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WRC kicks off hybrid future in Monte-Carlo

Félix Bouland Posted On January 19, 2022

As the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is about to start at Monte-Carlo this Thursday, the highest class is going hybrid. The new rules and specifications of the all-new hybrid powertrains have been laid out. Toyota, Hyundai, and Ford cars will benefit from a ‘hybrid boost’ during the stages, and some connecting roads between time stages will have to be covered in full electric mode.

The new-for-2022 regulation states that the cars will take advantage of a 100 kW (136 hp) electric motor powered by a 3,6 kWh battery, which recuperates energy from braking or coasting. Moreover, the WRC will use ‘sustainable fuel’ made from synthetic sources and biomass for this season.

New rules, new powertrains

For 2022, the Rally 1 cars or Toyota, Hyundai, and Ford will be equipped with an all-new hybrid powertrain. The electric motor will be used to give a ‘hybrid boost’, of which the power is limited depending on the timed stages length and road surface. The new WRC cars benefit from over 500 hp by coupling both motors.

At the start of the times stages, drivers will get a 1 000 KJ launch boost, which will stop as soon as the driver depresses the accelerator or hits the brakes. After that, the above-mentioned rule-limited hybrid boost will be available. This could be seen as Formula 1’s KERS system.

In the new 2022 rule book, racing teams will be limited to two engines per season, compared to three last year. Nine units will be permitted per season per car for the hybrid components. Only one hybrid unit and one spare unit may be used in each rally.

Eco-friendly rally?

Not only are the WRC Rally 1 cars going hybrid for additional power, but the FIA has also stated in its 2022 rule book that some predefined connecting roads between time stages will have to be covered in full electric mode.

With only 3,6 kWh of battery capacity, let’s hope these stretches of road aren’t too long. Furthermore, this season the WRC will use ‘sustainable fuel’ made from synthetic components and biomass.

Energy / Sports / Technology

Maserati returns to single-seater racing joining Formula E

Piet Andries Posted On January 12, 2022

Maserati is the first Italian brand to join the ABB Formula E championship. The sports car brand announced on Tuesday that it will be joining as of 2023, the ninth season of the electric single-seater competition, which organizes its races primarily in big cities.

When Maserati will join the playing field is lining up with Gen3-cars. Around 40% of the electric energy of this formula car comes from regenerative braking. It’s the fastest, lightest, and most efficient racer the series has seen. It is net zero-carbon and has a highly recyclable degree for the carbon fiber parts and the tires.

Folgore program

Joining Formula E is an essential part of Maserati’s Folgore (Italian for lightning) program. This includes all the models that the brand will launch as a BEV: the new Granturismo and Grancabrio, the Grecale, and the MC20 sports car. The brand hopes to gather technological expertise in the series, which can, later on, be applied to the showroom models. It’s the same function Formula 1 has served for over more than a century.

The return to single-seater racing is a weighty step for Maserati. The brand never really left the track, with a persistent engagement in GT racing, but during its long history, it has gathered a venerable reputation in Formula 1. In 1957, Maserati won the championship with Juan Manual Fangio behind the wheel.

Maserati was also the first brand to qualify a woman driver for an F1 GP. Maria Teresa De Filippis succeeded in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix in 1958.

Dropping out

Mother company Stellantis has two brands with a strong legacy in single-seater series. Although her boss, Jean-Philippe Imparato, remains skeptical against the investment, Alfa Romeo is active in Formule 1, now leaving Formula E to Maserati.

The news is good for a motorsport series that is regarded as the pinnacle of electric racing. Formula E, founded by Alejandro Agag (right on the picture), took a serious beating last year, when next to Audi and BMW winner Mercedes announced it was pulling the plug by the end of the season. These drop-outs seemed to be plaguing FE.

Under the big brands, Maserati will be lining up next to Porsche, DS, Nissan, and Jaguar.

Sports / Top Stories Today

Mohammed Ben Sulayem FIA’s new top man

Gert Verhoeven Posted On December 20, 2021

The FIA (Féderation Internationale de l’Automobile) is getting a new president, after top executive Jean Todt hands over the torch to his successor, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, after 12 years of presidency.

The FIA is an international body that manages numerous motorsport and mobility organizations worldwide. Founded in 1904, the FIA has its headquarters in Geneva and Paris, and operates in over 146 countries across five continents. The various clubs operating under the federation’s wings represent more than 80 million motorists and motorsport enthusiasts.

F1 stable

Jean Todt has been at the helm of the FIA since 2009 but will resign as president today at the age of 75, having completed the maximum of three terms as president. Active in motorsports from an early age, Todt was a co-pilot at the age of 15, and later headed Peugeot’s rally department during the period of the 205’s major successes in rallying, including the Paris-Dakar.

From 1993, Todt would switch to Ferrari where he would successfully lead the Scuderia (the F1 team) until 2009. By the way, in today’s Italian media, there is a rumor going around that Todt might return to Ferrari in an advisory role of the F1 stable.

Sustainable approach

Today, Mohammed Ben Sulayem comes at the helm of the premier motorsport organization and was elected with over 61% of the vote, beating British candidate Graham Stroker. Sulayem believes that the future of motorsport will be more sustainable and is fully committed to sustainable mobility.

Formula E, the championship for electric single-seaters, fits perfectly into that picture, and technologies (such as DRS) that may grow into production cars will also add value to the development of the cars of tomorrow.

Renowned rally driver

Although the name Mohammed Ben Sulayem will not ring a bell with people who are not active in motorsport, the man has been active in motorsport for decades. He is now sixty years old and is Emirati. In his homeland (Dubai), he is a renowned rally driver and has won the Middle East Rally Championship 14 times.

He was also active on European soil in the 1980s, as he was at the start of the Belgian Haspengouw Rally in St-Truiden in 1987. An Arab at the start of a Belgian rally was front-page news in the Limburg newspaper Het Belang van Limburg at the time.

Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Porsche’s most affordable electric racing car: Vision GT

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 6, 2021

It’s Porsche’s newest racing machine for the circuit and yet one most mortals will be able to afford and to drive: the Vision Gran Turismo. It’s the first Porsche concept designed exclusively for a virtual future to live in the video game Gran Turismo 7, which will be released on 4 March 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

According to Peter Varga, Director Exterior Design at Porsche, although there were no restrictions for the designers, it is no phantasy, but a real vision of how a purely electric Porsche race car could look in ten to fifteen years. Small, light, and efficient is the way to go. And it is a beauty.

Exciting possibilities

You could drive Porsches in the previous Gran Turismo versions since 2017, with the fully electric Taycan Turbo S being the latest to join the virtual racing team. For the first time freed from the constraints of developing models for series production, the Porsche designers could put their ideas for a Gran Turismo concept car into practice, the press release says.

“A vehicle designed purely for the virtual world opens up exciting possibilities for us that are otherwise heavily regimented in a regular design process for a series production car,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. “Projects such as the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo are particularly valuable for us in the creative process.”

Pure vegan materials

The designers kept close to technologies that are actually feasible today, taking it one step further where possible, like in the holographic head-up display that ‘hovers’ in the race driver’s view to keep concentrated on the racing track.

The latter might be closer to actual ‘materializing’ someday in a real Porsche, as the German sports carmaker has invested (like Hyundai) in Russian-Swiss deep tech company WayRay. Their specialty is head-up displays using Deep Reality Display® technology, where different parts of a holographic, virtual image can appear at different distances, soliciting the driver’s attention only when becoming crucial.

Another nice feature of the Porsche Vision GT is the integrated rear spoiler that contains the thin lighting stripes, which will pop up in the game as an air brake. Even in the virtual Porsche, the designers spent a lot of time considering the right material design consisting of carbon and titanium for reducing weight. They even used pure vegan materials for the interior to keep it as sustainable as possible.

Co-designing Nissan GT-R’s display

Gran Turismo™ is a video game developed by Polyphony Digital Inc, a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, initially launched in Japan in 1997. Polyphony’s president and creator of the Gran Turismo series Kazunori Yamauchi – nicknamed Kaz – is not only a game designer but also an actual racing driver. He’s known for his highly realistic driving simulators.

And sometimes, this works the other way around, as Yamauchi helped Nissan design the multifunction display in the R35 GT-R sports car, which gives the driver all kinds of data, including G-Force generated, torque distribution, and lap times. The car and its specific display feature in several versions of the game. And apparently, ‘Kaz’ got an actual GT-R from Nissan for its contribution.

Industry / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

McLaren take-over is no go for Audi’s intended F1 entry

Félix Bouland Posted On November 18, 2021

Earlier this week, numerous media reported on a rumor regarding the purchase of British supercar maker and Formula 1 team McLaren by German carmaker Audi. McLaren denied the report, but leaves the door open for technology collaboration. Audi, for its part, is said to be particularly interested in F1, taking advantage of the sport’s new zero-carbon commitment.

“McLaren Group is aware of a news media report stating it has been sold to Audi. This is wholly inaccurate and McLaren is seeking to have the story removed,” writes British automotive group, McLaren Automotive, in a recent press release.

Rumors

Originating from British magazine Autocar, the information said that Audi was interested in purchasing McLaren. That would mean adding another supercar to the group’s portfolio, as the German group Volkswagen AG., parent of Audi, already owns Lamborghini.

Furthermore, McLaren isn’t in the best of shapes. The pandemic had drastic consequences, and while the carmaker partially recovered from the revenue slump in the first half of 2021, it still suffered a 12,4 million pounds (€14,5 million) operating loss. This past year, McLaren even sold its famous headquarters building in Woking to then lease it back to get some cash flow.

‘Open to collaboration’

McLaren Automotive was quick to respond. In a press release, it announced that the rumors weren’t accurate. “McLaren’s technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaborations, however, there has been no change in the ownership structure of the McLaren Group,” details the carmaker.

For its part, Audi told Reuters it was “looking at various cooperation ideas”, without confirming nor denying if this collaboration will be done with the British supercar maker. On Sunday, German media Automobilwoche reported that Audi was interested in Formula 1.

The German luxury carmaker is said to want to take advantage of the sport’s future zero-carbon plans to promote its electric cars. On that note, F1 isn’t going all-electric, but the FIA has announced the introduction of sustainable synthetic fuel and has committed to becoming carbon neutral from 2021 and net-zero by 2030.

Energy / Environment / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Belgian Agoria Solar Team wins 24-hour European endurance race

Joris Van Roy Posted On September 20, 2021

The Belgian students of the Agoria Solar Team have claimed their second consecutive victory in the iLumen European Solar Challenge (iESC), a 24-hour endurance race for solar cars on the racetrack of Zolder, Belgium. During the Challenge, each team can make a maximum of two stops for charging to survive the night. Since 2018, teams have been allowed to participate with two solar cars.

It was the second European title for the Belgian team, after becoming World Champion, in a race with nine solar cars from European university teams, coming from The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Romania, and Turkey.

Eight solar cars built

This 7th edition of the iESC was planned originally for 2022, but because the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia had to be canceled this year due to the corona pandemic, an extra edition in Belgium was organized.

The winning car is the BluePoint, the eighth Belgian solar car built by the Agoria team in 2018-2019 that already finished first in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, and the 2020 iLumen European Solar Challenge. The second car of the Agoria Team, the older Punch 2 from 2017, finished fifth.

