Hybrids in 2009 Races - Formula One & Le Mans

2009 Formula One
Beginning with the 2009 season, the Formula One regulations allow for the use of hybrid technology to increase the power & efficiency of the race cars.

The BMW Sauber F1.09 will be equipped with a hybrid system consisting of a combination of electric motor & generator, with power electronics & an energy storage module. Regenerative braking boosts the power in the energy storage module so the electric motor, in combination with the V8 provides extra power.


Le Mans

Peugeot has revealed a hybrid race car for the 2009 Le Mans competition. Approval is pending.
Read more at: AutoBlogGreen 9/2008,



Toyota is reportedly planning re-entering Le Mans racing - this time with hybrids. Read more at: Automobile 4/2008, Left Lane 3/2008,



HYBRIDS AREN'T WIMPY! A Personal Story On a personal note, I was shocked at the tremendous power & speed available when the electric motor & gas engine in our Toyota Hybrid Highlander kicked in together. We wanted better gas mileage in a SUV, but I thought that hybrids were wimpy.

So when we drove our Highlander on an interstate with four adults, two children and all our luggage, I was being careful about being stuck behind a semi on a hill. I just gave a little extra on the accelerator to get around the semi and return to the slow lane. Well, both the electric and gas engines kicked in. Even with four adults, two kids, all our luggage & GOING UPHILL - I was at 95 miles per hour very quickly. I'm glad everyone else was asleep so I wouldn't hear a commentary on my speed burst, but Wow - HYBRIDS AREN'T WIMPY!

Wild Vehicles at SEMA Show in Las Vegas

Do you recognize this vehicle, seen at the 2008 SEMA Show?

The first one to correctly identify it wins a DriveUSA t-shirt.

Hint:  It's featured in an exciting series on the Discovery channel.

All Electric Ford F-150 Delivers 600hp!

November 5, 2008 (Las Vegas, NV)
This all electric concept vehicle, built by UK-based PML Flightlink in partnership with Ford, is on display at the 2008 SEMA Show.


Using the F-150 Pick-up, the mechanical engine, transmission, gearbox, drivetrain, differential, gas tank and exhaust were replaced with the Hi-Pa Drive system.

The four electric in-wheel motors that power the fully-electric Hi-Pa Drive F-150 will deliver more than 600 horsepower as well as more torque than the 320 horsepower V-8 engine it replaced.

2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas

November 5, 2008 (Las Vegas, NV)
The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is spread over one million net square feet of exhibit space hosts 2,000 exhibitors and over 125,000 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

It's the premier auto accessories trade show in the world, and is an industry-only event, so we came here to cover it for you.

We'll be interviewing some builders with vehicles that are competing in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize competition. What is the x-Prize? It's a TEN MILLION DOLLAR prize to the winner of a cross-country race in 2009 for vehicles that can exceed 100 Miles Per Gallon (or 100 MPG equivalent).

The Race Is On!

There are increased efforts  for Electric Vehicles (EV) & Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV).  For instance...

Actual Tests of PHEV Conversions at 90+ MPG

Utility company Pacific Gas & Electric, search giant's Google.org, & A123 Hymotion (builder of the conversion equipment) continue the evaluation.  Follow the results HERE.

GM Selects the Battery Maker for the Volt

GM intends to begin production of the Volt at the end of 2010, and has been evaluating potential vendors for the lithium-ion batteries.   GM's VP, Bob Lutz announced that the selection of the vendor has been made, but he did not specify the manufacturer yet.

Electrics in the Pipeline

These are exciting times for electric vehicles. Major auto manufacturers are refining plug-in systems and testing them in fleets.

Toyota has announced that it will sell plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEV) in the US in 2010.

Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director for the Chevy Volt says that though "we haven't said exactly when the Chevy Volt will come to market, we've set our internal targets to complete the vehicle by the end of 2010."

Today Tesla Motors opened a new showroom for their 100% electric cars, & the cars are now in production.

Manufacturers are talking with Utility companies to be sure that the path is ready for cars to be plugged into the electric grid. There are many interesting prospects here:

• Intelligent electric meters (already in development) will give lower rates during low power demand periods -when most people will plug in their PHEVs.
• Possible the electrical grid (and customers like you and me) could benefit from selling power from the hybrid's electrical system back to the utility.

Later I'll have some news from the Plug-in Conference held in Silicon Valley this week.

Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Alert

Less than a month ago a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) caught fire and was destroyed. No one was hurt. The vehicle was a Toyota Prius with an after-market conversion to make the Prius a PHEV. The maker of the conversion kit (Hybrids Plus, of Boulder, CO) and several other organizations are investigating.

Hybrids Plus said, "After the incident we notified all owners of Hybrids Plus conversions, described to them the sequence of events in the incident, advising them not to drive until further information was available, and to call Hybrids Plus if there was any sign of a problem with their vehicle.

Over the past week we have conducted two extensive forensic examinations of the vehicle and of the battery pack using a team of experts that included Hybrids Plus technical staff, our cell manufacturer, and experts in electric vehicles." Read the complete statement.

This report from CRN (Cooperative Research Network, A Service of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association):

On June 7, 2008, the converted Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) owned by Central Electric Power Cooperative in Columbia, SC, was destroyed by an internal fire that occurred during a routine drive. Thankfully, there were no injuries. But the converted Prius was destroyed. The cause of the fire is not known.

Until further investigation, CRN has advised grounding all test vehicles in the PHEV demonstration and is undertaking a detailed investigation. CRN has employed Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (ETEC) of Phoenix, AZ, to perform an initial investigation on the PHEV. This firm has come highly recommended due to its experience with failure analysis and electric cars. The firm will work to determine the cause of the fire and make recommendations if more specialized forensics experts are needed to complete the investigation. The six other vehicles in CRN’s PHEV demonstration program have experienced only minor technical issues to date.

General Motors is expects to have the first OEM Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle available in 2010.
Read Toyota's perspective on the challenges of commercially viable OEM PHEV's.

The PHEV has a lot of promise, and it's good to know that studies are being made to learn how to use this exciting technology in a safe manner.