Wednesday 6th October 2010

F3-Pace Electric Racer Breaks Cover

Formulec EF01 points the way towards electric racing

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This is the Formulec EF01. It's an electric single-seater with near-F3 performance - and it might just be the future of mid-level single-seat formulae.

The EF01 is capable of reaching 155mph flat-out and hitting 62mph from rest in 3.0secs. To help it do so is a pair of Siemens electric motors (similar to those planned for the new Exagon GT road car) and a two-speed gearbox.

Its lithium ion batteries give it enough charge for a 20-25 minute race.

The EF01 has been developed over past two-and-half years, with aerodynamic help from the likes of Mercedes GP. It has already been tested at Magny Cours and the Le Mans Bugatti circuit, and Formulec hopes to start racing in 2012.

Should the formula prove successful, the series could be opened up to other constructors as early as 2013.

Looks great. Sounds, um, not so great.

Formulec - Premiers tours de roues
Uploaded by formulec. - Dramatic race and crash videos. 

[goron59]

Make it sound like a TIE Fighter and I'm sold :-)

[UltimaCH]

Well at least the neighbours shouldn't complain too much with the exhaust noise...

[MrTappets]

Forgive my inexperience with electric motoring, but do electric cars simply get slower and slower as the charge runs out, until they grind to a halt, or do they somehow conserve their charge and then cut out suddenly?

[georgetuk]

Hmmm....electric cars are starting to get there now!

[Emubiker]

This is what was needed to make the electric road cars come good. Proper performance developments.

Hopefully it will be a success. Anything that is fast and economical in my ook is a good thing. And then take the fire breathers out for a change and sense of occasion at the weekend.

[SR06]

MrTappets said:

Forgive my inexperience with electric motoring, but do electric cars simply get slower and slower as the charge runs out, until they grind to a halt, or do they somehow conserve their charge and then cut out suddenly?

I used to race electric RC cars when I was younger. The battery technology progressed a massive amount over the 10 years I had an interest, Li-Poly looks to be the next big thing. Wonder if it'll end up in road-going vehicles? I love the torque from electric vehicles, way in excess of anything a diesel can manage from no rpm whatsoever. Anyway I can remember spending a fortune on a cell that would give full power for about 20 minutes then just stop without any reduction in performance. And now that the US has found a massive amount of Li in Afgaisbekistan the price should start to come down. Que discussion about EV charging infrastructure...it usually comes along in about...5...4...3...2...1

Edited by SR06 on Wednesday 6th October 13:05

[superkartracer]

If it makes racing far cheaper than great news

[Adrian W]

SR06 said:

MrTappets said:

Forgive my inexperience with electric motoring, but do electric cars simply get slower and slower as the charge runs out, until they grind to a halt, or do they somehow conserve their charge and then cut out suddenly?

I used to race electric RC cars when I was younger. The battery technology progressed a massive amount over the 10 years I had an interest, Li-Poly looks to be the next big thing. Wonder if it'll end up in road-going vehicles? I love the torque from electric vehicles, way in excess of anything a diesel can manage from no rpm whatsoever. Anyway I can remember spending a fortune on a cell that would give full power for about 20 minutes then just stop without any reduction in performance. And not that the US has found a massive amount of Li in Afgaisbekistan the price should start to come down. Que discussion about EV charging infrastructure...it usually comes along in about...5...4...3...2...1

The problem with battery technology is that it has to be failsafe when used in cars, moblie phones have huge amounts of development just in stopping the batteries exploding.

[Perra]

goron59 said:

Make it sound like a TIE Fighter and I'm sold :-)

Me too! That new Citreon concept sounds amazing, so hopefully these will aswell.

[Mark Wibble]

MrTappets said:

Forgive my inexperience with electric motoring, but do electric cars simply get slower and slower as the charge runs out, until they grind to a halt, or do they somehow conserve their charge and then cut out suddenly?

My knowledge is limited to hobby electrics, but I assume it's analogous to automotive technology...

Broadly speaking it's the latter- regulators will output the required electrical current regardless of the available battery voltage (i.e. drawing low current at high voltage and vice versa), down to a minimum battery voltage level at which point it would cut out (hopefully after a sufficient amount of warning).

The whole system should have been designed around the worst case to perform the same under all conditions, so I wouldn't think there would be an overcurrent issue at low battery voltage- that's the only technical reason the car might not accelerate as quickly. However, it's possible they'd downgrade performance at low battery voltage to maximise available range, and/or to make it obvious that you do actually need to recharge.

[A Scotsman]

Oh dear. Well I suppose someone had to build one. Fortunately there is now sufficient development on new fuels such as biobutanol to ensure this expensive and pointless technology won't be required.

[TheArchitect]

put it on track next to an F3 car then if its nearly as fast! i bet an F3 car will destroy it in the corners due to the weight!

[Adrian W]

Mark Wibble said:

MrTappets said:

Forgive my inexperience with electric motoring, but do electric cars simply get slower and slower as the charge runs out, until they grind to a halt, or do they somehow conserve their charge and then cut out suddenly?

My knowledge is limited to hobby electrics, but I assume it's analogous to automotive technology...

Broadly speaking it's the latter- regulators will output the required electrical current regardless of the available battery voltage (i.e. drawing low current at high voltage and vice versa), down to a minimum battery voltage level at which point it would cut out (hopefully after a sufficient amount of warning).

The whole system should have been designed around the worst case to perform the same under all conditions, so I wouldn't think there would be an overcurrent issue at low battery voltage- that's the only technical reason the car might not accelerate as quickly. However, it's possible they'd downgrade performance at low battery voltage to maximise available range, and/or to make it obvious that you do actually need to recharge.

Most are inverter systems running at around 600volts

[Emeye]

Might as well just race on an xbox or scalextrixc! A good percentage of the appeal of motor racing is the noise and smell!

Well I suppose my old scalextrics did smell a bit when me and my bro managed to burn out the motors.

[dlockhart]

TheArchitect said:

put it on track next to an F3 car then if its nearly as fast! i bet an F3 car will destroy it in the corners due to the weight!

so how much does it weigh? didnt see that in the artical

[TobesH]

Brings a tear to my eye - diesels are bad enough....

[torchy6]

Pity that trashy sound track stopped us finding out how they sound, mighty important for the spectacle of racing.

[robstopper]

What money on Scalextric and Duracell being title sponsors of the inaugural championship? lol

[Emeye]

robstopper said:

What money on Scalextric and Duracell being title sponsors of the inaugural championship? lol

More likely be Durex Racing - Like the real thing but without the full sensation.

[Mini1275]

Emeye said:

Might as well just race on an xbox or scalextrixc! A good percentage of the appeal of motor racing is the noise and smell!

This. One of the things i most enjoy at a motorsport event is the sound and smell of the cars. With these it takes a large chunk of the appeal away for me