The four-wheel steering car weighs 135 kg without the driver, has 2,64 m² of Azurspace multi-junction solar cells, a 5 300 Wh battery that weighs 20 kg itself, and can cover 600 km without sun. The body is made of TEI carbon fiber, reinforced with Dupont Kevlar fibers, and uses a Mitsuba in-wheel direct-drive motor. The top speed is 130 km/hour.

Strategic decision

Thanks to the strategic decision to stop only once for charging at night, the Belgian team finished with the most laps (346 in 24 hours) or 1 314 km driven, leaving the Dutch team of Twente behind in the neck-and-neck race. The team had to work through the night earlier to get the car repaired after it got damaged in a maneuver during testing the day before.

The next challenge for the Belgian winning team will be the Solar Challenge Morocco that runs from October 25th to 29th, a five-day event with five different stages. The race will be held on city roads, on Atlas mountain and Sahara desert roads, over a total distance of 2 500 km with the start and finish in Agadir.

Most efficient electric motor

For this race, the team built a new car, the BluePoint Atlas, a three-wheeler with a pointed nose shape ‘bullet design’ to minimize air resistance during driving. One wheel less also means less friction with the ground.

This car is five meters long, has 4m² of square-cut silicon solar cells, and uses a self-designed electric motor with, according to the students, ‘record-breaking efficiency’. They’re talking about peak efficiency of 98%, while a Tesla features 94% of efficiency, they say. A classic car with an internal combustion engine (ICE) only gets at 50% efficiency.

The solar panels count 292 silicon cells, capable of delivering almost 1 000 watts of power. This BluePoint Atlas has an autonomy of 700 km and can reach a top speed of 150 km/hour.

The new BluePoint Atlas has a ‘bullet design’ and only three wheels to minimize drag and ground friction /Agoria Solar Team

Environment / Mobility / Sports / Top Stories Today

Electric racing car ERA breaks lap record in Zolder

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On August 27, 2021

Belgium-developed electric racing car ERA has broken the electric lap record on the raceway of Zolder. It finished the lap in 1 minute and 38,81 seconds. More than 3,5 seconds faster than the previous record.

The car is developed by the Electric Racing Academy (ERA) and the Expertise Center for Durable Mobility of the Flemish Karel de Grote School (Karel de Grote Hogeschool) in Hoboken (Antwerp) to be used for a new championship for junior racing drivers.

As ‘Official Technical Partner’, the Expertise Center for Durable Mobility will further improve telecommunication and information technology for racing cars and develop their own ‘Vehicle Control Module’ that has to become the central brain of the car.

New championship

ERA will organize a new electric racing competition this autumn to stimulate the technical innovation of electric racing and regular cars and mobility in general. The competition will be the centerpiece of a new championship for junior electric racing drivers starting in 2022. The goal is to extend the initiative to other countries. Japan already seems to be interested; the U.S. and New Zealand might follow.

The goal is “to create an accessible entry-level electric formula racing series and to launch a career pathway for promising young driving talent.” Contrary to the official Formula E electric car races, the ERA Championship will be held on traditional race circuits in Europe and the US. Formula E is the ‘green’ version of Formula 1.

‘Honey bee’

The yellow racing car used is named the ‘ERA Mitsu-Bachi F110e’, after the Japanese honey bee species, Nihon mitsubachi. The car, weighing only 650 kg, including the driver, is built on a Japanese Dome F110 chassis, has a 130 kW motor (175 hp), and a 24 kWh battery. The top speed is 240 km/hour.

“People often don’t realize that life-saving systems or other innovations originate from car racing,” Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open /Vld) told the Belga press agency. “In competitions like this one, the best of both worlds is brought together, and I can only applaud it.”

Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) earlier got acquainted with the car when it was introduced in mid-June. She took place behind the steering wheel and got a taste of what it’s like to sit in an electric-powered racing car on the circuit of Zolder.

Energy / Industry / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Mercedes is going to exit from Formula E

Tony Verhelle Posted On August 19, 2021

Mercedes has officially confirmed its exit from Formula E after the coming season. The decision had been taken as part of a strategic realignment of resource allocation to develop electric vehicles.

During the last race weekend of the current Season 7 in Berlin, Mercedes-EQ driver Nyck de Vries secured the drivers’ title. Mercedes-EQ was crowned team world champion thanks to Stoffel Vandoorne’s podium finish – rumor had it that the Stuttgart-based manufacturer’s works team would probably withdraw.

Daimler has now announced that Mercedes-Benz will end its involvement with the “Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team” at the end of Season 8. Unfortunately, this means that the team is withdrawing after three seasons: in Season 5, the “HWA Racelab” team formed the vanguard and gained initial experience in the electric racing series before Mercedes-EQ took over as the works team in Season 6.

Core activities

Mercedes-Benz justifies its withdrawal from Formula E with its focus, announced at the end of July, on becoming fully electric in road vehicles before the end of the decade – where market conditions permit.

As part of the new strategic direction, the brand has “consciously decided to reallocate resources in favor of this faster ramp-up of electrification”. As a result, previous expertise and resources from Formula E powertrain development will now be channeled into developing the three new electric architectures that Mercedes plans to introduce in 2025.

“At Mercedes-Benz, we have committed ourselves to fight climate change at full force in this decade. This demands the accelerated transformation of our company, products, and services toward an emission-free and software-driven future, and to achieve this, we must give full focus to our core activities,” says Daimler and Mercedes board member Markus Schäfer.

For the 2023 season, important investments were also needed because the cars would become ‘GEN3’, a third-generation offshoot that is more powerful and can drive longer.

Technological transfer too small

Development responsible Schäfer doesn’t say it directly. Still, it seems obvious that Mercedes is not entirely satisfied with the technology transfer from Formula E to the road cars: Audi and BMW had similarly justified their exits at the end of the now completed Season 7.

Literally, Schäfer said: “In motorsport, Formula E has been a good driver for proving our expertise and establishing our Mercedes-EQ brand, but in the future, we will keep pushing technological progress – especially on the electric drive side – focusing on Formula One.”

The fact that the Stuttgart-based company expects more from the electric development of Formula 1 hybrid drives than from the know-how from Formula E is telling.

Formula One preferred

But marketing considerations also play a role. Bettina Fetzer, head of marketing at Mercedes-Benz AG: “On a strategic level, Mercedes-AMG will be positioned and strengthened as our performance brand through its close alignment to our record-breaking Formula One team, and F1 will be our company’s works motorsport focus for the years ahead.”

“We entered Formula E with an open mind about the series and its innovative approach to motorsport. A lot of hard work went into building the team and making it competitive – and we have seen an incredible group of talented women and men deliver at the highest level,” said Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff, who is also managing director of the Formula E team. “We will be giving everything to make sure that we finish our Formula E adventure in style in Season 8.”

Interested third parties

However, the team itself could remain in Formula E for Season 9: Team boss Ian James says they are “looking at the best options for the team to continue participating in Formula E beyond Season 8”, including a potential sale to new owners.

Two rumors are persisting at the moment, both in connection with managing director Toto Wolff: firstly, the Monaco-based Mercedes-EQ customer team Venturi is rumored to be interested. The team boss of Venturi Racing is former racing driver Susie Wolff – Toto’s wife.

According to other rumors, Aston Martin could also be interested. Toto Wolff is privately invested in Aston Martin.

Energy / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Are hybrids still the future for endurance racing?

Félix Bouland Posted On August 18, 2021

With the 24 Hours of Le Mans returning this weekend for their 89^th edition, racing regulations are changing in the World Endurance Championship in 2021. LMP1 prototypes are out the doors, and rules are set for the new ‘Hypercar’ category. This year, only Toyota is running a hybrid car, but Peugeot, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, and BMW have plans for the future.

This weekend, the 24 Hours of Le Mans return with a few changes. Compared to last year’s edition, which took place behind closed doors, the public is welcomed back in 2021, with a maximum of 50 000 spectators.

Hypercars

Race categories are also changing, with LMP1 prototypes out the door and new, closer to road cars LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) coming in. With this regulation changes, the number of hybrid race cars on the grid has dropped to one, the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid Hypercar.

As of next year, other competitors will use the hybrid technology once again. As a reminder, Audi, Porsche, and Toyota have been running hybrid racecars in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for more than five years with their R18 e-tron, 919, and TS040 Hybrid.

Starting next year, the scene of hybrid race cars is set to grow with the development of the LMDh category. Derived to the new Hypercar regulation, all cars will have to share a common spine, composed of everything, including the hybrid system except the engine. Porsche, Audi, BMW, and HPD (Honda’s American branch) have already announced their interest.

Hybrids or EV

Today, gasoline is still dominant in the endurance-racing world. And it’s easy to understand why. Formula E races only last 45 minutes, while WEC races range from 6 to 24 hours. The vision of an electric Le Man’s race car is still a conceptual one at the moment.

Since 2018, Mission H24 has been developing a hydrogen-powered race car intending to participate in the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was taken to the track, but it’s not fully ripe yet.

“There is, I think, the fact that we have made a new regulation that is extremely attractive and that has met the expectations of many manufacturers,” declared Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and organizer of the 24 Hours, in an interview with the AFP.

“We will now have cars whose fans can identify the brand and a design that makes people dream, which was no longer quite the case with our LMP1s, where aerodynamic efficiency was paramount and which were, therefore, designed more by computers. These will be hybrid cars because reducing CO2 emissions is fundamental and will cost much less, between four and five times less.”

Climate / Energy / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Belgian solar team heads for Morocco in new ‘Blue Point Atlas’

Gert Verhoeven Posted On August 3, 2021

Twenty engineering students from the Belgian KU Leuven University have just presented the new solar car of the Agoria Solar Team, the ‘Blue Point Atlas’. It is a high-tech car with an electric drive system powered by solar energy. A remarkable new feature is that the car now has three wheels instead of four.

Expectations are sky-high for the student team because in 2019 (the last pre-corona edition), the team crowned both European and world champion with the Agoria team’s solar car. Originally, the team would have participated in and defended the title at the World Championships in Australia this autumn, but this competition was canceled due to the Covid-19 measures.

Defending the championship title

As an alternative, the team will participate in the Solar Challenge Morocco through the Moroccan Sahara desert at the end of October. It is a five-day race through the Atlas Mountains over a distance of 2 500 km.

Due to the mountainous route, the team will have to overcome 10 000 altitude meters, which will be a real challenge for the autonomy of the electric single-seater. The car’s presentation was held at the Africa Museum in Tervuren, a wink to the race that will take place on African soil.

Logistical assistance from Indupol

Twenty engineering students developed the Agoria Solar Team solar car. It was built in collaboration with and with the logistical support of Indupol in Arendonk. This company has half a century of experience in the manufacture of composite materials for the car industry.

The complex and aerodynamic bodywork and the carbon structure of the solar car were manufactured there.

150 km/h on three wheels

The ‘Blue Point Atlas’ is the ninth vehicle the team has built, and this version has three wheels instead of four. A very intentional choice to reduce weight, but especially friction.

The rolling resistance of the bearings and the tire make an important difference in a vehicle where one wants to convert as much (limited) energy as possible into movement. The aerodynamic design with its pointed nose also reduces the energy demand, and the lightweight structure makes a difference.

