Why not use pure electric racing in the F1 Championship?

Lei Feng network (search "Lei Feng network" public concern) by: The author of this article knows @ shadow Ma, senior F1 enthusiasts, sports fans.

There are many reasons why F1 does not use pure electric power (sound, speed, or even the pure feeling of driving), but the main reason is actually the same as that of civilian electric vehicles.

Everyone must be confused by Tesla, who has been very popular recently. I do not deny that the Model S is a sports car. I personally think that it has a great significance in the field of electric vehicles and may approach the significance of the iPhone in the field of mobile phones. But in fact, the Model S has not been able to change the nature of electric vehicles - short battery life.

Short life

Maybe you want to refute, not short, there are 500 kilometers! Yes, it's not too short and it's close to an ordinary petrol car. However, one thing should not be overlooked. The Model S is a large car weighing 2 tons and the battery pack is 600kg. For reference, this weight has exceeded the weight of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Audi A8 (some models). But Tesla's interior is shabby (that is, no weight).

Let's make this calculation. In F1 2014, we must run about 300 kilometers in a race, and the fuel limit is 100kg (that is, 125L). If we consider that the power to drive the Model S is similar to that of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, at least 100-km 10-liter fuel oil is required. Then the Model S 500km battery life requires 50L fuel: the 600kg battery pack is equivalent to 50L fuel, so supporting a F1 requires about 600 (125/50) = 1,500kg battery pack. It also does not take into account the extra driving force required due to the increased weight of the battery pack.

So what is the reality? F1 2014 stipulated that the F1's weight (full of oil + driver) is 700kg . The lower limit is that some drivers will lose weight, or the wealthy team will use expensive ultralight materials to bully small teams (F1 team) by burning money. The gap between the rich and the poor is huge. If you don't protect the money, basically F1 will burn more and more money and nobody will play. Therefore, most teams can easily reach this lower limit.

That is to say, in order to maintain the current F1 viewing conditions, the weight of a single battery pack is nearly twice that of today's cars! Not to mention how to guarantee the flexibility and performance of the vehicle under the weight of this vehicle, even such a large battery pack is also a problem.

Another thing to look at is that the FIA ​​is organizing the Formula E Grand Prix, which limits the weight of the 320kg battery. Each time the game is not enough, it is necessary to change a car in the middle. And the weight has reached a staggering 888kg, basically the best of Formula Racing! (See Formula E-Official FIA Formula E Championship).

Low output power

Another very important reason is that the output power of electric vehicles is very small, which means that their speed is not enough. This is the characteristic of the electric vehicle's torque/power output: that is, the full torque (power) at the start, but because there is no gearbox, the torque continues to drop, and the total power of the battery limit output is low. The internal combustion engine is unable to achieve full power output during the initial stage, but the final power is greater.

The Model S is so sturdy that the 4.2 s is 100 km and the total power is only 410 hp. In contrast, Model S defeated Corvette Stingray (page of businessinsider.com) in a quarter-mile straight race . The latter has a horsepower of 662hp and a speed of nearly 300kph (200kph compared to Model S). It can be imagined that even without considering the mileage problem, F1's rapid decline is absolutely intolerable.

Engine roar

Of course, F1's engine roar has always been a major selling point for F1. People who have been to the scene must all know that in that kind of environment, outside the track, you can hear the roar of the engine. In the course of the race, you basically speak with a shout (or something far away). Taking into account the sound of the electric equation (you can go to the above website to see the video), this selling point has basically disappeared.

Hybrid is the future

In fact, all top-level cars and top-level civilian sports cars are trying to mix.

For example, F1 introduced the KERS system in 2009, the so-called Kinetic Energy Recycle System, a kinetic energy recovery system. Prior to this year's reforms, the system was working in the same way as the Toyota Prius. In 2014, the kinetic energy recovery system was upgraded to realize the simultaneous intervention and management of kinetic energy and turbine thermal energy. For details, see (2014, New Era of Energy Recovery).

At the same time, Le Mans is equipped with a hybrid system for most of the 24 hours of the car; the P1, LaFarrari and 918, which are seen as the new era supersportsman, are also hybrids.

This is in fact due to the fact that the motor has a strong torque during the start-up phase . In F1 of 2014, although the gasoline engine had a staggering horsepower of 600hps, it could only provide about 300Nm of torque. In contrast, the peak power of the motor is about 170hps, but it has 375Nm of torque. This point is crucial for the current outburst acceleration of F1 cars!

It can be said that although F1 becomes unrealistic for all electrics, hybrid power (where the hybrid power is not to save fuel, but to get the torque of the electric motor during the start-up phase) has become the necessary equipment for the ultimate sports car/equation of the track.

Posted on