Monday 21 December 2015

Racing electric vehicles

Put a man in 2 or 4 wheels and he will race it regardless if it is fossil fuel powered or electric powered. The main difference is the sound which is part and parcel of racing. The absence of engine sound or exhaust notes makes it feel strange. it is as if one is driving a remote control car running on batteries. I watched Formula E which is formula cars driven by electric motors. The concept is different from Formula One where the Formula E cars have a certain amount of electrical charge and can have a limited driving range, the driver will stop mid race to swap cars with fresh batteries instead of refuelling in F1 (used to have refuelling stops).

The Formula E car only emitted a whining type of sound which was very strange and it did not create a sensation of speed and excitement. the cars are on level playing field where all are using same chassis and power units. The teams are permitted to change the suspension setup to suit their drivers and they need to manage the use of the power in the batteries to balance speed and range.

We are very likely to see many more races using electric vehicles but the lack of sound really does make it a bit dull.

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