The students also developed a brand new electric motor that is even more efficient (close to 98%). The race in Morocco will immediately provide the ultimate test because of the considerable height differences mentioned.

The solar car recharges on the way with the integrated solar panels (4 m2) on the bodywork. When the battery is fully charged, the autonomy of up to 700 km is possible. The top speed of the three-wheeler is 150 km/h.

By mounting two wheels at the front, it is sufficiently stable to attain and maintain such speeds. This architecture was previously applied by the small English car manufacturer Morgan, and Can-Am has also built a similar Spyder.

Industry / Sports / Top Stories Today

Jaguar Racing commits to Formula E Gen3 era

Félix Bouland Posted On July 23, 2021

Car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has announced its commitment to the Formula E Gen3 era starting in 2022-2023. The racing will be part of Jaguar’s journey to becoming fully electric by 2025, and it should help develop and benchmark new technologies.

Since its beginning in Formula E in 2016, Jaguar achieved four victories and 12 podiums. Ahead of its first home race at the London E-GP, Jaguar is leading the championship.

“The Gen3 era of Formula E is an exciting new chapter for the all-electric World Championship. It’s already proving to be the perfect environment to design, collaborate, test, and develop new sustainable technologies at a pace,” says Thierry Bolloré, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, in a press release.

“Jaguar Racing will not only play a role in the renaissance of Jaguar as a pure-electric luxury brand but across the entire electrified Jaguar Land Rover ecosystem, helping to deliver our sustainable future and our digital transformation,”

‘Real-world testbed’

As part of its Reimagine plan, Jaguar Land Rover is officially committing to Formula E. According to the brand, the fully electric championship is the perfect real-world testbed to develop world-leading electric technologies. Therefore, racing should play a key role in developing future electric and hybrid cars, as Jaguar plans to become fully electric by 2025, and the group reaches zero tailpipe emissions by 2036.

Gen3

Formula E’s Gen3 era will start in season nine at the end of 2022. It will see the arrival of lighter and more powerful racecars. Total output will be raised from 250 to 350 kW with maximum regenerative braking power increased from 250 to 600 kW.

Other than Jaguar, French DS, Japanese Nissan, German Porsche, and Indian Mahindra have also announced their commitment for the Gen3 era of Formula E. On the other hand, Audi and BMW will leave the championship at the end of this year.

Energy / Industry / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Peugeot presents hybrid race car 9X8

Tony Verhelle Posted On July 7, 2021

Racing gets green. For a certain time already, we have Formula E, now the World Endurance Championship (WEC) gets greener too. Peugeot is getting in the dance again by presenting a hybrid hypercar, the 9X8.

The French carmaker plans to enter the hybrid race car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the WEC World Endurance Championship from 2022 onward.

Short history

Peugeot last competed at Le Mans between 2007 and 2011 and before in the nineties. It won Le Mans in 1992 and 1993 with a gasoline car, the 905. In 2009, it won with a diesel-fueled racing car called the 908, to which the successor 9X8 alludes, supplemented by the reference to all-wheel drive.

A hybrid version of this 908 was already developed for 2012, but it never ran a race. Peugeot had discontinued the Le Mans program for financial reasons even though the hybrid car was ready. PSA was heading for a difficult period at the time.

The new car will compete in the highest class of the WEC, the hypercars. There have already been hybrid racing cars in a category called LMP1, but the new class LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) is far simpler and up to 80% less costly. There are rumors of a 30 to 50 million euros budget.

While the LMP1 race cars with electric motors on the turbocharger, rear axle, and front axle briefly made it to over 1 000 hp, the drive power of the LMW race cars is capped at 500 kW or 680 hp.

Best efficiency

The 2,6-liter V6 with two turbochargers developed by Peugeot produces exactly 500 kW. In other words, when the 200 kW electric motor is working on the front axle, the combustion engine’s output must be reduced accordingly so that the car does not deliver more than 500 kW at any time.

The endurance races focus more and more on powertrain efficiency. If the car is more fuel-efficient, it will need to refuel less often. “Our target concerning our energy requirements is flawless reliability and perfect control,” explains Jean-Marc Finot, motorsport director at Stellantis.

“Le Mans has become a 24-hour sprint race that can be won or lost by the number of times you pit. The exceptional energy efficiency of the new Hypercars prefigures what we will see shortly in the world of road cars.”

The electrical energy is stored in a 900-volt battery developed jointly by Peugeot Sport and the Total subsidiary Saft. Stellantis has brought Saft onboard as a partner in the Stellantis battery factories for road cars.

LMH versus LMDh

Participation with a so-called LMDh prototype would also have been possible. The latter is the top category in the North American IMSA racing series; the ‘D’ here stands for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Participation in Le Mans and Daytona is possible – Audi and Porsche have opted for this route, intending to compete from 2023.

BMW is taking on a special role: The Munich-based company has announced the development of an LMDh race car, but, so far, only for North America, and a start at Le Mans has not been confirmed. Toyota has also developed a hypercar; the Toyota TS050 Hybrid has been in use since this season, competing against hypercars from private teams.

In 2022, the 9X8 hypercar from Peugeot will join the field, followed in 2023 by the LMDh race cars from Porsche, Audi, and possibly BMW. Ferrari also plans to enter a hypercar in 2023. However, details of the Le Mans Ferrari are not yet known.

9X8

An LMDh race car is even less expensive (it uses a chassis from a supplier, for example), but developers have more freedom with hypercars. “The greater flexibility that the sport’s new technical regulations give in terms of aerodynamics allows radical new thinking that favors the creation of innovative vehicles,” Peugeot explains.

“We homologate the car for years, with little possibilities to alter it afterward, so it’s important to have a mature project, performant, and reliable at the same time,” explains Jean-Marc Finot. A surprising result of this radical aerodynamical thinking is that the 9X8 does not require a classic rear wing.

“The regulations stipulate that only one adjustable aerodynamic device is permitted, without specifying the rear wing,” says Olivier Jansonnie, technical director Endurance at Peugeot. “Our calculation work and simulations revealed that high performance was effectively possible without one.”

The new 9X8 looks very clean and aerodynamic for that reason. It distinguishes itself also by its lights, reminiscing the three slanting stripes of the Peugeot logo, suggesting the ‘touch’ of Peugeot’s lion. At the moment, the 9X8 is still a maquette; testing of the real car will begin later this year, with the hope to be able to compete already at Le Mans in June 2022.

1,5 million jobs

According to a new study by Ernst & Young, worldwide motorsports represent 1,5 million jobs and €160 billion of turnover. The study was held in 2019 in 145 different countries. Jean Todt, President of the International Motorsports Federation (FIA), commissioned the study: “This proves that our sport can also contribute to the economic revival after the covid pandemic.”

The motorsports industry generates a direct turnover of some 60 billion euros, but the indirect business for other industries adds a small 100 billion. Similarly, the study sees 576 000 people directly employed by the motorsports business and 924 000 indirectly. Moreover, in 2019, 2,7 million people participated in 60 700 motorsports events all over the world.

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Bugatti finally sold to Porsche and… Rimac

Tony Verhelle Posted On July 6, 2021

It was an open secret that Volkswagen was looking for a buyer for its supercar brand Bugatti. Finally, it has found a solution: Croatian tech firm Rimac is the new owner, with 45% of the shares for Porsche, the VW Group keeps an eye out.

With 55% of the shares, Rimac is the new owner. The Croatian company founded by Mate Rimac (33) is specialized in the development of electric supercars. The newest one is the Nevera, with 1 914 (electric) horsepower on tap and a top speed of 412 kph.

‘The Elon Musk of the Balkan

Mate Rimac started his company in 2009 when he was in his early twenties. As an amateur racer and master handyman, he transformed his old BMW with a dead (ICE) engine into an electric car in his garage. That’s where Rimac started.

At the moment, Rimac Automobili, based in Sveta Nedelja near the Croatian capital Zagreb, has 1 000 employees. Apart from developing and building electric supercars, he’s also into electric boats and bikes. The increasing success of his company procured him the nickname of ‘the Elon Musk of the Balkan.

His expertise in electric propulsion has become famous, and a reason for Hyundai and Porsche to become shareholders. The link with Porsche is now even more visible with the new company Bugatti-Rimac.

The Bugatti enigma

One of the dreams of VW patriarch Ferdinand Piëch was to have a super brand in his portfolio. That’s why, in 1998, he revived the mythic French brand Bugatti and gave his engineers ‘carte blanche’ to make the fastest production car in the world.

The development of this supercar, the Veyron, was no mean feat. Unfortunately, even though the car cost well over a million euros initially, the company was probably never profitable.

The low volume and exorbitant development and production costs made VW never publish financial results for Bugatti separately. With the venue of other, even more specialized ‘hypercar’ makers, VW started to look for a buyer. The fact that Ferdinand Piëch was no longer on board probably accelerated the move.

Bugatti-Rimac

The new company’s headquarters will be situated in Zagreb, and Mate Rimac will lead the newcomer. The company will start officially in the fourth quarter of this year; financial details haven’t been revealed.

For the moment, Bugatti produces the successor of the Veyron, the Chiron, in its original birth town of Molsheim (Alsace, France), and that will stay there, assuring the future of the 130 employees over there. In addition, some 300 people will work at the new headquarters in Zagreb.

When the first fully electric Bugatti appears is unknown yet, Rimac has confirmed that they will probably come in the medium term.

The influence of Porsche in the whole deal can’t be underestimated. In July 2018, the Germans had already shown interest in the Croatian ‘dwarf’, taking a 10% participation in the company. Meanwhile, that has risen to 24% last March.

“I see Porsche as our big brother, ready to help and to support us,” says Mate Rimac about the new partnership.

“Bugatti brings tradition, emblematic products, a loyal clientele, and a worldwide dealer network to the new company,” explains Oliver Blume, Porsche CEO. He will be a member of the board in the new entity.

Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Minister gets taste of junior electric ERA Championship

Joris Van Roy Posted On June 22, 2021

On Monday, Flemish Minister for Mobility Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) got a taste of what it’s like to sit in an electric-powered racing car on the circuit of Zolder. The car, developed by the Electric Racing Academy (ERA) with the help of the Flemish Karel de Grote Hogeschool, is the centerpiece of a new championship for junior electric racing drivers to start in 2022.

The ERA Championship launch in Europe will feature a series of demonstration drives, testing races, and viewing events in autumn this year. Eventually, the start of the new championship was due for Spring 2021, but that was before the pandemic hit.

The goal is “to create an accessible entry-level electric formula racing series and to launch a career pathway for promising young driving talent.” Contrary to the official Formula-E electric car races, the ERA Championship will be held on traditional race circuits in Europe and the US.

Sports and Innovation Class

There are two racing classes, the Sports Class, where drivers and teams compete in identical electric cars, and the Innovation Class, where teams can develop elements of the vehicle themselves, including powertrain, energy storage system, and human-machine interface.

The race format for both championships will feature one free practice session, two 15 minute qualifying sessions, and two 23 minute plus one-lap races. The yellow racing car used is named the ‘ERA Mitsu-Bachi F110e’, after the Japanese honey bee species, Nihon mitsubachi.

