This week I introduce you to AMZ Racing and their EV that goes from 0-60 MPH in 0.956 seconds.
I also look at what Veloce is doing on the blockchain, the World Rally Championship’s 2027 propulsion plans and the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup.
All this and more in this week’s edition of the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. Your source for sustainable high performance motorsport news.
Sustainable Motorsport News
Forbes reports that Esports and sustainable motor racing group Veloce has begun its next stage of development with the listing of its VEXT token on the Bybit cryptocurrency exchange. The company hopes VEXT will grow audience engagement for its real and virtual sports activities. Its arrival as a tradable asset will help build value for Veloce towards expansion.
VEXT is a radical new approach to funding and building engagement across a portfolio of esports and racing assets. The token can be earned through competitive activities or direct purchase. Token holders can then take part in the governance of Veloce Group functions, redeem exclusive perks, and gain access to events and experiences. VEXT token holders go beyond being shareholders, with a more proactive role in the direction of the Veloce Group.
The Veloce Group was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in London. It consists of Veloce Esports, which provides teams for Formula 1, and Veloce Racing, which is currently focused on Extreme E but with intentions to expand into other electric race series. Sustainability and cryptocurrency don’t usually sit well in the same sentence, but Polygon’s technology uses a proof-of-stake approach rather than proof-of work. This avoids the computational cost of blockchains such as Bitcoin, negating the high energy use associated with the proof-of-work validation mechanism. This makes it much more appropriate for a sustainability-focused organization such as the Veloce Group. With the GEM Digital investment and expected opportunities provided by VEXT, Veloce hopes to expand its portfolio with a deeper involvement in electric racing series that promote environmental themes.
Veloce Supercharges Sustainable Motor Racing Future With VEXT Bybit Exchange Launch (Forbes)
BlackBook Motorsport reports that the Singapore Grand Prix has committed to halving its emissions by 2028, organizers of the Formula One event have confirmed. As part of its plan, the substitute fuel will be used in half of the circuit’s generators by 2025, before being used in all of them by 2028. This is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 52 per cent.
Sasha Rafi, director of sustainability for the Singapore Grand Prix, said: “We have adopted incremental sustainability measures since our debut in 2008, but with advancements in technology and the evolution of best practices, we now have an opportunity to do more.”
Sustainable Motorsport Tech
The Drive reports that a Swiss racing team has set a new 0-60 MPH world record for EVs of 0.956 seconds. “The record was set by AMZ Racing, using a car it calls Mythen WR. It’s a modified version of the team’s 2019 Formula Student car, the European equivalent of Formula SAE. Already built as a barebones, ultra-light open-wheel racing vehicle, it was the perfect candidate for a lightening program to take on the EV acceleration record.”
You can watch their attempt in the video above.
Episode 353 of Race Industry Now, the weekly webinar series from EPARTRADE is: Proven engine materials that meet hydrogen fuel challenges by Materion. With Dave Krus, Powertrain & Industrial Market Director. Hosted by Jeff Hammond from SiriusXM Ch. 90, The Late Shift.
Wednesday, September 20 at 9:00am PST/12:00pm EST: Click here to register. There is no charge to attend.
Series News
Autosport is reporting that hybrid-powered cars using sustainable fuel are likely to form the basis of the World Rally Championship’s Rally1 regulations from 2027 onwards. While 2027’s regulations are yet to be formalized, a move to full electric or hydrogen power is “very unlikely” according to FIA Road Sport Director Andrew Whateley.
“After [2026] is the next discussion and hybrid is a key part of that,” Wheatley told Autosport. “The discussion for 2027 is how much engine versus how much hybrid power. There is not a discussion of no hybrid, it is a discussion of how do we make it work. Does the amount of ICE use come down 10% or 20%, or does the hybrid go up 30% or 50%? I don’t think it will be 50-50.”
Rallying with zero tailpipe emissions whirred back into action at the fifth round of this year’s all-electric Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup in Slovenia last weekend.
As a regularity rally run on open public highways, the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup is not a flat-out dash over timed special stages. Instead, the crews must achieve target times on the regularity stages within the speed limits applied to everyday traffic or incur penalties for being early or late at the check-in points. (FIA News Service)
The Formula E website has a great video and details on the evolution of Formula E from Gen1 onto Gen3 and beyond. Lucas di Grassi: “As technology develops, electric cars will be able to go faster and further. The pace of development is incredible,” adds di Grassi. “The point at which electric cars are cheaper, safer and easier to operate than combustion-engined cars is not far away at all and Formula E is accelerating that process. Combustion won’t be able to keep up.”
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.