Red Bull Global Rallycross to add electric division in 2018

So GRC just put out an announcement that in 2018 they'll be having an electric car division for 2018. No real detail on the specs yet, but I think it's a pretty cool step.

Yeah, just got the release. Interesting.

So, a question for the masses: Is electric car racing what you want to see?

In reply to David S. Wallens:

Yes.

My personal opinion is that manufactures are looking to display the positive performance potential of electric drivetrain, and do it in something resembling a road going car. Current electric racing options don't quite link up with the everyday street cars. Yes we all know the race cars will be far from stock, but they'll at least resemble street going cars.

In reply to David S. No.

AWESOME!

David S. Wallens wrote: Yeah, just got the release. Interesting. So, a question for the masses: Is electric car racing what you want to see?

Yes. Though with this + autonomous vehicle development I'm hoping for a life-size RC10 in the near future.

Not in F1, but Rallycross... Maybe? I wonder how well the battery packs would stand up to the jumps and abuse.

My Soul EV is chuckable, but suffers from terminal understeer. I would love to see an AWD version, preferably with a performance bent, and a car like that would be an ideal base for an electric RX car.

Kia has already already shown track and awd hybrid concepts of these cars, so I don't think my idea is too far-fetched.

But how will they spit fire going over jumps?

And will the races need to be shortened to maintain good power? Can the packs and everything take the abuse?

I'm intrigued by this, I'd watch a few events, but as of now, I kinda hope it's a passing fad.

Autonomous racing does get my attention, purely because I want to see what these cars can do without a meatbag behind the wheel to worry about. How good is vehicle tech these days? I personally think Formula cars are pushing the limits of what a human body can take, I'd like to see how far past that limit the cars can actually go.

I'd watch it. The packs should have no problem taking the abuse of jumps etc. and might even be able to pack enough power for a full GRC event on a single charge...with quick-charging between runs there will be no problem.

There will be no fire-spitting unless something goes terribly wrong, but on the upside this means these events could now be held indoors. Maybe a closed stadium in the winter or that big underground skatepark?

So will they jump into another car half way through the race

If they can make it to the top of pikes peak on one charge, they certainly can drive the length of the longest GRC race. I imagine that is part of the engineers gameplan....use as much of the energy available without it expiring by race end. Given the 40mm restrictor on the gas engines, I'm thinking they will find a need to restrict the power on the electrics as well.

GameboyRMH wrote: , but on the upside this means these events could now be held indoors. Maybe a closed stadium in the winter or that big underground skatepark?

I didn't even think about indoors. Of course monster trucks come through Console, err PPG Paints arena, every year so I just assumed anything could be done indoors.

With zero emissions to worry about, the sport could spread, especially once the electric car technology gets cheap enough for say...the national rally cross crowd to start getting involved. At the very least, it could attract larger audiences and be a good way to introduce more people to the sport.

Seems to follow along with the recent announcement that Audi is leaving LeMans, but committing to Formula E at the same time.

In reply to dyintorace: They were pushing the electric concept on FIA world rallycross as well.

nderwater wrote: Not in F1, but Rallycross... Maybe? I wonder how well the battery packs would stand up to the jumps and abuse.

RevRico wrote: But how will they spit fire going over jumps?

Fire, uh, finds a way.

Don't mind the tech, but I do mind the noise - or lack thereof.

I'm looking forward to it. All that torque with a low center of gravity! I don't know how they do the electric drivetrains now, but if they did a motor at each wheel and then integrate those motors with the steering, those could be the tightest-turning skid-steeriest rally cars ever.

In reply to David S. Wallens:

Yes, but... it must be based on something I can buy. It must be exciting to watch. I feel there will be two differing forms of racing for electric cars (at first) short sprints with pitting for battery change outs. Fast cars, lots of pits. Think short version of NASCAR, probably 15 laps. The other version is endurance racing with cars that creep at 25 mph speeds and it becomes a race of conservancy. At this point, humans spectating would need a brain reset due to how slow the pace would be. The thrill of 100mph crashes would be gone. Instead it would become like watching tour de France. Slow, steady, endurance racing. Boring.

I vote for quick sprints. Run them in heats like GRC already does. That'll build the tech for us race car lovers that dream of putting an electric motor in our old cars...

petegossett wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: Yeah, just got the release. Interesting. So, a question for the masses: Is electric car racing what you want to see?

Yes. Though with this + autonomous vehicle development I'm hoping for a life-size RC10 in the near future.

The irony is that R/C cars seem to have mostly gone to nitro.

Drive an electric car to go race an internal combustion R/C? What strange times we live in.

(Say, how much does nitro fuel cost? Last time I paid attention it was $40/gallon. And 1/4 scale cars were around $1000)

GameboyRMH wrote: There will be no fire-spitting unless something goes terribly wrong, but on the upside this means these events could now be held indoors. Maybe a closed stadium in the winter or that big underground skatepark?

Didn't they use to race regular ol' gasoline-fed trucks in closed stadiums a lot in the 80s?