Bull_D

I know this news is a week or two old. I'm kind of surprised there hasn't been much chatter about this on RL. So is Toyota going to spend the money to run alone? I'm glad I'm an old ******.....I think the salad days of motorsports are mostly behind us.

stownsen914

What happens when top manufacturers like Porsche participate in a form of motorsport that relatively few people care about?

Veloce Raptor

And that sucks

Coochas

I don't get the Formula E thing. I think it's worthwhile for the manufacturers to invest in it BUT not as their top platform!

mhm993

As I've said in another thread, I attended the FE race in NY. It was an utter bore. Too bad for us gearheads and sucks that Porsche AG is investing so heavily to the detriment of LOUD race series.

stownsen914

Well, maybe this is the sign that prototype racing isn't the top platform anymore? GT racing fields (RSR) seem to be pretty full these days. Maybe Porsche is putting its eggs in that basket for now, and doing Formula E to invest in that technology and also be green as a marketing / public relations effort.

multi21

To quote a very well known song, "This is the end.... the end my friend the end"...

The writing is on the wall with regard to electric cars being the thing of the future, especially with companies like Volvo not even producing fossil fuel burning cars starting in 2019 and European cities banning them from city centers in the next few years. We, my friends, are dinosaurs, just like the fuel that propel these cars.

The ironic (or moronic) thing is that the Millenial generation, for the most part, don't even like cars or racing as we know it. They'd rather do iRacing or, the next big thing according to them, drone racing....

stownsen914

Perhaps the saving grace for me is that I've always liked vintage racing ...

I wonder how PCA Club Racing is going to squeeze in classes for electric cars into their packed schedules?

Coochas

I'm thinking they will get preferred paddock parking next to the 220V rapid charger. Or will they just bring a Honda generator and use some gasoline to recharge their EVs?

Veloce Raptor

IMO, Volvo will push this back a lot. That is one model year away. Folks are simply not gonna buy their cars otherwise.

multi21

They very well may push it out, but as you know, cars are in the R&D cycle for several years before release and I'm just thinking why would Volvo announce this unless they knew they were ready to go in 2019. Also think that a major company like that as compared to a company like Tesla, may have increase range considerably to make such a bold statement.

Veloce Raptor

The irony of all-electric cars is that they are not less polluting, since the VAST majority of electricity generation comes via fossil fuels. This is why I call the Tesla the world's most luxurious coal-burning car. But it makes a certain type of buyer FEEL better about themselves...because the pollution is created in some other area besides theirs.

multi21

You're right and the Prius takes more energy to build than a normal car and the offset is not 1 for 1. I'm not a big fan of the Tesla for a couple reasons:

1. Range and convenience. It's just not a practical car in terms of where you want to go and how long it takes to charge when not at home. One of the German interior ministers just turned his Tesla back in after a few months citing the same.

2. Financially, Tesla is only surviving because of BS PC feel good cap and trade offsets. A true bean counter, independent of the left leaning politics, would see right through the sustainability of such a company to survive. It could never keep it's head above water otherwise.

....but we're getting far from the actual topic at hand here.

Bull_D

I agree with this to a certain extent. However, I believe Le Mans has a huge worldwide following, even by some who are not normal motorsport fans. Another issue is the very important developments that have come through this specific type of racing.....the diesel tech audi developed, truly the home of MUCH of the hybrid tech, etc.... What is going to come out of FE?

Coochas

Millenials in pajamas sipping pumpkin spiced lattes will have a sport that they can watch on TV.