Comparable to Formula 4 car

The car, weighing only 650 kg, including the driver, is built on a Japanese Dome F110 chassis, has a 130 kW motor (175 hp) and a 24 kWh battery. The top speed is 240 km/h, which is more than a traditional F4 car.

Apparently, the development team could use a helping hand in mastering the in-car network communication and partnered with the Expertise Center for Durable Mobility of the Flemish Karel de Grote Hogeschool in Hoboken.

Central brain of the car

The latter developed the communication for the controllers, modules, and inverters of the car and delivered the telemetrics for testing. It is working on its own Vehicle Controle Module that has to become the central brain of the racecar.

The ‘driving force’ behind the ERA Championship is ‘The Driving Force‘ owned by Hans Van de Ven. It organizes the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge for the Benelux. The Driving Force also runs the Motorsportschool Zolder, one of the largest schools for motorcycle track day education in Europe and organizer of endurance championships and sprint races for amateur riders.

eBikes / Environment / Health / Mobility / Product / Sports / Top Stories Today

New cycling map for the province of Flemish Brabant

Luc Joris Posted On March 31, 2021

The new cycling map for the province of Flemish Brabant has been officially presented. That happened on Tuesday in Halle, where one of the two new cycle routes accessible to people with reduced mobility is situated.

The result on this new map “is a cycling network with 150 kilometers of additional paths, 80 kilometers improved, and 100 new crossing points,” explained Gunther Coppers, in charge of tourism for the province.

11 500 markers

It is mainly the green belt (Groene Gordel) that is undergoing the most changes. Since October last year, 11 500 markers have been installed or replaced.

The thematic loops are taken over from the cycle network but have new signage to follow them from the crossing points.

Two routes accessible to people with reduced mobility also appear on the map. These are the Sportimonium road between Vilvoorde and Zemst, and another one between Halle and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

The province has acquired new adapted bicycles (including wheelchair transport) and now has six of them. They are located at various places in Leuven, Aarschot, Halle, Vilvoorde, and Zoutleeuw.

Network of 2 150 km

The cycling card costs 7 euros in bookshops, tourist offices, or on the Toerisme Vlaams-Brabant website. The network totals 2 150 km. It covers various types of landscape and in some places goes right into the center of towns.

The map shows the distances from junction to junction, gradients, places of interest, cycle cafes, and cycle lodgings. This cycling network also connects to the RAVel routes that criss-cross all of Wallonia and the cycling maps of Antwerp, East Flanders, Limburg, and Walloon Brabant.

The network also connects to the Green Walk, a walking and cycling route along Brussels’ most beautiful parks and natural areas.

Health / Mobility / Road safety / Sports / Top Stories Today

First 90-km long rollerblade route links Genk and Hasselt

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On March 22, 2021

Flanders proudly opened its first rollerblade route on Sunday. The signposted stretch between Hasselt and Genk contains several loops and combines the region’s most beautiful spots. Skaters can choose their point of departure, decide how many kilometers they want to cover and enjoy the overall 90-km long skating track.

Genk offers a 20-km stretch and a 35-km route with starting points in C-Mine, Sport-in-Genk, or Kattevennen. Hasselt has a 22 km route with points of departure in Alverberg, Kapermolenpark, and Sport Vlaanderen. Fledglings can opt for a shorter stretch of five kilometers.

‘Good work-out

The rollerblade route was officially inaugurated by the respective Mayors of Hasselt and Genk, Steven Vandeput (N-VA), and Wim Dries (CD&V). “We’re happy to be able to offer a qualitative track for starting en experienced inline skaters,” Genk’s Mayor Wim Dries added. “Inline skating is clearly on the rise, and it was time to provide some infrastructure for the sport.”

“Inline skating is a social and accessible sport and a good work-out,” Flemish Minister of Sports Ben Weyts said about the initiative. The Minister was announced to be present but was unable to come.

Pilot project

At Sport Vlaanderen Hasselt, enthusiasts can rent inline skates and the necessary protection, like helmets, knee caps, elbow protection, or wrist-guards. Renting a pair of inline skates and the basic protection material (no helmet) costs €3/hour.

Reservations can be made online. Inline skate lessons will start as of next month. The rollerblade route between Genk and Hasselt is a pilot project. If the initiative catches on, other paths can follow.

Sports / Technology / Weekly Newsletter

Formula E restarts World Championship for 2021

Félix Bouland Posted On February 26, 2021

The 2021 Formula E season will start this Friday, February 26^th, as the now FIA regulated World Championship will take to the streets of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. For its seventh year, the electric single-seater racing series has had to deal with the pandemic, already causing a delay and imposing a day-to-day adaptation of the championship’s calendar.

Coming in first in the Driver’s Championship for the third time in a row and second in the Constructor’s Championship for the second time in a row, DS Techeetah will be the team to beat. Finishing last season in second place, Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne aims to take the gold for his third year at Mercedes.

Covid-19 difficulties

“It is a huge recognition to be an FIA World Championship after such a short time. At six years old, we are still a small child, but we’re already recognized as part of the big boys. It’s something important and, given this status, we must be able to provide a good season,” declared Frederic Espinos, Formula E’s Sporting Director, in an interview with French press agency AFP.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first Formula E season as FIA World Championship has already slipped a cog. It was supposed to start in mid-January in Santiago, Chile, but the start has been postponed until today. For now, only eight races are planned: Diriyah (February 26 & 27), Rome (April 10), Valencia (April 24), Monaco (May 8), Marrakech (May 22), and Santiago (June 5 & 6).

Ambitious Germans

Winner of last year’s Drivers and Constructors Championships, DS Techeetah will continue on its path with the French Jean-Eric Vergne and the Portuguese Antonio Felix Da Costa at the wheel. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team got itself a new driver. The German Pascal Wehrlein will drive beside his teammate and fellow-German André Lotterer.

The Brit Sam Bird goes from Virgin to Jaguar, while former reserve driver Norman Nato (FR) will have a seat at Venturi this season. At the wheel of the Mercedes-Bens EQ Silver Arrow 01, Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne and Dutch Nyck de Vries hope to place the team further up on the podium after the third Constructor’s place in 2020.

‘Consistency is key to win’

In a recent interview given to La Dernière Heure newspaper, Belgian racing driver for Mercedes and last year’s vice-champion, Stoffel Vandoorne, declares aiming for first place. “We have a new power unit, which is obviously more powerful than the previous one. It will allow us to take a step forward. We’ll have to wait for this weekend’s results to see if we can play with the DS Techeetah team,” notes the 28-year-old driver.

The Courtai-born notes that consistency is key to the title, but nothing is as simple as it appears. Last year, there was an important gap in terms of points between him and first place, more so than between the other drivers of the top 10.

Energy / Industry / Product / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today / Weekly Newsletter

McLaren presents hybrid Artura, ‘the next generation supercar’

Tony Verhelle Posted On February 18, 2021

The English sports car manufacturer McLaren has just presented its new flagship Artura. It’s a completely new high-performance two-seater coupe that has to represent the sports car of the future. And, of course, one could say, it’s hybrid.

The Artura thus combines a six-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor, a first for the manufacturer. It is already available for order in the UK, starting at £185 500 (about €225 000).

Central rear sits a new three-liter V6 at an unusual 120° V angle to make room for two turbochargers in the V, resulting in a very compact power unit that contributes to the low center of gravity. It develops 430 kW and is assisted by a 70 kW electric motor. It weighs 40 kg less than the V8 engine used until now.

This results in a combined power of 500 kW (680 hp) and a combined maximum torque of 720 Nm (585 Nm from the combustion engine, 225 Nm developed by the electromotor). The rear wheels get all that power and torque via a brand-new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Lightweight is key

Already in the fifties and sixties of the past century, Lotus founder Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman (hence the ACBC-logo) was pointing out that a (very) powerful but heavy car would always be very fast in a straight line. Still, a light and nimble car would be fast all along the road.

McLaren still follows this basic law for sports cars. The Artura is based on the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). With its carbon-fiber structure (the tub weighs 82 kg), the mid-engine sports car has a dry weight of 1 375 kg and is supposed to weigh less than 1,5 tons on the road, despite the hybrid components.

Axial flux

The small electromotor is of the axial flux type (like Magnax is developing in Belgium) and weighs only 15,8 kg, whereas the electromotor in McLarens hypercar P1 still weighs 38 kg. With a usable capacity of 7,4 kWh, the battery is quite small, but, according to the manufacturer, it should be possible to cover 30 kilometers on a single charge. The whole battery pack only weighs 88 kg.

Charging is done via a Type 2 connection, which is installed above the left rear wheel. The battery is supposed to be chargeable to 80% in two and a half hours, which corresponds to a charging power of just 2 kW.

The fact that the Artura drives away in E-mode every time it is started shows that McLaren is serious about the electric drive and does not just want to use it as a performance boost. Also, there is no reverse gear; to reverse McLaren just is inverting the electric motor.

Performance aplenty

Thanks to the readily available power and the restraint weight, the Artura is very quick. 0 to 100 kph takes just 3 seconds; after 8,3 seconds, you’re already doing 200 kph. Top speed is calibrated at a breath-taking 330 kph.

With a CO2 emission result of only 129 g/km (WLTP), the Artura is also the most fuel-efficient McLaren ever produced. A new rear suspension concept, uprated electro-hydraulic steering, and Proactive Damping Control enhance the car’s agility, stability, and dynamic performance.

Artura has a completely new interior with all key controls accessible with hands on the wheel. A new 8-inch HD touchscreen infotainment system enables the configuration of some advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and smartphone mirroring.

The ground-breaking electrical architecture enables over-the-air (OTA) updates, integrated stolen vehicle tracking (available in certain markets), and future upgrades.

To close, we let McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt have the final word: “Our all-new, High-Performance Hybrid delivers all of the performance, driver engagement, and dynamic excellence for which McLaren is renowned. With the additional benefit of EV driving capability.”

“The introduction of the Artura is a landmark moment – for McLaren, for our customers who will appreciate and enjoy this car on every emotional and rational level, and for the supercar world,” he concludes.

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Audi’s e-tron GT is flagship of EV range (Update)

Tony Verhelle Posted On February 11, 2021

Audi has launched the top of the line of its e-tron EV range. The e-tron GT and the even more sporty RS version are two versions of an Audi Gran Turismo sedan. Underneath, it has a lot in common with the Porsche Taycan, but there are quite some differences too.

The e-tron GT shares the J1 platform from Porsche, making it the first electric car from Audi with a flat-floor architecture. The 800-volt battery has a gross energy content of 93,4 kWh, which comes down to 85 kWh net. As with the Taycan, the DC charging power is up to 270 kW.

Audi also relies on permanently excited synchronous motors. The electric motor on the rear axle is fitted with the two-speed transmission familiar from the Taycan. Audi deviates from the e-sports car from Zuffenhausen when it comes to the electric motors’ performance spec – the focus is not on the last kW of top performance, but on the overall character of the car.

More a Gran Turismo

The Porsche Taycan always wanted to be a sports car suitable for traveling, whereas Audi wants to position the e-tron GT as a Gran Turismo with a real sporty spirit.

The e-tron GT Quattro has 350 kW on tap, with the ‘Launch Control’, 390 kW should be possible for a short time. In comparison, the Taycan 4S with the large battery comes to 360 and 420 kW, respectively.

