Audi on the Right Track
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 03.21.07
Motor racing isn't the greenest of pursuits, I'll admit. It does seem though, that some positive fuel economy advancements are coming from it. Audi are leading the way with their diesel R10 TDI, which recently won the 12 Hours of Sebring. The car has been so successful in recent races that a handicap was placed on the team, reducing the size of the fuel tank by 10% and forcing more pit stops. Audi won the event despite this, and a puncture that cost two laps.
It would be a stretch to call the R10 economical, but any improvement is positive. It's unrealistic to expect everyone to give up high performance cars, so the fact that people are working on fuel efficiency even in this niche market is great news. If Audi were to combine this technology with more sustainable bio-diesel it would be even better, as the Lola B2K did at Le Mans last year, but at least they're on the right track.
There are plenty of incentives for manufacturers to invest in green technologies; in a race like Le Mans the less often you have to refuel the greater your chance of winning, and there is also an ecological prize up for grabs, which Audi has previously won. A more cynical commentator may say that It's also helpful to have a green angle for the marketing department to work with.
Hopefully some of these advancements will eventually trickle down from the race and research departments to consumers, just like variable valve timing, direct injection, 5 speed automatics and those little cup holders that spring out when you push the button.
In any case, if you must drive a 200Mph car, then why not buy one that can run on bio-diesel?
BMW also races some diesels in the German saloon car series. Now if California would just lose the ban on diesels, we might be able to actually accomplish something. Ironic that they banned diesels and passed a bill to reduce greenhouse gases in the same legislative year, oblivious to the fact that the first prevented the latter from happening.
Would be interesting to have more races that demanded higher fuel efficiency standards for cars to remain competitive. I don't know much about racing, but it seems like competitions based on criteria that demand the adoption of fuel efficient/ecofriendly technological innovations could raise the chances of seeing more ecofriendly developments in high performance automobiles.
The incentive for fuel efficiency in racing was clearly there and Audi capitalized on it. So much so, it was penalized. Now, if the racing organization would stop penalizing and start promoting fuel efficiency, then more racing manufacturers would be following Audi's lead.
"If Audi were to combine this technology with more sustainable bio-diesel it would be even better"
Matthew is right, they are not using bio-diesel, however:
Audi is actually using a synthetic diesel fuel formulated especially for the R10 diesel race car.
So they are not using just regular ol' dino diesel you or me could get from the corner truck stop.
Back during the 70's oil crisis I saw Road & Track studies that claimed that the fuel use of motorsports was negligible compared to other US sports. Not sure I approved of the methodology, but there's a point in there.
Other sports, like golf, football, etc. require substantial amounts of energy to support the players and teams, transport them, and conduct the entire marketing, publicity, advertising and broadcasting of the events. Each is a large industry with consequent fuel needs.
I've never heard complaints about other sports that rely on the use of fuels - like airplane racing, speedboat racing, parachuting, water skiing, downhill skiing...
Some auto racing series have limited the amount of fuel that a car can consume over the course of the race - precisely to save energy and to sharped competition. The point of the competition is not to see who can burn the most fuel. In fact many races have been lost because a leader ran out of fuel.
The LeMans 24hr endurance auto race, coming up for the solstice, has had an 'index of performance' which is an additional competition category. The formula is complicated, but the result has generally been to award a car that has maximized speed and distance attained while minimizing fuel consumption. Generally this has been won by smaller cars with less engine displacement and higher levels of aerodynamics.
For the past several years Formula One racing has penalized the replacement of tires on their cars, which had an indirect conservation benefit.
Auto racing has generated and perfected many pieces of automobiletechnology that we take for granted now - like fuel injection, electronic ignition and engine management, multivalve overhead cam engines, aluminum parts, aerodynamic design. I'm not so sure about the cupholders...
Winning in autosports comes from maximising your resources, which generally means seeking the highest possible level of performance and efficiency from every component. An engine that is substantially more efficient than its' competitors could prove a nearly unbeatable advantage.
