On track to reduce vehicule emissions - Electric Motorcycle-Bike Racing, Leads - Magny-Cours,Nevers(58) FR in the race Sept 2010. Electric Car GP-F1? -The Economist.

Original Title: TTXGP: Electric Motorcycles Race Isle of Man 2009

I am no motor bike fan, too dangerous for me, but this deserves more than a mention.

2010 FIM e-Power Schedule
April 18 Le Mans (Opening race of the Le Mans 24hours)
TBD Albacete (Opening race of the Albacete 8hours)
September 12 Nevers-Magny Cours (Opening race of the Bol d'Or)
November* 14 Doha (Opening race of the Doha 8 hours)
*To be confirmed

2010 FIM e-Power Schedule.
INNOVATION claim.
"Racing development spurs production innovation. This is an accepted fact, particularly true in motorcycles. So why should electric motorcycles be any different? On June 12th, 2009, emerging electric motorcycles will be put to the racing test when the carbon-free 2009 TTXGP runs on the Isle of Man"
AIM
"The stated purpose of the (TTXGP) is “to bring clean emission transport technologies into the mainstream by demonstrating they can provide exciting, high-speed, high-performance fun.” What better place to put on a high-speed exhibition than on the famed Isle of Man road course?"
OBJECTIVITY - Save the Bike stop the Hype.
Testing the racing application of electric motorcycles in the hallowed TT crucible is perfect. There will be no hiding behind optimistic spec sheet claims, or promised improvements on future production runs (always, it seems, with a nebulous “about two years away” date affixed). Racing is a zero/sum game, there is a winner and there are losers – a clear hierarchical list of them. And come June 12th we will see who stacks up where in the emerging electric motorcycle market."

THE TTXGP RULES are simple:
1. No carbon-based fuels, no toxic emissions.

2. One lap of the 37.75 Isle of Man mountain course with no pit stops or refueling, with any bike incapable of lapping within 50minutes disqualified.

More...
Electric Bike F1-Grand Prix-TTXGP-site.

Sources and Motivation to post: Comments in the Economist following the story 'Devolving Volvo'.

NB. China '2m vehicles by 2015'?

Electric supercars-Highly charged motoring. Fast cars will go even faster with electric power
Mar 18th 2010 | From The Economist print edition
Quote:
"The secret (whisper it, lest puritanical greens find out) is that electric motors are better than combustion engines. They have more oomph, and no need of a gearbox to deliver it. No self-respecting supercar should be without them. And, at this month’s Geneva motor show, at least three supercar-makers showed that they had got the message. Lotus, Porsche and Ferrari each unveiled vehicles driven partly by electric motors."

"These cars have petrol engines, too, to back the electric ones up; technically, therefore, they are hybrids. But that should change in the future as batteries’ storage capacity goes up, and charging time comes down. Most importantly they show that, sometimes, doing the right thing can be fun."
TESLA PERFORMANCE SPEC.
"The launch of the Tesla roadster two years ago demonstrated that electric cars do not have to be slouches. The Californian company’s small plug-in sports car can accelerate from zero to 96kph in 3.7 seconds. It has a range of 393km (244 miles) once its lithium-ion battery pack is fully charged (which, admittedly, takes several hours). The Tesla’s rapid acceleration comes from the ability of an electric motor to deliver its maximum amount of torque at whatever speed the motor is turning."

"Torque is the scientific term for turning force, and it is measured in newton-metres (Nm). The Tesla’s motor has a torque of 400Nm all the way to 5,100 revolutions per minute. An internal-combustion engine, by contrast, produces maximum torque only at certain speeds. The 2.0 litre engine of a Lotus Elise S2, for instance, peaks at 213Nm at 4,400rpm. And, whereas a gearbox is needed to use."
REFERENCE (en référence à ): TTXGP: Electric Motorcycles Race Isle of Man - Isle of Man TT and Street Racing - Motorcycle USA (cf.(afficher sur) Google Sidewiki)

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