The more sporty RS e-tron GT is rated at 440 kW, with 475 kW possible with Launch Control. In comparison: both the Taycan Turbo and Turbo S come to 460 kW, in ‘Overboost’, Porsche specifies up to 500 and 560 kW, respectively for the Turbo and the Turbo S.

The top speed for the e-tron GT is 245 kph; for the RS, it is 250. Acceleration times up to 100 kph are 4,1 and 3,3 seconds, respectively. Maybe not as fast as the Porsches, but no sluggards indeed. The WLTP consumption is 21,9 (GT) or 22,5 kWh (RS GT).

More frugal

It’s also on the energy consumption side that Audi wants to make a difference. The GT with a range claim of 487 kilometers (in WLTP testing) drives further than the comparable Taycan 4S (463 kilometers).

The reasons? Firstly, the Taycan has a slightly lower usable energy content of 83,7 kWh. Secondly, Audi emphasized aerodynamics during development. The drag value is an excellent 0,24, thanks to the closed underbody of the battery, the diffuser, the multi-stage extendable rear spoiler, and the actively switchable air intakes for brakes and radiator.

Another difference lies in the energy recuperation. Porsche has chosen for a ‘sailing mode’ most of the time when not accelerating, and only a mild recuperation mode can be activated with a button.

In the e-tron GT, the driver can regulate the recuperation level with the paddles behind the steering wheel. The amount of recuperation (also while braking) can, therefore, go up to 265 kW.

But good long-distance performance for an EV comes with short charging times, and Audi has luckily copied those of Porsche. With DC charging, up to 270 kW can be charged per hour, or 100 km of range every five minutes.

The DC charging port is located on the passenger side; like in the Taycan, an additional AC port is installed on the driver’s side. The AC maximum charging power is 11 kW for now, but shortly Audi also wants to offer an option to 22 kW.

Slightly more conventional interior

At 4,99 m, the e-tron GT is slightly longer than the Taycan (4,96 meters) but retains the fundamentally sporty proportions: large wheels, wide track, flat silhouette, long wheelbase. The nose hints at the single-frame radiator grille, but there are no openings.

At the rear, the taillights differentiate themselves clearly from those of the Porsche. With 405 l capacity, the trunk in the GT is bigger than the one in the Taycan (366 l, like in the RS), while the front compartment (or frunk) also has a slightly bigger volume (85 l).

The most significant difference to the Taycan can be found in the interior. That of the Audi is more conventional, as known on other recent cars of the brand. The e-tron is standardly fitted with a heat pump, and the interior can be preconditioned. When one chooses the ‘comfort packing climate control’ as an option, the seats, the exterior mirrors, and the rear window are also included in the adjustments.

Electric cars may be attractive for their operating silence; the e-tron GT makes more noise artificially than required for safety. An even more pronounced, sporty hum can be ordered (standard on the RS version).

Numerous options

Audi offers numerous options for both the interior and exterior, as well as for the technology. Customers can choose between three different headlights: regular LED, LED-Matrix, and LED-Matrix with laser light.

The braking system can also differ: apart from the conventional steel discs, there are tungsten carbide-coated ones (standard on RS) and carbon-fiber ceramic discs. The standard roof made of heat-insulating glass can be replaced by a lighter carbon-fiber roof if desired.

There is also a choice of three versions for the front seats – sport seats, sport seats plus with 14-way adjustment, and sport seats plus with 18-way adjustment. The air suspension is optional on the e-tron GT but standard on the RS e-tron GT.

Made in Germany, unless…

As the e-tron GT sits on a totally different platform, the car is not assembled in Brussels’ Belgian Audi factory (where the e-tron SUV and e-tron Sportback are produced). Still, it is built at the Böllinger Höfe plant in Neckarsulm, Germany. The production facility (where the R8 is built) has been refurbished for this new task.

In Germany, the introductory price of an e-tron GT is €99 800. An RS version will cost you €138 200. This is respectively €102 900 and €143 200, some 7 500 euros less than the corresponding Taycan versions in Belgium.

The German automotive news site Kfz-Betrieb has published more information on the planned number of units of the e-tron GT. “Audi does not want to produce 10 000 units per year in the Böllinger Höfe in Neckarsulm. However, the company emphasized that it would be in a position to increase production if there was sufficient demand.”

The manufacturer apparently thinks that the US will be their largest market. “Around 50% of all models are to go to the States. A quarter is planned for Europe,” says the article on the site. According to a letter from the manufacturer to Audi dealers, which was made available to Kfz-Betrieb, there will be a special edition at the launch, limited to 100 units worldwide and 25 for the German market.

Audi has also released the pricing for the e-tron GT for the American market. The 2022 Audi e-tron GT is expected to go on sale in the US this summer, starting at $99 900 for the e-tron GT quattro Premium Plus. The e-tron GT Quattro Prestige will have a price tag of $107 100, and the top model RS e-tron GT will cost at least $139 900.

Portrait / Sports / Top Stories Today

Michel Vaillant’s cartoonist Jean Graton dies aged 97

Félix Bouland Posted On January 22, 2021

The Father of the Michel Vaillant cartoon, Jean Graton, has passed away in Brussels this Thursday, aged 97. Graton, who was born in France in 1923, settled in Belgium in the late forties, where he published the first adventures of his racing driver character, Michel Vaillant, in Tintin’s journal in 1957.

He leaves a legacy of racing-inspired cartoons and illustrations for Les Belles Histoires de l’Oncle Paul, Julie Wood, or Les Labourdet.

The last sacred monster of Franco-Belgian comics’ golden age has passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family this Thursday. He was the father of the iconic cartoon series Michel Vaillant, telling the story of a fictional racing driver who nursed the love for machines and racing of many children and adults over the years.

Birth of a racing legend

Born in France in 1923, Jean Graton had a difficult early life after his mother’s death and his father’s arrest by the Germans in 1939. After working in the Nantes shipyard, he heads to Belgium to live from his passion for drawing. After a stint at the Spirou Magazine, he joins Tintin’s journal, where he benefits from more freedom to draw what he really loves: cars and racing.

In 1957, he created a new short story centered on a fictional racing driver named Michel Vaillant. One after the other, stories gather popularity, and the first comic strip was published in 1959. 75 more will follow over the years, featuring futuristic views on the car industry, apart from the personal stories.

Racing realism

“For his stories to be as realistic as possible, he dived right in the bath. He would go to racing events, question drivers and team managers. He took a lot of detailed photos. He was constantly gathering information,” notes Daniel Bouchez, Graton’s collaborator from 1969 to 2002, in a recent interview with L’Avenir.

“The realism of his stories is remarkable. His albums are more credible than any motorsport film. He doesn’t make the slightest mistake and draws beautiful cars ahead of their time. He is a great creator, the Pininfarina of comics,” declared Belgian racing driver Jacky Ickx, in an interview with Le Soir back in 2014.

Jacky Ickx figured in several of Graton’s stories and was always painted with great respect. But in the end, he never won. “For Graton, the Vaillants had to win always and everywhere,” muttered Ickx, a little disappointed, as only true winners can be.

Industry / Product / Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Lotus and Alpine opt for electric future together

Félix Bouland Posted On January 21, 2021

During the presentation of its new strategic plan, Groupe Renault announced that Alpine would go fully electric and develop an EV sportscar together with Lotus. Both will work on a shared EV platform that the French will use for the A110’s replacement.

At the same time, the legendary, Geely-owned sportscar manufacturer aims at launching a whole range of models under the umbrella of the Evija halo supercar.

Two historic manufacturers of small, nimble, and light sportscars are going for full electrification. Under the mantra ‘stronger together’, Lotus and Alpine are teaming up to develop a common platform that should underpin a series of electric sportscars in the future.

Technical partnership

One week ago, Groupe Renault announced its new strategic plan, ‘Renaultution’, which includes a revamp of some of the group’s brands, additional models, and a sharp turn toward EVs.

This is especially the case for sportscar maker Alpine, with a new B-segment compact car and an SUV in the pipeline, as well as the A110’s replacement. It will be built upon a new EV platform jointly developed with Lotus.

“We will collaborate on many aspects, the major one being the EV sportscar chassis, which will yield a whole line-up of sportscars. We’ll have a technical collaboration as well. We have formidable expertise in sportscars, and they have the know-how in aerodynamic propulsion and the electrification of racecars,” declared Uday Senapati, Executive Director at Lotus, in a recent interview with the AFP press agency.

Full (electric) steam ahead

Currently, only an agreement between both parties has been signed, but hopes are high. Lotus doesn’t give away a precise timetable for the launch of its future vehicles, but it hopes to have a fully electric range when its 80^th birthday comes in 2028.

While Mr. Senapati discloses that the development of the Evija has encountered some difficulties in 2020, especially for real-world testing due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, he confirms that the 2 000-hp electric hypercar will enter production at the end of the year.

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Geely and Foxconn to jointly build EVs for other carmakers

Joris Van Roy Posted On January 14, 2021

Chinese carmaker Geely and Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn are setting up a joint venture to become contract manufacturers for other companies wanting to build electric cars. Like Apple, for instance?

Geely surely has some spare capacity to build more cars at the moment. It looks this Chinese octopus is spreading its tentacles everywhere. And it surely is a significant sign the automotive industry finding big ICT tech more and more in common interests.

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn and Volvo’s motherhouse Geely have developed platforms for electric cars that they declared earlier wanting to share with third parties. Geely just announced a partnership with the ‘Chinese Google’, Baidu for robot taxis. Foxconn signed a deal with Chinese electric car start-up Byton to back up the production of its first M-Byte model.

Contract manufacturing

Taiwan’s Foxconn (officially Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd.) and Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will each hold 50% of the new – yet to be named – joint venture for contract manufacturing EVs. A kind of Chinese variant of Europe’s Magna Steyr or VDL Nedcar.

Officially it says the joint venture is going “to provide OEM production and comprehensive customized consulting services relating to whole vehicles, parts, intelligent drive systems, automotive ecosystem platforms, electric vehicle industry value chain, etc. to global automotive enterprises.”

“This alliance between Geely Holding and Foxconn represents a milestone in the cooperation between the automotive industry and ICT industry,” Young-way Liu, Chairman of Foxconn Technology Group, says.

Spare capacity to build EVs

According to anonymous sources news agency Reuters cites, Geely has the manufacturing capacity to build 2 million cars a year but sold only some 1,3 million of them in 2020.

Besides its own branded cars, the Chinese carmaker owns Volvo and Polestar and the joint venture with Volvo, Lynk & Co, the Belgian Alain Visser’s brainchild. It also has a majority stake in British Lotus and nearly 50% of Malaysian Proton. And it owns the London EV Company, producing London’s black cabs to make them electric-powered vehicles in the future.

Daimler’s largest single shareholder

In February 2018, Geely bought 9,7% of Daimler AG’s shares and became the prestigious German manufacturer’s largest single shareholder. The man behind this move was Li Shufu, also known as ‘the Chinese Henry Ford’.

In March, Daimler announced it would move the production of Smart from Hambach (France) to China to build it together in an all-electric version only with Geely from 2022 on. In October 2018, Geely and Daimler created a joint venture to offer premium ride-hailing services in China.

More recently, in November 2020, Daimler end Geely said to join forces to develop and build together a new generation of gasoline engines for hybrids for all the brands of both partners, including Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.