Mother Jones recently interviewed a guy who can get the most milage out of a Prius - his technique sounded like a racer's approach. I bet there's a market for a race series that's a mashup of the Mobil Economy Run and Rollerball!
It would be interesting to see if they could create a high-performance version of biodiesel...
Sean Said: "Now if California would just lose the ban on diesels, we might be able to actually accomplish something. Ironic that they banned diesels and passed a bill to reduce greenhouse gases in the same legislative year"
California simply raised the requirements for diesels. While greenhouse gases may kill all of us through global warming eventually, the sooty output of diesel engines without sufficient pollution controls is actively killing people in the urban areas of California right now.
From what I read car manufacturers are working on pollution reduction solutions to meet the new requirements, so it will all be a moot point shortly.
Volkswagen will be releasing a new TDI (turbodiesel) in the near future which have much lower emissions. One source I found said "the Jetta TDi, which achieves even lower nitrous oxide emissions [than Dodge diesel trucks]. It will go on sale in early 2008." I've heard they meet California's higher emissions standards, but check on that before you put money down on one. I have a 2006 VW Jetta TDi, and it's simply the best car I've ever had -- partially because it can use biodiesel, but mostly just because it's a great car.
Audi's advantage is the several hundred million dollars they spent developing this car. Every other P1 team is a privateer entry without about 1/100th the budget of Audi.
But make no bones about it, Audi has dominated this series (ALMS) for nearly a decade, and rightfully so. Their engineers are top notch and they put every ounce of effort into this program.
I would also like to mention that this car is quieter than most production cars. When it goes by on the track, all you here are the rush of the turbos and a very faint exhaust note. Quite the sight as it flies past you at 160+mph.
Audi plans to run the 2007 Le Mans race (24 hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de le Sarthe) using biodiesel as the primary fuel. It will be specially formulated, but it is a "green" fuel none-the-less. It is also noteworthy to mention Peugot has just finished their Le Mans prototype as well; it also uses a V12 diesel.
Check it out.
Great article. I love motorsport both 4 wheel and 2 wheel. The thing about motorsport is that most of the technology does get passed down to us on street level.
I have only one negative thing to say about your article - automatic cars use more fuel. The Transmition is heavier and even with the electronic control they are still inefficient. The majority of European drivers drive standard/manual transmition vehicles.
The point about automatics, I think, was that 5 speed autos are starting to become standard, while a few years ago it was all 3 and 4. They are worse than manuals, but still better than 3-speeds..
Have you heard of koenigsegg supercars? They are a swedish manufacturer of low volume supercars. Their Top tier model (and fastest too) Runs on either Petrol or Biofuel. These clever swedes have actually managed to extract much more power out of this beast from the biofuel tune.
I realise that its a superfast guzzler, and while the fuel might be petrol based over diesel... As you say, its a start isnt it?
Several companies have attempted to surpass California's hurdles when it comes to Diesel emissions; none thus far have succeeded. DaimlerBenz was making a big stink about how their new urea injection technology (yes it is what you think) would allow it to pass. It didn't. Emissions from NEW diesel passenger cars isn't killing anyone today because they simply do not exist in California today. They have been effectively banned. Yet, diesel big rigs continue to be sold with relatively lenient standards, despite convering a far larger number of miles on average.
The stringent standard is shortsighted. Soot is not what many think, given the rattly, snorting monster diesels of the early 80s. Particulate levels are already so low as to be inperceptible in new cars. On top of that, new low sulfur diesel fuel reduces the particulate emissions even further. Plus, diesels are able to run on biodiesel, which has a huge following here in LA. Sustainable, even lower emissions, and nearly carbon-neutral, yet we are not allowed to take advantage of it. Not too bright.
The only option for people who want that type of thing and want to buy a new, modern vehicle is heavy duty pickups like the Dodge Ram 2500 or Chevy Silverado 2500 with their massive turbodiesels. Not the greenest of vehicles.