A league of their own

by Tracy Chamberlin

Picture it. What looks like a rocket ship on four wheels flying down the road; maybe some apple trees lining each side or some cartoon bunnies grinning as it whips past them. All the while, green leaves floating from the exhaust pipe.

Perhaps that’s what automakers saw as the next wave of advertising. Something that promotes environmental awareness, something that could make anyone look at auto racing and see an eco-friendly industry.

Perhaps that’s what Formula One executives could see coming down the exhaust pipe.

Even if electric cars aren’t selling out, they’re being promoted and endorsed. Hybrids are doing well on the market and Americans are looking for something different, more miles per gallon and fewer emissions. A family car that could make them feel better about what kind of world they’re leaving for their kids.

With all those realities in mind, Formula One money men made some big changes to the rules of racing, essentially requiring teams competing in Formula One to create a whole new car.

Several years ago, the powers that be decided to “go green,” requiring teams to integrate an electrical engine into their cars.

From 2009-13, it was only one unit, called the Kinetic Energy Recovery System. The idea was to convert the energy already created by the car – like heat from breaking – and turn it into engine power, taking the conservation law of physics that energy is neither created nor destroyed to the next level.

But that was just a test.

This year it’s an entirely different type of racing car with a new sound, a new look and an eye on that eco-friendly future.

In 2014, the cars have a 1.6-litre V6 turbo engine with not one, but two electrical engines. By utilizing the energy created under braking, those electrical engines take the heat that would have been lost in the brake pads and turn it into extra horsepower for the combustion engine. They also take some of that energy to power the turbo engine, which already works by using air from the exhaust.

These cars also use one-third less fuel than last year’s model.

What they get at the start of the race is all they get; there are no pit stops for refueling. This approach forces the drivers to work with what they’ve got. If they use more fuel to push their car during the race, they could run out before crossing the finish line. If they are conservative about fuel, they risk losing the race. It’s a balancing act that forces teams and drivers to really consider how much go they get from one tank of gas.  

The entire system, including the three engines, is considered the most expensive and most complicated power unit ever used in the sport. 

And it’s inspired many fans, teams and commentators to hail 2014 as the beginning of a new eco-friendly era in Formula One.

I’ll be honest, though, it’s not really what you would call green.

A former F1 mechanic who’s now a commentator for NBC Sports, Steve Matchett, summed it up perfectly during a recent race. “It ain’t green,” he admitted. “Let’s stop pretending it is green. If you want to do something green, go and buy 10,000 acres of wasteland and plant an oak forest. That’s green.”

And, he’s got a point.

Formula One cars only get 5.3 miles to the gallon. And, I won’t even get into the carbon emissions teams rack up flying around the world during one season.

From China to Europe to America, they bring their cars, drivers, mechanics, chefs, publicists, tailors, friends, family and on and on and on. For every race weekend, for 19 races.

What I find most interesting about these latest moves is that the money men behind Formula One are not just taking notice of the current market, they’re reacting to it. They’ve seen the green writing on the wall.

Like most new technological advances, converting cars into truly eco-friendly instruments is going to take time and money.

The latter being something Formula one has a lot of. With the might of legendary powerhouses like Ferrari and McLaren writing checks, they can afford to make the investment into developing the batteries, the electrical engines and everything else that’s going to eventually trickle down to my garage in Durango.

And, that’s just in the premiere league.

The governing body behind Formula One – the Federation Internationale de I’Automobile or FIA – is also starting something entirely electric: Formula E.  

It will be the first fully electric racing series ever, set to debut later this year in Beijing.

Considered a complement to the Formula One series, Formula E features 10 teams with two drivers per team. Each driver gets two cars, making two pit stops to switch cars.

The fact is the batteries can’t last the entire race. They’re only expected to last about 30 minutes and can’t be changed out, so the only option is to use more than one car.

The idea isn’t just about speed and winning; it’s intended to inspire manufacturers to innovate. Just as Formula One has pioneered such technologies as anti-lock brakes and carbon fiber, those in charge of the series are hoping to see teams develop the next advancement in electric cars.

More often than not, the racing circuit is the laboratory for automotive innovation, with ideas that start in the Formula One garage later moving to the public marketplace. This time, though, it’s the other way around. The market is inspiring the racing league, and we could all be seeing green as a result.