Greetings Everyone!
In this blog, I’d like to give a personal take on how I feel the EV movement that Formula E is doing a fantastic job at driving forward, can be taken to the next level, and therefore further help to indirectly reduce road emissions in the future.
Personally, I love the all out environmental approach that Formula E has been going with, as well as its trickle down effects its having on road cars, that are being better designed to reduce emissions further.
However, the problem with Formula E is that its just not as popular as the ultimate type of Motorsport, which is Formula 1! To create maximum impact and awareness, this green initiative with regards to sustainability and EV collaboration has to be taken to the biggest stage, and at the moment, it just isn’t happening for Formula E.
In fact, I don’t think that it can ever reach the same popularity and level as Formula 1, because of how much history and passion that is rooted in Formula 1.
However, I believe there is hope to take this entire EV innovation buzz that’s going on as a result of Formula E, to the next level. And that is for Formula 1 to one day become electric.
Formula made the shift from a 100% V8 petrol engine to the V6 turbo hybrid engine in 2014, marking a new era in the sport. This technology is able to recover energy from exhaust and braking, therefore making it more fuel efficient, hence leading to lower emissions. Mercedes, F1’s most dominant turbo-hybrid era team started using this technology in their AMG road cars in 2017, with the same ultimate effect of reducing emssions.
This turbo-hybrid technology is just one of the numerous kinds of innovations that have trickled down into road cars from F1, and much like Formula E, further innovation in the form of fully electric based technology for F1 cars can do the same.
The only real road car manufacturers in F1 at the moment are Mercedes, Renault and Honda, with most of the other car brands like Audi, Citroen and Nissan choosing Formula E instead due to the ability to market their electric cars and the cheaper entrance cost into the sport. However, as mentioned, to maximize the impact and drive the worldwide use of EVs, Formula 1, the pinnacle of Motorsport should be the driver for change.
F1’s Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul has remarked: “If cars in general are seen as part of the problem [worldwide], Formula One can be part of the solution.”
In 2014, when the idea of F1 going fully electric, the idea was rejected as the cars couldn’t last long enough for a full race and were too slow. But with Formula E cars now being able to last as long, and to go as fast as F1 cars, surely F1 is able to go fully electric in the near future?
By doing so, it will attract more road car brands like those currently in Formula E, to help promote their engine technologies, which will have a larger trickle down effect to road cars.
EVs are certainly the future, and a significant player in the fight against air pollution, and the most recognizable and popular Motorsport should very much be at the forefront of this technological revolution.
Till the next blog!
Nandha
References:
https://www.espn.com.sg/f1/story/_/id/28395224/the-environment-pose-f1-biggest-challenge-2020s
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-announces-plan-to-be-net-zero-carbon-by-2030.5IaX2AZHyy7jqxl6wra6CZ.html
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/150030/mercedes-reveals-maiden-use-of-f1-mguh-in-road-cars
https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/f1-engine