I, like probably many of the people that love the Model S and all that it stands for, were, at some point, avid gas heads. I know I was. I still watch the WRC and F1 series avidly and find them very exciting.
I think there is nothing like competitive racing to help advance the R&D of automotive technologies (KERS technology, now used in all modern EV's, developed from F1 racing not to long ago). There is also the undeniable PR and Global Advertising that comes out of it, there is not a single recognized automotive brand that does not participate in one form or another of Motorsport series (Maybe with the exception of Tesla).
Well, the opportunity for Tesla to be part of this community is now here. The FIA announced recently that it plans to back a fully electric Formula series that will be known as Formula E, it is going to be managed by Formula E holdings Ltd. (http://www.formulaeholdings.com/ and http://formula-e-news.com/) and they have even confirmed the participation of two important cities for the first season of the series (Rome and Rio de Janeiro) and it looks like London is on the pipeline (http://www.formulaeholdings.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/TheTimes-DEC2...).
I think that R&D advancements and the publicity that TM could get from its participation on this series would be considerable, specially when you consider that it looks like the investment to participate in this series is negligible at this stage of the series development. Do you guys think Tesla Motors should jump in as one of the founding teams of the series? Please comment. Thank you.
IIRC, there are already a few E-series here and there, and Tesla routinely picks up the top 5 placings or so.
Nice. Didn't know that. I think this is the first high level Formula type format for electric vehicles though. It would be nice to see Tesla getting behind this new series too.
Would you mind sharing the links to the E series that you are talking about. Thanks.
Problem is in regulations and Tesla-type battery power density. You can't get enough power out of the battery that is small enough for the regulations. Tesla can't do F1 using their typical setup, and if they do things differently then it would not be Tesla anymore.
Model S as pace car would be spot on though for that type of race.
WRC-type race could fit better for Tesla (future) cars.
Timo, this is not Formula 1 we are talking about here its a new all electric series called Formula E.
There are no definite regulations for Formula E yet, that is the beauty of this idea, Tesla could get involved right from the get go and could help to taylor the regulations to fit its needs and help promote R&D for new battery chemistries and engines, just like F1 did before, when regulations were more loose. I would only make it so as to have aerodinamics in static development (same chasis for all teams) but give a blank sheet to constructors as far as drivetrains and energy sources is concerned, obviously as long as the car is 100% electric.
I think that is exactly it! Formula E would force the teams to think out of the box and come up with inovative ideas.
It would be fascinating to see who would dare challenge Tesla.
fmercardo;
I misspoke; there have been a few one-off races like that, which TM usually dominates, but not organized circuit. Sounds like an inevitable (?) development, with lots of benefits. Have you seen the Drag Racing versions? http://www.nedra.com/ Not really TM's niche, but ...
Checked it out, looks really nice. I liked the video about the dyno test on the Tesla S.
Here are a couple of links for electric racing cars. The one from Toyota Motorsports on an electric car on the Nurburgring is pretty cool. The other one is from a Formula E prototype racing in Moscow. I would love to see Tesla getting involved in this kind of stuff in the future!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITYTy2Vwbfs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=nDZ4VSFC6z0&feature=endscreen
@frmercado, if you talk about FIA regulated Formula E, then that already has rules and regulations, and one of them limits the physical size of the battery. Of course that can change just like F1 rules change every single year, but for now this is quite limited series.
Timo, exactly my point, rules are not set in stone, specially at this stage. This series is not even planned to start until 2014. That's why I think it would be a good idea to join now, early on when it is easier to play around with the regulations. Who better to participate in a series like this than the car company that is on the cutting edge of electric vehicle technology? Tesla could get so much experience from the likes of companies like McLaren and its amazing engineering resources.
It's exciting stuff to see. And it would be good for Tesla Motors to take part in these races. But I do not see them doing that any time soon (because of the money), as their first priority is to start making profits. Maybe in 2020?
The LA race would be a great opportunity for Tesla owners to meet up and show off their cars. I'm sure it won't be too difficult to contact the race organizers and reserve an area for Tesla parking. A hospitality area and owner testimonials are priceless ways to inform and educate the public.
Be great for Tesla tailgate parties. If it gets big enough maybe get on the NASCAR for a yearly race and a little TV exposure.
The only thing though , some large msnufacturers would build cars just to win these races.
With MS' huge "tailgate" storage capacity, the parties could turn quite large and enthusiastic. Bacchanalian, even!
>BP
Looks like Renault is ready to jump into the series according to its C.O.O., Carlos Tavares. Hopefully more EV manufacturers will join in, including Tesla.
http://www.autoviva.com/news/renault_investigating_participating_in_form...
SHOULD TESLA MOTORS JUMP IN? YES!
SHOULD TESLA MOTORS JUMP IN? YES!
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I know some other has asked this question and it has been answered with, not needed, or more free energy nonsense.
But I do see sense on asking or...