Consumer electronics giant

On the other hand, Foxconn is already the world’s largest contract manufacturer of consumer electronics, including Apple’s iPhones and iPads. Other known electronic devices like BlackBerry,Kindle, Nintendo 3DS, Nokia devices, Xiaomi devices, Sony’s PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft’s Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One.

Car industry analysts mentioned it as a possible candidate to build an Apple e-car the American giant is prepping for a launch in 2024. Foxconn developed itself an EV platform called MIH, with solid-state batteries that can accommodate different carmakers’ needs and specs. The first car based on the platform could be launched in two years, the solid-state batteries in 2024.

The Taiwanese tech giant, which employs more than 800 000 people, already announced in January a 50/50 joint venture with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) – yet to be incorporated with PSA into ‘Stellantis’ – to develop and make electric cars for the Chinese market and maybe export them later.

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Is the luxury car ready for the electric era?

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 16, 2020

The energy transition is inevitable. The sooner manufacturers are adapting themselves to it, the better for them. Nevertheless, manufacturers of real luxury cars seem to have many problems to adapt themselves, Porsche being a notable exception.

For many of those traditionally-thinking companies, the energy transition won’t be a piece of cake. By the look of it, some haven’t even thought about it. Or they delayed it for an unforeseeable length of time.

Porsche is the exception

As an example of the opposite, Porsche has taken the U-turn in its typical spirited way. So much so that the electric Taycan is already the third best-selling Porsche and that Porsche enthusiasts all over the world have greeted and accepted it with a lot of zeal.

But take Bentley, part of the same VW Group and beneficiary of all the technical prowess of Porsche. Still, their plans to ‘transit’ are cautious, and nothing serious will apparently happen before 2025.

2025 will indeed be a turning point. The new Euro 7 regulations won’t leave any choice anymore to these ancestral behemoths. Apart from that, one has to consider that a lot of cities and even countries aren’t going to allow ICE cars anymore after 2030.

Is the English royalty doomed to count on real horses again? BMW’s daughter Rolls-Royce responds in its usual phlegmatic way: they’re working on a ‘full electric carriage’ within the next ten years. No hurry.

What about ‘super sports’ cars?

Not so long ago, many of these (relatively small) manufacturers of exceptional cars thought they had nothing to do with this energy transition. But they got confronted with two problems. First, the motorsport competition is electrifying at an ever-accelerating pace. Secondly, electric cars, already in production, ridicule the performance they’re managing with multiple cylinder engines.

Ferrari has finally reacted. The new SF90 Stradale supercar has adapted hybrid technology used in Formula 1 for a long time. But they’re still hesitant to have a fully electric Ferrari as their sporty flagship.

At Bugatti, they do not see the urge yet. Aston Martin announced a very sporty electric car a while ago, the Rapide E, but backed down recently. Apparently, the rich and the famous buying these types of cars are not ready yet for the sacred silence of the electric car. It’s the same problem that occupies the F1 enthusiasts: ban the noise and a (large) part of the fun is gone too.

Will Maserati be the first?

Maserati is a good example of how difficult it can be for a prestigious luxury brand to adapt to the era of electrification. The top brand of the new ‘super-group’ Stellantis announced with pomp and circumstances the arrival of its ‘first electric model’.

In fact, it is a mild-hybrid version of the existing Ghibli, created to lower the (high) taxes now asked in many countries for cars with big multi-cylinder ICE engines. Being the sporty and top luxury brand inside Stellantis, one can only hope that the ardor of some sister companies like Peugeot, DS, or Fiat to become electric will soon be exercised by Maserati too.

The Italian brand wants to triple its (modest) sales by 2025. That will only be possible if the brand really goes for electrification. Of course, the fans love the noise a nice, sporty ICE engine makes, but they’re not all prepared to pay several ten thousands of euros for it through higher taxation.

From the Lamborghini side, there’s total silence. As this iconic brand also belongs to the VW Group, the people in Sant-Agatha can appeal to Porsche technology to transform into the electric era. Nothing has leaked yet; we will have to wait and see. Who is always saying that the (very) rich are at the forefront of progress? Not always, apparently.

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Audi to take part in 2022 Dakar Rally with electrified prototype

Félix Bouland Posted On December 1, 2020

German carmaker Audi recently announced that its motorsport division would compete in the 2022 Dakar Rally with an innovative prototype.

An electric drivetrain will power the machine that is built specifically for the task with a high-voltage battery. It can be charged on demand by a gasoline TFSI engine. Audi wishes that experience gained from cross-country rallying would filter down in the development of future EVs.

After announcing it would be leaving Formula E at the end of the 2021 season, Audi’s factory team is going back to its beginnings. Back in 1981, Audi was storming the world of rallying with its Quattro. Now it is taking a stint at cross-country rallying, specifically the Dakar Rally.

First alternative powertrain prototype

Audi Motorsport revealed a few details about the car it chose for this new adventure in a recent press release. After pioneering hybrid technology in racing in 2012 with a Le Mans 24 Hours victory, Ingolstadt has chosen to continue with the technology. However, instead of a series hybrid system, the motorsport division opted for a range extender.

In the brand’s own words, the prototype will be “driven by a powerful electric drivetrain powered by a high-voltage battery, which can be charged as required while driving via an energy convertor in the form of a highly efficient TFSI engine.” In other words, the prototype is electric with a gasoline range extender.

One step further

Audi Motorsport’s involvement in the Dakar Rally will replace Formula E. Newly developed Audi powertrains will still be used by customer teams beyond the next season.

“Today, electromobility at the four rings is no longer a dream of the future but the present. This is why we are taking the next step in electrified motorsport by facing the most extreme conditions. The technical freedom offered by the Dakar Rally provides a perfect testbed for us in this respect,” declared Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management, in the brand’s press release.

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Peugeot marries hybrid and performance in 508 PSE

Tony Verhelle Posted On October 7, 2020

One can do a lot with hybrid technology in cars. Most of the hybridization schemes are meant to save fuel and use alternative energy like electricity. Peugeot shows that it can also turn a family car into a racehorse.

Peugeot Sport Engineered

Many brands have sporty models in their model line-up, some of them use special labels or sub-brands to distinguish them, like M for BMW, AMG for Mercedes but also Cupra for Seat for example.

Until now, the sporty models at Peugeot were commonly cold GT and GTI. But now that the French carmaker is firmly engaged in hybridization, this has given birth to a new surname, PSE or Peugeot Sport Engineered.

360 hp

The normal Peugeot 508 Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid with one ICE engine and an electric motor driving the front wheels and delivering a total power of 225 hp.

The same technology is used in the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid. Still, this compact SUV also has a Hybrid4 version with a second electromotor in the back, combining increased performance (up to 300 hp) and four-wheel-drive (the rear wheels being driven by the rear electromotor).

This technical layout has now been used also in the 508 in an even more sporty version. The 1,6 liter ICE engine delivers 200 hp, and the two electromotors develop 81 kW/110 hp and 83 kW/113 hp, respectively, resulting in a combined power of 360 hp. Enough for a top speed of 250 kph (190 full electric) and an acceleration up to 100 kph in 5,2 seconds.

This 508 PSE, available in sedan and break form, becomes, therefore, a competitor to sporty premium vehicles like an Audi S4, BMW 340i, or Mercedes C 43 AMG. The hybridization allows a brand like Peugeot to compete with German premium cars that had until now far superior ICE engines under the hood.

An additional advantage is that the 508 PSE can combine performance and sportiness with low consumption and emission figures. If you use the onboard battery pack of 11,8 kWh well, you can drive some 40 km fully electric and have a CO2 emission figure of less than 50 gr/km, making it a “green” car, also tax-related.

Kryptonite

Due to its possible performance, the 508 PSE is a real GT car, like in ‘Gran Turismo’, but Peugeot has shown the good taste to keep the exterior and interior changes to its € 60 000 plus top model modest.

No war paint here, just a few inserts in a yellowish-green color called Kryptonite, signal the connoisseurs that this a ‘special’ version. Peugeot is not expecting big sales of this top model (with 5% of the total, it is already very happy), but of course, the sporty aura has to shine on all other models of the line-up.

Sportiness helps sales

That is the reason why this new sort of ‘electric GTI’ will see other variants in the Peugeot line-up and maybe also in that of its sister brand DS (with another name, of course).

This new sporty touch is firstly aimed at the European market, where there are still many car enthusiasts ready to be convinced by such a move. But in the longer run, and seen in the context of the coming FCA/PSA merger, it may also be its springboard into the US market.

Marrying the green image of hybridization and sportiness may well be the key for Peugeot (and PSA) to open the car market’s premium end, the segment where the most interesting profits are made.

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Honda to leave F1 in 2021, ‘incompatible with carbon neutrality’

Félix Bouland Posted On October 5, 2020

On Sunday, during a press conference in Tokyo, Honda’s CEO announced that the company would be leaving Formula One by the end of 2021. Honda is pulling all R&D resources toward its new aim of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. Over the two last seasons, Honda won five races with Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

“The automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation. Honda’s goal is to achieve carbon neutrality for our vehicles by 2050. With this in mind, we want to electrify two-thirds of our cars by 2030. To achieve this, we need to devote all our financial and human resources to R&D of new technologies,” declared Honda’s CEO during a press conference this Sunday.

Leaving on a high

Unlike in the golden days, Formula One isn’t a testbed for new car technologies anymore. However, beyond the environmental argument, it was mainly financial reasons that pushed Honda to pull the plug on F1 at the end of its three-year contract with Red Bull.

After years of absence, Honda came back to F1 in 2015 with its golden-era partner, McLaren. However, the story wasn’t as bright as during the Senna days, due to numerous engine problems.

After three difficult years, Honda became the motorist for Torro Rosso and then Red Bull. In the last sixteen months, Honda scored five wins with Red Bull and AlphaTauri thanks to the victories of Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly.

‘Try to find a solution’

“We regret but respect our partner’s decision. We have signed the Concorde agreements that seal our presence in Formula One for the next five seasons. We’ll analyze the different options for our future and try to choose the best motorist for 2022 and the years to come,” declares Red Bull’s team manager, Christian Horner.

With Honda out, only three motorists are left in the Formula One field: Renault, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

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Belgian team wins European Championship for solar cars

Hilde Van Raemdonck Posted On September 21, 2020

On Sunday, The Agoria Solar Team has won the championship for solar cars on the race track of Zolder (Belgium). The team with the Bluepoint car covered 352 rounds. The Solar Team of Twente (the Netherlands) obtained the second and third place with Red Shift (313 rounds) and Red E (304 rounds.

In the lead

Eleven solar cars particitated. Cars from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey, among others. It was Flemish Minister of Mobility, Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) who gave the starting shot.

It was clear from the beginning that the Agoria Solar Team would set the scene. Already in the first rounds, the Bluepoint cars stayed ahead, follewed by the two cars of the team from Twente. Bluepoint even kept on leading on its opponents at night when the cars were allowed to use batteries. During the night, they were only allowed to halt twice for an hour to charge the batteries.

Victory

What the Agoria Solar Team relaized in Zolder is unique. They were the first tram to win three consecutive races. “This victory is very meaningfull for our team because we were never able to win here,” said Nelis Geurts, one of the pilots. “It’s the first time we win the 24 hours of Zolder, and we’ve won out two previous races in other continents.”

