The PERRINN 424 is targeting the title of the world’s fastest electric race car and this week I bring you the details of this impressive effort. You will also learn why motorsport events should use carbon offsetting, what it is like to drive a Formula E race car and the intriguing possibility that a German manufacturer will be returning to Formula E.
All this and much more in this week’s issue of the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. Your source for sustainable high performance motorsport news.
Sustainable Motorsport News
Nico Perrin thinks big. He has a mission to create the most sustainable race team environmentally, socially and financially. And he wants to do it while creating the fastest electric car on the planet, the PERRINN 424 Electric Hypercar.
The PERRINN 424 Electric Hypercar will have 800 kW of power, 3 Formula E electric motors and advanced aerodynamics developed like a Formula 1 car. The goals of Nico and the team behind the effort are the following:
Short term
- New lap record at the Nürburgring (Germany)
- Beat the current overall record by Porsche 919 (hybrid)
- One of the most recognizable and prestigious prize in Motorsport
Long term
- To win Le Mans 24h race using hydrogen technology
You can learn more about this exciting project here.
Dave Richards says that the biggest challenge our sport has is how the public and commercial organizations perceive the impact rallying has on the environment, thus carbon off setting MUST be a significant part of our sport.
In the video above, event officials Richard Vincent and Cat Lund chat with Paul Glass from Carbon Positive Motorsport and Kev Furber about the critical need to carbon offset within our sport. This content should be viewed by everyone who organizes, volunteers or competes in our sport.
Can the Extreme H series make hydrogen relevant for green transport? That is the question that James Morris asks in Forbes.
“Everyone’s got an eye on hydrogen,” says Russell. “Everyone wants to understand it. Some people are more developed than others. Toyota, Honda, and BMW are well developed. Others aren’t but there is a strong level of interest. The secret of hydrogen, and green hydrogen specifically, is that it allows you to create mobile batteries in remote and varied locations. That’s where it has real power.” Indeed, Extreme E has been using hydrogen for its site power for some time. “We need a multistrand approach to emobility. This is not about us believing that electric is dead. Electric is alive and well and will continue to grow. What we’re saying is, we believe a championship can take hydrogen to the next level and be that platform for energy companies to test and develop. These are extreme locations. If we can do it there, you can do it in Twickenham and France.”
SpeedCafe understands Supercars is well advanced in assessing a full electric safety car option for the coming season, to the point where testing has already started. The model of the car is highly likely to be a Porsche Taycan, with the German manufacturer expected to take over from Ford as supplier of course and safety cars this season.
The Aston Martin Formula One team have achieved the ISO standard 50001. Aston Martin are the first First Formula One team to be recognized for the certification The team’s goal for ISO 50001 is to improve energy performance, increase energy efficiency, and reduce energy consumption and associated costs
In this month’s Getting to the Track Sustainably I featured Honda’s 0 Series Star Wars-inspired concepts, decarbonizing ports and shipping and the fascinating Airbus eXtra Performance Wing Demonstrator which flaps its wings!
Anglesey Circuit has banned electric and hybrid vehicles from taking part in general trackdays at the venue amid concerns about dealing with any safety issues that arise.
“For trackdays, you don’t have that level of scrutineering. We’re seeing so many EVs on the road but, driving one on the track, the pressures and stresses on the car are very different to the road. It’s not that we are anti-electric or anti-new technology, but you have to be prepared for it.”
Sustainable Motorsport Tech
Renault-owned Dacia has taken the covers off the car with which it will enter the Dakar Rally in 2025. The Dacia Sandrider maintains the characteristics of the existing Prodrive-built Hunter but features a new three-litre turbocharged V6 engine, which will be powered by synthetic fuel.
Series News
In Formula E news, Porsche would not be surprised if one of the German manufacturers that left the series comes back according to The Race.
“One thing I know for sure, there are many OEMs who know that, if they want to use motorsport as a tool for their brands, they have to take care of electrification because it’s the main route on public roads. Just taking the fact that, right now, there is no other full electric series on this planet on the level of Formula E. Just taking these two aspects, I would think one of the other [German OEMs] will consider coming back, yes.”
