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Twice as efficient as a Hybrid system while offering a large improvement in fuel economy. (http://gas2.org/2008/04/22/formula-1-racing-to-go-hybrid-from-2009-2013/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Formula_One_Honda.jpgBenjamin Jones - Gas 2.0 - April 22, 2008

Mechanical, inexpensive and its development was paid for by Formula One. We cannot wait to see this in a consumer vehicle driving the streets of LA, New York or Paris. -- Ed.

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.

The biggest difference between KERS and a regular battery-electric hybrid is that KERS stores recovered waste energy in a rotating flywheel. Instead of converting waste energy into electricity and than back into useful energy again with an electric motor, KERS simply transfers the kinetic energy to a ~5kg flywheel in the F1 car’s transmission. The energy stored in the flywheel can then be used by the driver by pushing a “boost” button… http://gas2.org/2008/04/22/formula-1-racing-to-go-hybrid-from-2009-2013/

Kers Mechanical Flywheel

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Formula_One_Hybrid_-_Kers_torotrak_and_xtrac.jpg

Yea - chalk one up for the mechanical engineers. :)

It'll be interesting to see what the racers do with this system as they usually push everything to the edge.

Very interesting. My wife just the other day was wondering how I can be fuel consious and still enjoy watching racing... Sorry, but I do enjoy watching racing.

Hi Zjrog:

___I do once in a while as well … but only if the cars are driven on Bio or Syn diesel (Audi R10) in the American Le Man’s or Ethanol like Champ/IRL. That is about the only really reason to use Ethanol in a somewhat limited quantity today.

___I hope I posted the correct series and vehicles because I am not that big a fan as you can tell ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

If only people drove like they do in Nascar and IRL on the road: in big long lines waiting for openings, around here the highway looks more like an ant farm.

But back to topic, the big formula one teams have budgets of $300 million+, they would spend $10mm in a blink of an eye to reduce .1 seconds off of their lap times. This technology will get pushed to the limit, every last inch of power out of it will be found.

Hopefully this gets better hybrid tech into the mainstream (assuming it will be of sane cost), not only from the engineering side, but from the PR side. "This is good enough for the IRL, why shouldn't it be good enough for you?"

Honda comes out the biggest winner in this.

Honda, IIRC, became the sole supplier of F1 engines since GM and Toyota pulled out several years ago. This move helps every division of Honda here: Their economy division, their performance company partners (Spoon Sports and Mugen Power in Japan), and ultimately, the consumers (like most Japanese companies, the Motorsport division research often makes their way into consumer divisions).

Please, let this be the start of the Performance Hybrid Arms Race for Engines...please?:D

Honda comes out the biggest winner in this.

Honda, IIRC, became the sole supplier of F1 engines since GM and Toyota pulled out several years ago. This move helps every division of Honda here: Their economy division, their performance company partners (Spoon Sports and Mugen Power in Japan), and ultimately, the consumers (like most Japanese companies, the Motorsport division research often makes their way into consumer divisions).

Please, let this be the start of the Performance Hybrid Arms Race for Engines...please?:D

Honda is the sole engine supplier in IRL (series that races in the indy 500), not F1. F1 has ferrari, mercedes, renault, bmw, toyota, and honda producing engines. The merger of champ car series and IRL should get more manufactuers producing IRL spec engines with more teams/drivers/sponsors in the unified series.

Honda is the sole engine supplier in IRL (series that races in the indy 500), not F1. F1 has ferrari, mercedes, renault, bmw, toyota, and honda producing engines. The merger of champ car series and IRL should get more manufactuers producing IRL spec engines with more teams/drivers/sponsors in the unified series.

Even better.

Let the Hybrid Engine Arms Race begin! :woot: