, I'm a driver rather than an engineer but any 'Electric F1' car would benefit hugely from KERS. F1 should be taking the reigns off and letting the engineers explore the future properly.
Well I'm a chemist, so between us we should pretty much have a team! Ernie, I remember seeing that the batteries in a Prius are so environmentally damaging due to the mining and transport involved, it overshadows any environmental benefits it brings. It'd be interesting if this does go ahead how much technical freedom the teams have, I'd like to see them given quite a lot! Also, crossover between the technologies in F1 and 'E1' (as I'm now dubbing it) should happen. 'E1' should be able to develop the likes of KERS to its full potential and bring the advanced devices into F1, and equally the carbon composites and carbon fibre layering technology in F1 should be given to E1 to reduce costs. The pressure of competition does tend to lead to the greatest technological advances, so I guess this is the perfect platform, with the needed backing. I was surprised to find the electric land speed record is currently in excess of 300mph, although weighing in at 1800kg, I'd love to see how it corners at speed. Clearly the technology is there (although it did use 10,000 batteries!) but, as whether AG said, the speed can be maintained for long enough for a meaningful race remains to be seen. Interestingly, Jean Todt is saying the first season of the new series could be in 2013, which is remarkably soon really, I'll be impressed if thats possible.
Electric power is a complete con. With the chemicals produced by the batteries and the energy needed to charge them, it's just impractical. This still uses fossil fuels, but in a different form; it's a bit like diesel. Hydrogen power is a bit better, but the processes needed to extract the hydrogen from the air/water takes up a ****load of energy. Nuclear-powered F1! Now that would get spectators!
Interesting points here. Thanks for volunteering your services Canary. If you and Ernie get together, I'll do what I hope is the easy bit: drive it. Since there are potentially several alternatives to 'petrol power', why not have 'E1' (I very much like that Canary; that name has more potential than Sergio Perez!) - I interrupted myself - why not have E1open to all alternatives to the internal combustion engine?
Personally I think limiting it to electric power sources is a limited view, I'd like to see that broadened hugely. My only other thought is that maybe they've focused on this because they feel the technology would be the most beneficial to road cars? I mean take solar panels, you may be able to produce a (highly fragile- each contact costs power!) race car from them, but they'd be prohibitively expensive to use on road cars.
seems electric cars is a no-no. Having driven one for a test, I'd agree there are problems. Now if we are talking pedal-power....
Well I'm a physicist so Im sure Ernie, Canary, Cosicave and myself can start team Not606, How hard can it be to build an Electric racer . . . . . The technology is very primitive at the moment because realistically no investment has been put into it. Electric powered cars have potential if developed properly and I'm sure could give us good racing. But 2013? They'll need to keep at it for a while to get it up to the standard and speeds of GP2.
Thats a bit poor, I'm sorry, but I should be revising. Anyone capable of better with photoshop rather than paint?
Noise wouldn't be an issue. I've driven a Tesla on a track day and there is plenty of nose and I quite liked it. Jerseymackem - Hydrogen powered cars are electric, it just generates it's own electricity from a hydrogen/oxygen reaction. Currently creating hydrogen is pretty energy intensive, only places like Iceland have the means to do it in a green fashion. Keeping electric race cars seperate to start with may work, but ultimatly F1 will go electric, like it or not. In 20 or 30 or 50 years when all road vehicle are lectric having F1 still using IC would be like going to a vintage car rally now. F1's big problems are the restrictive rules and lack of testing. McLaren have showed what happens when you try to be creative this year with very little time to actually test your creativness. With all teams having to design cars to such tight rules the differences are going to be small and money will ultimatly make the difference. Open up the regs, make electric drive trains legal even if they are not yet practicle, and nessesity will drive innovation.
OK guys, I'm game on, so far we've got driver, engineer, chemist, but something missing, oh silly me, a Banker !
Nando, you can top up the reactor water level, just make sure we don't have a meltdown, probably the most important job on the planet.
its not Nando... Thats cool. It looks so easy. I saw a program about it on channel 4 at 6pm. The guy was just sitting around eating donuts
