Future of Racing? EV Content

Are EV's the wave of the future? Yes.

I'm a huge fan of gas guzzling, engine roaring, Rev Limiter smashing, fossil fuel burning vehicles; my household vehicles average less than 14mpgs, and that's assuming my ACR is getting 12-15 on the street (not the .8-1.2 mpgs on the track).

BUT, I like fast. If painting my Viper fluorescent pink would drop my lap times, I'd do it.

The next ten years, ALL major manufacturers will have a fleet of EVs on the ground and delivering to customers. All in all, do I think EVs are better for the environment? No, not at this time anyways; with time and technological advancements they will be. BUT I do think they will provide the fastest track cars, from novice to semi-professionals.

Will they be as driver centered, as skill driven, or as impressive to say you ran a X.XX.XXX? No, but they will be faster. How? Let me tell you.




Let's take some technology that is out there now and wrap it all together. First, let's start with GPS. 10Hz (refresh rate) is starting to get cheaper and more available for the masses. Secondly, ECU tuning has gotten so complex in the past couple of years that the hp/torque management is insane. Next, traction control/stability control is insane.

How does pairing all of that technology together make a racecar faster, even for the most un-experienced driver?

Imagine having a car that you can select a track that you're at (like I select a track on my Garmin MARQ Driver watch) and it will automatically upload the track by it's GPS coordinates. The car will know the track (you can select multiple configurations, or make your own based on a learner lap), it would be able to maximize hp/torque depending on where you are on the track, and be able to work the traction/stability control to keep the car under control but not to the point where it is hindering performance.

You could more or less be 100% WOT or 100% on the brakes and the car would actually do the gas and brake for you.

FURTHERMORE, you could combine the same technology and totally take the driver out of the equation. The vehicle could do it all. Regulate the throttle, brake, turning, tire pressure, tire slippage, etc etc etc etc.




The Stig will be replaced with The Bot.

Has the iWatch replaced the Rolex?

Next thing you know, cars will race themselves and or just do a simulation run on whatever smart device you have.

Corbic said:

Has the iWatch replaced the Rolex?

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I really like watches, I wear them every day. I've actually sold all of my 'regular' watches and just have two different Garmin watches that I wear on the daily.

Bingo, just replace racing with Forza Simulators. More environmentally friendly.

Riddla said:

Next thing you know, cars will race themselves and or just do a simulation run on whatever smart device you have.

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No EMF producing microwave mobiles here, ever

BLOWN9646 said:

No EMF producing microwave mobiles here, ever

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Do you just drive on the street, or do you go to the track?

13COBRA said:

Do you just drive on the street, or do you go to the track?

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He wraps himself in tin foil when he drives under power lines.

May as well put a steering wheel on a rollercoaster. All of that tech will make track cars great, but I think the people that track their cars are more interested in improving their skills.

derklug said:

May as well put a steering wheel on a rollercoaster. All of that tech will make track cars great, but I think the people that track their cars are more interested in improving their skills.

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Not disagreeing with you at all... I enjoy my non traction/stability control car. BUT, they will be insanely fast.

The quickest and fastest cars on the planet are rear wheel drive V8's. I doubt that that will be changing anytime soon.

Blk04L said:

He wraps himself in tin foil when he drives under power lines.

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Don't forget the new 5G towers popping up overnight at a location near you

Like someone else said, what you described is basically a roller coaster without rails.

If it did come to that at the highest levels of racing, I wonder if they would eventually start restricting technology. Basically a “restrictor plate” so that it’s competitive. If all of the cars have a gps file of the track and can perfectly brake/accelerate it’s not really racing. The cars would eventually get to a point where they are limited by the track and are going as fast as physics allow. At that point whoever starts in first will probably win.

Balt21 said:

Like someone else said, what you described is basically a roller coaster without rails.

If it did come to that at the highest levels of racing, I wonder if they would eventually start restricting technology. Basically a “restrictor plate” so that it’s competitive. If all of the cars have a gps file of the track and can perfectly brake/accelerate it’s not really racing. The cars would eventually get to a point where they are limited by the track and are going as fast as physics allow.

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It would be a race of reliability then.

Balt21 said:

At that point whoever starts in first will probably win.

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So... It would be just like F Unnn today?

...

P49Y-CY said:

The quickest and fastest cars on the planet are rear wheel drive V8's. I doubt that that will be changing anytime soon.

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If you look at top fuel cars and F1 cars...yes.

If you look at cars that the 'average Joe' can buy, you're wrong.

P49Y-CY said:

The quickest and fastest cars on the planet are rear wheel drive V8's. I doubt that that will be changing anytime soon.

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If you are only talking about drag racing, then I agree. For many other types of racing, I disagree.

What an incredibly depressing future.

13COBRA said:

All in all, do I think EVs are better for the environment? No, not at this time anyways; with time and technological advancements they will be.

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Highly debatable. Batteries are a chemical reaction no matter how you slice it. Until you can find two elements that are both far enough apart on the galvanic scale to be of use, AND environmentally friendly when combined, EVs will be worse for the environment when considering the total life cycle of the vehicle, including disposal. Good luck with that.

13COBRA said:

Imagine having a car that you can select a track that you're at (like I select a track on my Garmin MARQ Driver watch) and it will automatically upload the track by it's GPS coordinates. The car will know the track (you can select multiple configurations, or make your own based on a learner lap), it would be able to maximize hp/torque depending on where you are on the track, and be able to work the traction/stability control to keep the car under control but not to the point where it is hindering performance.

You could more or less be 100% WOT or 100% on the brakes and the car would actually do the gas and brake for you.

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That sounds like the most boring track day imaginable. The lowest possible track time doesn't always generate the greatest possible joy. For some people, enjoyment is derived from mastering a difficult skill. If you can just pick a pedal and pin it at any given time, well.......no thanks.

I think EVs will have a higher ceiling than IC engine vehicles in a racing environment in the very near future. But if what you're suggesting comes to pass, I think club racing on the whole will die a quiet death. The people that drive the industry are the people with a passion for the skill, and the sensory input. Take those away, and they'll leave.

The tech part of me gets it, the racer part of me doesnt; you're not even racing at that point any more. Speed aside, it just seems like it takes all the involvement, the emotion, the thrill out of it by basically automating your lap. Why even bother learning to drive when everyone can just program their way to the best lap time?