With Formula E having a great start to the season on TV and social media, the possibilities of there being a second race in the United States has been openly discussed.
“With increased interest, coupled with the ability to stretch into road courses with fast charging, the idea of going to a second race in the U.S. continues to gain steam. As I reported last year, Los Angeles was being looked at as one possibility although nothing is imminent for 2025 early in the year.” (Forbes)
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has made the Sports Technology Power List for 2024. The Power List is an annual assessment of the brands and organizations which are taking the most tech-forward approach to innovation in modern sport.
While the technology is indeed forward thinking, driver Lucas di Grassi has his own opinions of what Gen4 should be. “In a nutshell, for performance, I would have put on the requirements for Gen4 that it can race on the full Macau Guia Circuit and for at least one lap in qualifying be faster than Formula 3 and GT3 cars.”
NASCAR will be debuting their all-electric race car at this weekend’s Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The sanctioning body has tested the car extensively with driver David Ragan, who will be behind the wheel of the prototype in Los Angeles.
After accepting the Austin Hatcher Foundation’s Impact Award and revealing the 2024 IMSA Hall of Fame class on Saturday morning, IMSA President John Doonan spent time discussing the present and future of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the media. The topic of sustainability was part of that discussion.
“You will see continued growth and I think the sustainability message is going to continue to grow. We announced an 80 per cent renewable fuel in GTP last year, and they’re pushing us to get to 100 per cent. No doubt Michelin continues to bring sustainable raw material tyres to the paddock, and we announced at Laguna Seca last year a 50 per cent renewable tyre. We put it on the race track and tested it. When it comes to fuel, tyres, hybrid power trains and our relationship with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the DOE (Department Of Energy) and the Society of Automotive Engineers, that’s going to need to be our story.”
With the news that the Spanish Grand Prix will be moving to Madrid in 2026, they are explaining how it will be the first “zero-kilometre GP.” i.e. everything needed to build it will remain on site in storage units between each race, within walking distance of where it will be erected.
“Usually if we need to dismantle the track in a city, with all the barriers and equipment, you cannot store it there. You have to store it away in some other place – Singapore does so 30-40 kilometres away, with other circuits built in the heart of the cities facing similar logistical issues. The fact is that [in Madrid] we are just dismantling the starting point and storing it within walking distance. How good is this?! It greatly reduces both the carbon footprint and cost.”
With the Extreme E name being retired after 2024 amid its hydrogen transition, Ali Russell, the managing director of soon-to-be Extreme H, chats to BlackBook Motorsport to clear up some of the confusion around the future of the off-road SUV championship and discuss what the recent investment from PIF means for the series.
“Extreme H is Extreme E 2.0,” Russell tells BlackBook Motorsport. “It’s an evolution: we’re taking all the great brand messages and moving into what will be a better vehicle for racing.”
Sun Minimeal, founded by Swiss food producer Sun AG, have agreed to enter Extreme E ahead of the 2024 season. The Swiss food producer has joined the sport for purpose championship to showcase its latest food innovations, as well as highlight the importance of global resources in nutrition and food waste.
KTM motorsport boss Pit Beirer says “some very smart decisions have been made” as MotoGP gears up for a major regulation change in 2027 and sustainability is part of that change.
“The current technical formula in MotoGP will change in 2027, with one of the biggest differences coming in the form of engine displacement being reduced from 1000cc to 850cc. MotoGP will also move to 100% sustainable fuels from 2027, while it is thought major changes to the current aerodynamic rules will be made.”
NXT Gen Cup, the world’s first 100% electric junior touring car cup, was awarded the 2023 Environmental Award of the Swedish Automobile Sports Federation (SBF) during the annual prize giving ceremony in Jönköping, Sweden.
“The electrification of the motorsport has not been easy, but some have managed really well. NXT Gen Cup made themselves known through a thorough promotion job during the second half of 2022 and came as rookies for the 2023 season. They left as winners with a beautiful environmental impact and a lot of well-deserved praise,” read the motivation of the SBF jury.
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.