Tesla and motorsport
Discussion
Last year I got my deposit down on the Model 3 pretty much the minute the books opened in the UK so I'm looking forward to that arriving maybe this time next year. However these things leave me cold and I hope they break out of this banal 0-60 BS as if it's competitive against supercars.
I suppose on the run to 100 a model s will be a bit further ahead compared with my 911 GT2, maybe even my GSXR but I was talking to someone in the Tesla shop the other day when looking for updates on the 3 to say there's a whole market out there for them to harness, people interested in proper competition, track day addicts, racers, people who visit the 'ring. People like me who don't buy into this green myth on any level but like cheap transport when commuting and big fun on the weekends.
To confirm the naive position of Tesla in this respect she said "ooh yeah we race model S all the time -- it's all over youtube -- look for model s drag race", then a little bit inside me died.
So -- will they man up and build something that's not just a drag car but something *interesting*?
The spare one off the new TG seems to have a bit of take on electric cars, maybe we'll see him develop that a bit more.
I suppose on the run to 100 a model s will be a bit further ahead compared with my 911 GT2, maybe even my GSXR but I was talking to someone in the Tesla shop the other day when looking for updates on the 3 to say there's a whole market out there for them to harness, people interested in proper competition, track day addicts, racers, people who visit the 'ring. People like me who don't buy into this green myth on any level but like cheap transport when commuting and big fun on the weekends.
To confirm the naive position of Tesla in this respect she said "ooh yeah we race model S all the time -- it's all over youtube -- look for model s drag race", then a little bit inside me died.
So -- will they man up and build something that's not just a drag car but something *interesting*?
The spare one off the new TG seems to have a bit of take on electric cars, maybe we'll see him develop that a bit more.
I believe what you are looking for is this: http://www.electricgt.co/
First race Silverstone August 12th.
Simon
First race Silverstone August 12th.
Simon
Fantastic! Now that'll be interesting. The formula e thing left me cold with this "fanboost" business and just seemed a bit needy and desperate with all the social media integration.
This however, looks like it might be gritty and proper racing, and of course hopefully drip down technology to road cars.
How cool to be able to take advantage of the trivially inexpensive commuting power of a leccy car that looks like and goes like a proper supercar (think: GT2, 458, GT3RS) for the trackday calendar.
Haha, the greens will definitely have to think up another way of ruining everyone's fun, especially if electric technology brings even more speed than we've managed by developing the IC engine to what must by now be the pinnacle of what's possible. Beautiful
This however, looks like it might be gritty and proper racing, and of course hopefully drip down technology to road cars.
How cool to be able to take advantage of the trivially inexpensive commuting power of a leccy car that looks like and goes like a proper supercar (think: GT2, 458, GT3RS) for the trackday calendar.
Haha, the greens will definitely have to think up another way of ruining everyone's fun, especially if electric technology brings even more speed than we've managed by developing the IC engine to what must by now be the pinnacle of what's possible. Beautiful
Paul 8v said:
I don't know if it's just my browser playing up but I can't view any of the dates?
I wonder if watching motorsport with no sounds from the cars will deliver the same experience?
There is some noise, just not as much or the same type as we're used to.I wonder if watching motorsport with no sounds from the cars will deliver the same experience?
When they started using diesels in WEC, the sound was very different but it has it's own appeal.
Apparently, a grid of these stripped out Teslas should sound pretty good at the start.
Half the challenge with EVs in motorsport, is that an e-motor has two power ratings - its peak and its continuous power. Typically the peak power rating can be double, or even triple that of the continuous power, with the peak power maybe only lasting for 10-30s before de-rating due to components hitting thermal limits.
Clearly in a road car, this isn't too much of a challenge, as you're rarely hard on the throttle for more than 10s at a time. However, in a track environment, all of a sudden your ratio of on throttle to off throttle becomes heavily biased in favour of on throttle - meaning that you could be spending a chunk of time in a de-rated power condition. It can be exacerbated by regen braking too, as that's still working the e-motor hard off-throttle.
This is exactly why Tesla have predominantly stuck to drag racing against ICE rivals rather than lap-times, they're playing to an EV's strengths. This is partly why a 740bhp Lambo is 6s quicker round the 'ring than the 1341bhp Next EV EP9!
It's a similar story for the batteries too, though there can be even more variance depending on the chemistry used. This is one reason why the Formula E batteries are effectively scrap after each race - their thermal limits are pushed harder to get more power for longer, at the expense of lifespan.
Hopefully we'll see more EVs in motorsport applications, as it'd be good to see that pushing some of the technology into automotive - rather than the other way around as is currently the case.
Clearly in a road car, this isn't too much of a challenge, as you're rarely hard on the throttle for more than 10s at a time. However, in a track environment, all of a sudden your ratio of on throttle to off throttle becomes heavily biased in favour of on throttle - meaning that you could be spending a chunk of time in a de-rated power condition. It can be exacerbated by regen braking too, as that's still working the e-motor hard off-throttle.
This is exactly why Tesla have predominantly stuck to drag racing against ICE rivals rather than lap-times, they're playing to an EV's strengths. This is partly why a 740bhp Lambo is 6s quicker round the 'ring than the 1341bhp Next EV EP9!
It's a similar story for the batteries too, though there can be even more variance depending on the chemistry used. This is one reason why the Formula E batteries are effectively scrap after each race - their thermal limits are pushed harder to get more power for longer, at the expense of lifespan.
Hopefully we'll see more EVs in motorsport applications, as it'd be good to see that pushing some of the technology into automotive - rather than the other way around as is currently the case.
Yep, racing with the heaviest EV saloon that in normal form goes into limp mode after about the 5th pedal-to-the-metal acceleration out of the chicane seems like a strange idea. I can't imagine how will they get out 1300A peak from those batteries a hundred times during an hour of racing.
Formula E will be fine, as batteries improving it will get closer and closer to ICE open-wheel racing in the next couple of years.
Formula E will be fine, as batteries improving it will get closer and closer to ICE open-wheel racing in the next couple of years.
There were a few guys looking to buy one and strip it out but it's a long way from fun as a spirited drive car let alone track. There's a YouTube clip of a guy taking an early one around the ring. 1m 20s in the batteries are already limiting power due to heat, and this steadily gets worse over the lap. I took mine around the TT course and even though there was traffic slowing progress at time, and being respectful to speed limits in built up areas, I had the over heat protection before I competed a circuit.
Acceleration also tails off too, it's never as strong as from zero. A petrol car feels very different, they're relatively gutless above say 90 mph compared to the punch at 40mph, sure a P100D will have a lot of go above that, but an M5 or AMG will be pulling harder.
Acceleration also tails off too, it's never as strong as from zero. A petrol car feels very different, they're relatively gutless above say 90 mph compared to the punch at 40mph, sure a P100D will have a lot of go above that, but an M5 or AMG will be pulling harder.
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