The UK is leading the electric and hybrid car revolution thanks to F1

In 2016, we’re very aware of just how bad fossil fuels are for us and the environment – and that means finding clean, efficient transport is more important than ever. Electric and hybrid cars represent our best option – and thanks to motorsport, the UK is a world leader in both fields.

Beyond global warming

Global warming isn’t just bad for the planet, it’s bad for us. According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation, air pollution cost the EU more than $1.6 trillion (£1 trillion) in 2010 – about a tenth of the continent’s GDP that year.

The study also found that 90% of people in Europe were exposed to pollution above WHO guidelines. In 2010, deaths and diseases caused by pollution cost the UK $83 billion – around 3.7% of its annual GDP. And in the past few years, the population and the number of car owners has continued to grow – which means things have only got worse.

[gallery:5]

It’s against this grim backdrop that the race to develop affordable, sustainable car technology has started – and the UK is miles ahead of the field. But our dominance isn’t down to the chemical or automotive industries, but rather good, old-fashioned motor racing.

Motorsport Valley: the UK’s engine room

Once an amateur pastime of Europe’s rich elite, motorsport has grown into a professional, multi-billion-dollar business – but it’s still firmly rooted in the UK.

[gallery:3]

Today, McLaren, Williams, Red Bull and Force India are UK-based – and even German powerhouse Mercedes develops its car in Brackley and its hybrid powertrain in Brixworth. But these teams represent just a fraction of the 4,000 companies that form “Motorsport Valley”.

With a combined annual turnover of £9 billion, Motorsport Valley is the driving force behind the UK’s innovation in hybrid technologies. Its closely linked companies act like fast-twitch fibres, reacting to tech and using it to eke out performance improvements. “The cluster is SME-based, and that proximity is vital for fast reaction to new technologies,” adds Chris Aylett, CEO of the Motorsport Industry Association.

Winning races helps teams demand more money from sponsors and increases the income they generate. And what happens to this money? It goes back into R&D and the hunt for the next few tenths of a second. Most SMEs in Motorsport Valley spend well over 30% of their sales on R&D, a far greater proportion than in most industries.

The process is ongoing, and the need to be the fastest every week means motorsport is able to skip through idea cycles significantly faster than other industries. “The turnaround time of a Formula One car from a blank piece of paper to running it on the track is normally about 18 months,” says James Francis, senior communications manager of the Williams F1 team. “A lot of bigger companies can’t really do much in 18 months; because they’re so huge, it’s very difficult for them.”

From race to road

F1 has already given the auto industry carbon fibre bodywork, semi-automatic gearboxes and traction control, but it’s only now that the true potential of the UK’s motorsport heritage is being unlocked. A mixture of government legislation and recent rule changes mean it’s spearheading tech that will filter down to our road cars.

Formula One now uses Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) and turbochargers to achieve performance similar to previous engines while using one-third less fuel and cylinders. Elsewhere, the all-electric Formula E series – in which cars use batteries designed by Williams Advanced Engineering – is revolutionising how electric cars are perceived.

“In my mind, Williams Advanced Engineering is probably one of the best examples of using [motorsport technology] to broaden out into other industries,” says Ian Cluett, head of programmes and commercial at the company.[gallery:1]

ERS technology developed by the McLaren and Williams F1 teams is already being used in road cars such as McLaren’s P1 and Jaguar’s CX75. “We reapplied that [technology] across the Jaguar CX75, and then into Formula E, and we’re working with a number of OEMS to effectively push up the power density and energy density of their batteries by using F1 cooling processes and cooling in their batteries,” he adds.

The F1-powered bus

Elsewhere, F1 hybrid technology developed by Williams for racing will be used in London’s public transport. “Williams developed two variants [of KERS in] the first instance, a battery-based system and a flywheel-based system,” says Francis.

“We ultimately went down a battery solution, but [we] realised that the flywheel was a great piece of kit and had applicability outside of the sport. So, basically, we ran with that and set up a company called Williams Hybrid Power.”

In 2014, Williams Hybrid Power was sold to FTSE 100 engineering company GKN, and the technology originally designed for F1 will soon be installed on more than 50 London buses.

GKN’s Gyrodrive system uses a high-speed carbon-fibre flywheel to store the energy generated by a bus as it stops at lights or in traffic. The flywheel then uses the excess kinetic energy to power an electric motor, which in turn works with the engine to get the bus moving again. Using this technology, GKN is saving around 20% in fuel.

Sodium-ion bikes

Williams Advanced Engineering is also involved in the two-wheeled world. The company helped design the world’s first sodium-ion powered bicycle earlier this year.

Capable of the same charge capacity and longevity of lithium-ion cells, sodium-ion batteries – developed in partnership with Oxford University and Faradion – cost a fraction of the price. Although Williams wasn’t actively involved in the design of the revolutionary batteries, its management systems helped make the project a reality. “How to manage different cells of different characteristics, that was a process we developed in F1,” Cluett says of the bike.

[gallery:7]

Beyond vehicles

Although F1 is now heavily focused on electrified drive trains, other motorsport expertise is helping the UK. The country has benefited from increased communication between industries, and this has led to the utilisation of motorsport technology in more places than ever.

“We’re now working on three defence programs, but for obvious reasons I can’t tell you what they are,” says Cluett. “Power density, particularly for the military carrying things around the world, is critical to them. They’re often flying things or putting things in nasty locations, so having power-dense batteries is extremely important.

“There are quite a lot of batteries used in personal cells, sort of personal power. A soldier may carry a battery back around on his back to power a radio and other things he carries – clearly anything you can do to reduce the weight of that or increase the power of that has a huge benefit for military personnel, so that may be something we’re talking about here.”

According to Cluett, F1 battery know-how can also be applied to cell technology in renewable energy – particularly with solar energy in warmer climates. Energy-storage systems can combat the peaks and troughs of renewable energy sources by effectively smoothing the output. By storing energy at peak times and releasing it when we need it most, they make renewable energy a far more viable option.

“In some locations, keeping those batteries cool is as important as in a vehicle,” explains Cluett. “Most lithium batteries operate best around the same temperature as people, so 20 to 25 degrees. Once you get to Middle Eastern temperatures, the batteries need quite a lot of cooling to operate in a way that gives them good life.”

Fostering the growth

While Motorsports Valley is leading the way, it’s also benefitting from surprisingly forward-thinking government legislation. “Government policy is obviously incredibly influential,” says Joe Greenwell, CEO of the Automotive Investment Organisation.

“It’s one thing to talk of wanting to maintain an advantage; in times of austerity, it’s quite another to fund £500 million to a specific initiative focused entirely on that area of activity in automotive. That’s what the coalition government did.”

The UK is already one of Europe’s top buyers in electric cars, and a leader in electric and hybrid technology. The fruits of 100 years of motorsport have now made it a leader in sustainable energy. “Motorsport is one of our great strengths, as is our innovation,” concludes Greenwell. “We are in the vanguard of this low-carbon agenda in the UK, and we jealously guard that position.” Let’s hope we stay there.