Electric Racer Whirs At Le Mans
by Jack Lamure on Jun 10th, 2011This is the Formulec single-seater that demoed at Le Mans yesterday: doesn't look anything out of the ordinary, really. But it's not what this car looks like that matters - you'll really get an idea for how different the machine is when you hear it.
Because the electric-powered EF01 doesn't produce the sort of guttural roar you'd expect from a race car; no, this thing gives more of a concerned squeal as navigates the circuit. Check out the footage below, shot earlier this year in France. It's strange.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5LJehxKqtE
But like it or not electric-powered single-seaters are here to stay. FIA president Jean Todt has made a drive towards sustainable and renewable power one of his key areas of focus, and is keen to see outside-the-box racers like this competing. Todt commented in April that “[the FIA] want as soon as possible to have new categories with new energy,” envisaging an electric formula as part of the Formula One ladder system.
"Whether this category becomes the second or third level is not so important, as long as it's part of the different categories which go from go-karts to F1," he told Autosport. Asked when he'd like to see such a series introduced, the Frenchman said he wanted it "quickly. [By] 2013 at the latest."
Formulec has stated that it plans to run a championship in 2012, and would undoubtedly leap to the chance to align itself with the F1 circus - though perhaps the last week's bad headlines have made it a tad less appealing. Regardless, it would seem the electric racing is the wave of the future. We just hope they do something about the sound.
Comments and Discussion
2 words "Giant Scalextric" that said, I love scalextric.I'd watch anything with wheels race but I really can't see this being taken too seriously. The noise at a race track is part of the appeal and this noise doesn't hit you in the guts, toss your innards around and rip your spine out like it should.
How many laps before it runs out of go?
Hopefully a long time before F1 switches to electric power. Give me the roar of a V12,10 or 8 any day.
Memories of the RC cars I had as a kid. Very nice racing with them, but to go to a circuit for this, meh. What i find astonishing, is the fact they still look like the same cars. With electrical drive, I would think it makes sense to go for 4WD and small engines for each wheel.
Like watching paint dry ! Only thing is , you know that sometime paint will actually dry .
Why are the FIA trying to do this ? Producing electricity isn't green so it cannot be for that reason . To help the car manufacturers in their quests to produce leccy cars ? Never going to work for the same reason .
Give me all out oil burning engines any day of the week as these things are just a joke and an embarrasing one at that !
Problem is thy're slow like 1/2 the top speed of f1 slow. + what f1 team would want a driver from the electric formula one series over a gp 2 driver? even getting sponsors for such an event would probably be difficult with the expected viewing figures.
Formulec I only just noticed that lol makes me think of baby food.
they should have called it formula zero as in 0 emissions although really anything would have been better than formulec, it just sounds french or something.