It was the first time the Agoria Solar Team participated with two cars. Apart from the Bluepoint car, also Punch 2 participated. Punch 2 finished in fifth place and managed to finish 289 rounds.

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McLaren takes turn toward electric

Tony Verhelle Posted On August 26, 2020

By 2035, the English sports car manufacturer, McLaren, will not sell cars wit internal combustion engines (ICE) anymore. The company is taking the turn toward electric and launches its first hybrid car next year, on a totally new carbon-fiber structure.

“We will develop ICE engines for the next ten years and sell them for the next 15 years, but we expect that a major part of the automobile world will have switched to electric by 2035,” declared Mike Flewitt, McLaren’s CEO.

Next year, we will see the first hybrid McLaren on the road and in the showrooms. McLaren isn’t giving much away about the car yet, except that it will have a totally new structure, primarily made of carbon fiber.

Composite

The new composite car frame was presented Thursday and will be produced in a factory near Sheffield in the north of England. In 2018, McLaren already invested £50 million (€55 million) in a research center over there.

In the future, the car manufacturer will try to produce as many parts as possible in the UK, because of Brexit. That’s why the production of gearboxes will also be moved from Italy to the UK as soon as possible.

Heavy weather

The small, specialized sports car manufacturer, particularly known from its F1 engagement, is experiencing difficult times. Because of the corona crisis, sales have dropped significantly, and McLaren is counting on selling some 2 700 cars this year.

In May, the company announced that it would ask 1 200 people to leave, one-fourth of its total workforce. In the past months, McLaren collected some £150 million (€167 million) at the National Bank of Bahrain. The bank itself is part of the Bahrain state investment fund Mumtalakat. This fund is the major shareholder of McLaren.

Without this financial injection, things could have turned very badly for the company, also because of the freezing of activities (and income) of Formula One. A remediation plan, which comprised the selling of several historic racing cars, was categorically refused by the shareholders.

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German Hyraze League: sustainable racing on hydrogen

Joris Van Roy Posted On August 20, 2020

A number of German companies and organizations from the racing scene are setting up a new ‘sustainable’ championship with hydrogen-powered cars, called Hyraze League. GT-like +800 hp fuel cell racing cars will compete from 2023 on. Simultaneously on the circuit in the real world, as in an Esports discipline online.

The initiators want to start a competition in 2023 with 588 hydrogen-powered cars on the German ADAC GT Masters platform to begin and expand the championship beyond the borders from 2025 on. Future races could be held – like in Formula E – in cities too, as the cars are zero-emission.

Strict sustainability rules

Although there is no actual car built yet, and testing will only start in 2022, the rules are set strictly. Contenders will be free to design their own bodies, but the cars are standardized to a great extend with rules concerning aerodynamics and sustainability.

That includes bodies made of natural fibers and a limited number of tires to be used in the race, made from renewable raw materials to reduce wear. The design even includes devices to capture any brake dust to minimize air pollution with fine particles.

+800 horsepower

Only the hydrogen tanks themselves will be made of enforced carbon-fiber, a material commonly used in racing today. The cars will have two fuel cells and four electric motors, good for more than 800 hp. With an estimated weight of 1 500 kg, this gives the car a ratio of less than 2 kg per hp. Top speeds of 250 km/hour and accelerations to 100 kph in less than 3 seconds are envisioned.

To keep costs within reasonable margins, restrictions will be applied on downforce-producing aerodynamic. Braking distances will be lengthened compared to the regular motorsports to increase energy recovery. And it goes without saying that the hydrogen used, should be produced sustainably too.

HWA initiative

One of the leading forces behind the initiative is HWA, a company that emerged from AMG’s motorsports division in 1998 and is active for Daimler in the DTM championships, the GT3 and GT4 customer racing cars from Daimler, as well as in Formula E, Formula 2, and Formula 3.

Other partners are German mobility club ADAC, the German car and motorsports federation DMSB, automotive supplier Schaeffler as a technology partner, DEKRA in the field of vehicle safety, and the world Esports federation WESA.

Hydrogen technology of the future

Hans Werner Aufrecht, the founder of HWA, said at the press presentation the idea has ripened for two years already. “If you have children and grandchildren, you have a responsibility for what you are leaving behind for them.”

“We saw that the discussions on sustainability and fine particles are playing an increasing role everywhere, which led to the initial ideas within HWA. Hydrogen is the technology of the future, and motorsports can play a role to show the world.”

Esports link

The link with Esports is another way to get the young people involved. Each race will be held simultaneously with two drivers to take the wheel of the real car, and two drivers from the same team behind the virtual wheel. In the competition, the results of both drivers will count equally for the championship ranking.

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Boonen invests in groundbreaking Belgian bicycle gear technology

Gert Verhoeven Posted On August 14, 2020

The start-up Classified Cycling developed a revolutionary gear system and has a first contract with bicycle manufacturer Ridley. The arrival of Tom Boonen, former Belgian cyclist, as financier and advisor, should accelerate the expansion.

New gear system

Classified Cycling pioneers a new gear system for bicycles. This could mean the end of the classic front derailleur as we know it. “I was surprised and immediately saw the potential,” says Tom Boonen about his first test ride earlier this year. The former cyclist didn’t just want to be the face of Classified Cycling. He’s also investing several hundred thousand euros.

Good signal

That money comes on top of the 2,5 million euros that Classified Cycling collected last year from LRM and others. “Investing yourself gives extra motivation. I want to throw myself. I’m a tech fanatic. This really suits me,” Boonen adds.

The former top biker used to be a shareholder of the bicycle chain Fiets!, which was taken over by retailer Colruyt. Classified Cycling CEO, Mathias Plouvier, says to be extremely satisfied. “If one of the greatest cyclists in Belgium and the world gets into your story, it is a pretty good signal,” Plouvier enjoys.

No more faltering shifting devices

Classified Cycling’s technology takes away a great deal of frustration from the cyclists. When shifting between the large front sprockets, the chain has to make a big leap. This doesn’t always happen smoothly, especially if you pedal with full force.

(Professional) cyclists often lose valuable time with faltering shifting devices. With the new technology, the sprockets are integrated into the hub and are operated wirelessly. Shifting gears is hassle-free and can be done in a matter of milliseconds, while still accelerating at a full push.

Ridley gravel bike

Meanwhile, Classified Cycling has the first deal with Ridley. The Belgian bicycle brand will equip its latest gravel bike with this technology. The bike will cost over 5 000 euros. “Gravel bikes are a booming market, and the gravel public is quick to embrace new technology,” Plouvier explains.

The CEO expects to sell more than 1 000 systems this year. The company has ten employees and is considering recruiting five more this year. “The technology also creates new possibilities for the design of the bike. We may see this technology in the pro peloton next year,” new shareholder Boonen concludes.

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Audi quits DTM racing

Tony Verhelle Posted On April 28, 2020

Car manufacturer Audi has announced that it will leave the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) at the end of the season. As a side-effect of the corona crisis, a lot of car manufacturers are questioning their motorsport engagements.

“Audi has shaped the DTM and the DTM has shaped Audi, says the new Audi CEO, Markus Duesmann. “This demonstrates what power lies in motorsport – technologically and emotionally.”

“With this energy, we’re going to drive our transformation into a provider of sporty, sustainable electric mobility forward. Formula E offers an attractive platform for this. To complement it, we’re investigating other progressive motorsport formats for the future.”

Important player

Audi has been an essential player in the DTM (before 2000 it meant Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft). Having scored 23 championship titles, including eleven driver titles, and 7 brand titles, plus 114 victories, 345 podium finishes, 106 pole positions, and 112 fastest laps, Audi shaped the DTM from 1990 to 1992 and from 2000 onward.

With three of three possible championship titles, numerous podiums, and many other records, 2019 has been the most successful DTM season in Audi’s history so far.

This year, the DTM championship has been stopped by corona, and it is not sure yet if we will still see races happen. “We’re hoping that this currently difficult situation will improve soon and that we’ll still be able to contest a few DTM races this year,” says Member of the Board for Development, Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler.

“The fans would deserve this, and so would the organizer ITR (Internationale Tourenwagen Rennen – NMN), our drivers as well as our teams and partners.”

“They will now have adequate advance notice to reposition themselves for the time after 2020. Successful motorsport is – and will continue to be – an important element of Audi’s DNA.”

Sinking ship?

The withdrawal of Audi is a big problem for DTM. In the 23 years that DTM exists, the three German premium car brands Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have played a significant role. There were some intermittent withdrawals, but they always returned. Until now?

Mercedes pulled the plug already in 2018. Now that Audi is going to disappear, it’s hard to imagine how BMW is going to compete mainly with itself and some private teams using the same technical underpinnings.

“This is a difficult day for motorsport in Germany,” commented former F1 racing pilot, Gerhard Berger, now president of ITR. “Of course, I respect Audi’s decision, but the sudden announcement is a big challenge for ITR, our partner BMW, and all our teams.”

“The future of DTM will depend entirely on the reaction of our partners and sponsors on this announcement,” Berger added. Robin Frijns, a Dutch official Audi racer, is not optimistic: “This is a very difficult period of uncertainty for everyone.”

“I hope I can still race in the Formula E for Audi in the coming years. But for the technicians that already work more than 20 years in the DTM, this is far worse than for me.”

Repositioning

The corona crisis has also thoroughly affected motorsports. Not only because practically all competitions have stopped and nobody knows when they will restart. But also because almost all manufacturers are reconsidering their position.

When manufacturers are still prepared to invest huge sums in the motorsport business, this will be in competitions that are announcing the new, electrified era of motoring. The whole world of motorsport is shaken to its foundations.

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How will F1 survive during and after coronavirus?

Félix Bouland Posted On April 14, 2020

With the COVID-19 health crisis, the Formula One season has been suspended. In theory, it should get back on the tracks in June with the French Grand Prix at the Castellet, and the championship should be reduced from 16 to 12 races. FIA boss, Jean Todt, worries that even with reduced budget requirements, some four racing teams could be lost if the championship doesn’t start again soon.

“Organizing between 15 and 18 races this season seems maybe optimistic to me, but it’s not impossible. All will depend on when we’ll be able to start again. As soon as we know that, we can organize one to three Grand Prix per month. I hope that this will happen because we need it,” declares Jean Todt, President of the FIA.

Four teams in danger

“F1 will survive this crisis. On the other hand, that all the teams survive is another matter, and it’s the responsibility of all team managers to act in the interest of the discipline, and of all its participants, to do our best to make sure that all ten teams make it,” declared Red Bull Racing team manager, Christian Horner.

“If we don’t handle this situation properly, we could lose at least two teams. I’m sure of that. I even fear that four teams will disappear if we don’t manage this crisis the right way. And when you know how long it takes to set up a Formula 1 team, I don’t think the timing could be worse,” points out Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren-Racing.

Budget issue

Jean Todt continues to fight for the smaller teams. The former Ferrari team boss managed to reduce the budget limit from 160 million euros to 137 million, which is not to the taste of his former employer (Ferrari).

“It’s still too much. To ensure the future of small teams, we need to lower that to 110 million euros. Now is the time to assess things and make decisions, not just for F1,” notes the 74-year-old Frenchman.

