Green Options » formula one

Ferrari Confirms Hybrid All-Wheel Drive System For 2014

Christopher DeMorro — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:12:19 +0000

I am extremely vocal on the topic of electric cars, especially when it comes to their performance potential. Instant torque is very, very fun—to say the least—and makes a lot more sense on the racing circuit than internal combustion engines (at least in short bursts). Makers of high-end exotics are starting to pick up on this trend, though Ferrari is (as far as I know) the first supercar maker to confirm it will be adding and electric-hybrid to its lineup.

Of course, they claim this is to improve handling and not fuel efficiency. But hey, I’ll take what I can get from the prancing horse.

Honda CEO Would "Spend $10 Billion to Win In Formula 1"

Mark Seall — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 05:00:38 +0000

And maybe hybrid technology is the key?

Today, twenty of the fastest cars on Earth will line up at the start of round 7 of the Formula 1 World Championship at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, to do battle for the biggest prize in world motor sport.

Capable of accelerating to 200 mph, and coming back to a complete standstill 12 seconds flat, a modern F1 car represents the pinnacle of automotive technology, precisely the reason that big name Japanese manufacturers Toyota and Honda have entered the sport as constructors in recent years.

Formula 1 has never been cheap - even the smallest teams have annual budgets in excess of $100 million to field two cars - but considering the resources available to the new Japanese teams, who are rumoured to have spent almost $2 billion between them on F1 in the past four years, one might expect a good chance of the Japanese national anthem being played when the constructors trophy is handed out this afternoon.

Formula 1 Racing to Go Hybrid from 2009-2013

Benjamin Jones — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:02:01 +0000

It’s not quite the same type of hybrid drive-train you’d see in street vehicles, but in an exciting announcement, Max Mosely of F1 has announced that all cars will become hybrid by 2013, along with other changes to the vehicles.

The hybrid system that will be phased in is known as KERS, which stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System. KERS doesn’t store as much energy as a traditional hybrid system, but it only weighs 55 pounds and the limited energy storage capacity is well suited for Formula-style racing.

Full-Size Chocolate Ferrari Slated for Snacking

Max Lindberg — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:18:56 +0000

$23,500 and 4,405 pounds of Belgian chocolate, molded into a life-size Ferrari Formula 1 car, goes on display this week at a Ferrari owners club party in Sorrento, Italy.

The car, which took a year to make, will be smashed with hammers and party-goers will receive bits and pieces to take home in special bags as a souvenir, or snack.

Source: Ananova

Honda Unveils Polluting Formula One Vehicle Called “Earth Car”

Michael dEstries — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:12:00 +0000

Proving that marketing is ever opportunistic in the face of growing environmentalism, Honda unveiled a Formula One racing car devoid of sponsorship logos and covered with an image of planet Earth. The campaign comes as Honda wishes to draw more attention to the environment and encourage people to donate to relevant charities. Before you go getting all green inside, please consider that this gesture is akin to painting an oil rig with trees and flowers. As we've all learned, it's what is on the inside that counts and this entire thing reeks of "Look at me!"

Take, for instance, this Formula One racing car hiding underneath the Earth paint job. The average new car emits about 170 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. Honda's Earth Car will emit at least 1,500 grams per km as it speeds around the 17-race calendar this year. Not only that, but beyond encouraging people to reduce consumption, Honda isn't setting any new environmental standards for its racing fleet. No use of biofuels, no commitment to recycling, no solar panels for housing, nada. Visit their "Earth Car" site and you'll find lots of things that YOU can do to help the planet, but nothing spelled out as to what Honda is doing in return. Sure, they make hybrids and offer a link to their Environmentology site, but if you're going to put together a campaign, at least focus on some initiatives that back what you're preaching. Even offsetting every race would have been a start. Instead, we're left with a car that looks really cool buzzing by at 150mph, but fails to reflect the green image it's attempting to inspire. In place of driving, perhaps Honda should walk the walk.

Source: Crickey!