Nearly three years ago I did a study comparing an all-electric GT3 contender vs a KERS GT3 car for the Bathurst 12 hour race. In light of what is on the legislative table for Europe right now, in terms of banning the sale of new internal combustion engines post 2030, and what has already been passed in some Australian states, some sanity desperately needs to be injected into this discussion.
The case study shows just how marginal battery powered EV is, and it raises some serious questions about dispensing with the internal combustion engine well before its time is truly up. This is put into even sharper relief given what KERS brings to the table.
To frame this study let’s first discuss the vehicle parameters for a contender in the Bathurst 12 hours. Note the keyword here;. One of the problems with motorsport is, due to the challenges we are facing, the regulatory bodies are grasping at anything to keep it relevant. However, this takes away from motorsport the key goal,