Too little, too late?

As with all crises, some – experts or not – have been criticizing the FIA for abruptly canceling the Australian Grand Prix. “There were no reasons for us not to go to Australia. However, when we were there, things changed so fast that we decided no to race,” explains Mr. Todt.

“It’s all so easy… The world is now filled with advisers who aren’t always players. I think we just need to try and stay a little bit more humble to better apprehend things to come,” concludes Jean Todt.

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F1 to restart without public in Silverstone?

Joris Van Roy Posted On April 7, 2020

The Formula 1 circuit is considering seriously to restart the competition without any public in July or August in Silverstone (UK), where seven of the ten F1 teams are headquartered nearby. That was announced by the BBC after a videoconference between the teams, the stakeholders, and FIA President Jean Todt.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the eight first races of the championship were canceled. Until now, the next championship scheduled is in Toronto, Canada on June 14th. The Grand Prix of Silverstone is planned for July 19th. The Belgian one, in Spa-Francorchamps, is foreseen on August 30th on the calendar. In total, 14 races remain scheduled this year, but voices are heard to extend the season eventually.

Hosting multiple Grand Prix

A few days ago, Silverstone’s managing director, Stuart Pringle, suggested the UK racetrack could host several international Grand Prix, just because most teams are housed nearby. That would prevent the teams to travel around the world.

“The majority of the teams are within a stone’s throw of the circuit, so operationally, it would be pretty straightforward to host multiple races,” Pringle told Sky Sports. “We’ve got the fixed infrastructure, the staff could go home to their own beds in an evening for the large part.”

Racing in opposite direction?

Asked by journalists whether some races could be held in the opposite direction on the circuit, Pringle answered that this might not be such a crazy idea, although the racetrack isn’t licensed to do so. But exceptional times could allow for exceptional measures, the Silverstone boss said.

If the races are to restart in the UK in July, this could eventually be done ‘behind closed doors’. For Silverstone, claiming to have attracted most spectators in the last two years, that would be a first. Pringle insisted that a decision should be made before the end of April in order to be able to organize everything properly.

Turning in 20% of wages

Meanwhile, top men of the Formula One, like big boss Chase Carey, managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn, and fifteen other directors, have announced they will turn in 20% of their wages in the next two months. It’s seen as a sign of solidarity with those affected by the corona crisis.

Carey and the others are following the example of teams like Williams, MacLaren, and Racing Point that announced similar initiatives earlier. Almost half of the 500 employees of the London- based F1 management are put on temporary unemployment.

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Electric Touring Car Championship ready for take-off

Gert Verhoeven Posted On February 20, 2020

In 2021 a new touring car championship will start with strictly electric cars. This year the Pure ETCR championship will be presented during promo events and in the context of existing WTCR races. This was officially presented in Paris last week.

Another Formula E?

After the Formula E championship for single-seater electric cars, there will now also be a second championship for touring cars with an electric drive. The format will be organized under the direction of Marcello Lotti, who previously also conceived the TCR (touring car championship).

This is a special racing discipline with electrically driven cars that get a 500 kW engine and a top speed of 270 km/h. The cars have a range of 40 km at racing speed. The batteries are charged with hydrogen-powered generators.

The principle is similar to rallycross. Each pilot drives four battles per race. Initially, each pilot drives a lap against the clock to determine the starting grid. Subsequently, the pilots ride a few battles against each other and their positions there determine who will start in which finals.

Manufacturer teams

The organizers would like to have six teams at the start and, just like in Formula E, their main focus is on car manufacturers. At the moment, three brand teams are said to have already committed (Cupra, Hyundai and Romeo Ferraris) and it is said that there would also be negotiations with a Chinese partner.

Like Formula E, this discipline is also primarily a marketing tool for car manufacturers to promote electric mobility. Motorsport enthusiasts show only moderate interest because it looks less spectacular and is rather sterile due to lack of engine noise and smell. The majority of the spectators will probably be B2B contacts and VIP guests.

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Are old timers the new Van Goghs as symbols of wealth and status?

Tony Verhelle Posted On December 8, 2017

Until now you had art, jewels, boats or planes as symbols of power, wealth and status. Old timers are nestling themselves in these category now, they are becoming a new status symbol with a cherished added value: driving pleasure.

Prices for old timers have gone through the ceiling lately (times 3 since 2009 says the English research bureau HAGI). In total HAGI has a price index for 18.000 old timers and it currently follows the pricing of 50 popular old timer models. Maybe the rise is slowing down a little bit this year, but we’re still talking about a yearly increase of 15%. Analysts expect prices to rise even further when China opens his borders for old timers.

“And in the long term, when we will all be ‘driving’ autonomous cars for our daily commute, all vehicles that we know as cars now will become collector’s items,” adds Katharina Redlefsen from HAGI.

There are also costs

The yearly price increase can be very enticing, but an old timer creates costs too. You not only have to buy it, but also (eventually) to restore it and to maintain it. Specialist talk about 8% yearly maintenance cost in comparison to the buying cost. Restoration can cost anything, from a small sum to a lot more than the buying cost.

Investors have Ferrari and Porsche as their favourites, but Mercedes-Benz is strongly catching up. The cars that cost (and are worth) te most are a combination of rarity, impeccable technique and maintenance and an impressive pedigree with wonderful stories to tell. The top ten of the most expensive and wanted cars is like telling the history of the crazy fifties and sixties in motor sport.

Sterling Moss

The most expensive English car ever sold at an auction was the Aston Martin DBR1 (19,2 million €). It was so expensive because of his uniqueness (only 5 ever made) and most importantly that it was the car that wont the 1000 km of the Nürburgring in 1959 with the legendary Sterling Moss at its wheel. Another example to show that uniqueness also counts: an Aston Martin DBS used for the James Bond film ‘Quantum of Solace” got into the Garda Lake after a driving error. It was retrieved from the water and sold to a collector for 200.000 £, while the new car, not this wreck, costs ± 135.000 £.

Date of birth

The popularity of the cars changes with the date of birth of the buyers. That’s why cars from the 50’s and 60’s ar now so popular, because the people who can afford them are of the age to appreciate them the most. They saw the cars first during childhood. That’s for example why Porsches 911 get so costly.

Buyers have to beware for one thing :”try not to buy an old timer of which you think it will be worth a lot of money in time. Buy something you like, to look at and to drive with. Also because non-financial reasons are in the long term so much more rewarding than the eventual financial benefit. You only can enjoy having an old timer if you are also passionate about it,” concludes Redlefsen from HAGI. (more…)

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Ex F1-pilot d’Ambrosio hops on Swiss electric bike

Joris Van Roy Posted On December 4, 2017

Former Belgian Formula 1 pilot Jérôme d’Ambrosio jumps onto the Swiss electric folding bike Voltitude by investing in the startup and become ‘global brand ambassador’ for the company. He will also reside within the advice committee.

“Electric bicycles will play a major role in the future”, d’Ambrosio says, “especially in the so called last mile. There is a lot of talk about the range of electric cars, but the electric bicycle has a lot of potential for the last 2 to 3 kilometers.”

Crowd funding

According to a press release d’Ambrosio and French designer Mathieu Lehanneur are helping the Swiss startup in return for a ‘unknown share’ of the company. The company, situated near the French border in Switzerland, is running a crowd funding operation to find 1 million Swiss francs (857.000 euro).

The Belgian pilot is already deeply into electric driving by being one of the house pilots of the Dragon Racing team in the Formula E, the electric alternative for F1 racing, that is held in major cities in the world.

(more…)

Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Umicore and Voxdale step into electric racing

Joris Van Roy Posted On November 10, 2017

Indian Formula-E Mahindra Racing has announced a three-year partnership with Belgian companies Umicore and Voxdale. They will develop a new racing car for next seasons’ E-circuit formula, the electrical variant of Formula 1.

Battery components and recycling specialist Umicore will investigate how it can improve the performance of the small 12-volt battery in Mahindra Racing’s racing car. This battery controls the most critical systems of the car, including everything related to safety. The Antwerp design and simulation company Voxdale will test the performance of the new e-cars in virtual wind tunnels.

Knowledge

“With this project we want to gain more insight into the actual chemistry of the battery, because it is used in these racing cars in the most extreme conditions,” says Umicore’s project manager Kurt Vandeputte.

“This should provide us with knowledge that we may be able to apply later in the ordinary electric car. Plus, from next season a new chassis and new battery technology can be used. We also assume that the Formula E-circuit will grow enormously in the coming years.”

Aerodynamics

Voxdale, on the other hand, “is going to simulate how light materials can be made, under what circumstances something will break and how the aerodynamics of components can be adjusted,” say’s CEO Koen Beyers.

Voxdale earned its tracks with the design of the Belgian Bullets’ bobsleigh design, did thermal simulations for chips for Biocartis and carried out earthquake simulations for Barco control rooms in airports.

No noise

Formula E started in 2014 and is like F1, but with electric racing cars. The races always take place in big cities and last an hour. There are ten teams, half of them made up of the traditional car brands, like BMW, Audi, Renault, Citroen and Jaguar. Mercedes and Porsche will join next season. The budget per car is easily 15 million euro, but that’s still 20 to 30 times less than for a F1 car.

The big difference with a F1 race is that E-races don’t make a noise, which makes them more family-friendly. But noise seems to be subjective. The noise level still rises to 80 dB. That’s more than a normal car (70 dB) and slightly less than a bus (90 dB).

(more…)

Sports / Technology / Top Stories Today

Zolder circuit loses ‘Electric GT-race’

Iwan Kneuts Posted On November 6, 2017

The Electric GT championship, an European series for race prepared Tesla’s, is in the air again. Initially planned to start this month in the Marseille region, the start of the championship is postponed until at least mid-2018. The race in Zolder scheduled on June 23th 2018 has been cancelled and Belgian race director Pierre Delettre resigned.

“The idea is good, the Tesla’s are excellent, but setting up a championship costs money. And there isn’t any”, he said. Electric GP CEO Mark Gemmell denies the annulment of the championship. “We are still in the process of approval by the FIA. That’s why the calendar is moving. Zolder was too early, but for 2018 eight races are planned.” Question is if they will start in 2018 or later.

Tesla S P100D

The idea is a racing series with the fastest electric production cars at the moment, the Tesla S P100D. Last April both pace setters of Electric GT, Scottish IT-man Mark Gemmell and Spanish engineer Augustin Payà, announced the take-off of their championship that should run from November 2017 until November 2918.

Nine races were planned, but the championship in which Belgian driver Wolfgang Reip should drive, fails to start. The international car federation FIA is slowing the approval by running lots of tests on the Tesla’s by fear of electrocution of drivers and spectators in case of an accident.

Conflict with Formula E?

But mostly, the FIA prefers to support Formula E, the championship with electric race cars run in the city streets. Because of a well thought use of social media Formula E gains in popularity and the hype around electric cars attracted car makers like Porsche, BMW and Mercedes that recently announced their participation.

“The FIA prefers developing Formula E into a success before allowing competition”, a Belgian observer says. That’s why Electric GT, that seems to be built on loose foundations, is in trouble. The two entrepreneurs behind Electric GT are known as ambitious but ‘not reliable’.

(more…)

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