Motor sports fans are getting ready for the first electric cars GT World Series race. It was announced that the world’s first 100 percent electric car championship will take place in 2017. The race will be based on electric cars available in the market, especially the Tesla Model Sedan luxury electric sports car, the only in the market that fits the profile for electric car racing.
The world of electric car racing was first opened by FIA’S Formula E Championship, a single seat, electric car racing that raised eyebrows when it was first announced. However, critics of the Formula E Championship, are complaining about the fact that the races are shorter than the traditional Formula 1 race, the cars have a limited top speed of 140 miles per hour and can run for 20 to 25 minutes at race speed, before needing to swap cars in the middle of the race because the 28 kilowatt- hour lithium-ion batteries run flat.
It is a much safer race that demands drivers to stay within the 170 kilowatts in the race, critics assure that Formula E is not a good representation of what a real motor speed race should be.
In an official press release, the technical Director for Electric GT Holdings Agustin Payá, announced that the Tesla Model S P85+ would be the base model in all ten teams that will participate in the race’s first season. This model is characterized for being a full sized electric, five door, car with luxury liftback introduced back in 2012. It uses a single-gear electric motor, it can reach 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and charges 80% in 40 minutes, customers are even able to check the battery left in the car in their cell phone through an APP.
“We chose the Tesla Model S simply because it is one of the best cars ever made, and certainly one of the best 100% electric cars. We are convinced that sharing its impressive circuit racing potential will help to inspire many people about sustainable transport” Said Agustin Payá, who is also the champion of the 2015 Spanish Fia ECO Rally Champion in an all electric Mercedes Benz B electric car.
Tesla’s Model S bigger battery capacity will allow cars from the Electric GT World Series to compete to each other on more competitive tracks, compared to the Formula E. The Electric GT World Series Race, already has the support of the Royal Spanish Motorsport Federation and the Féderation Internationale de L’automobile (FIA).
It is expected that later this year the Electric GT World Series will announce the official competition calendar. Organizers are considering renowned tracks like the Barcelona- Catalunya and the Donnington Park track
Source: Arstechnica