Formula Zero World Premiere in Rotterdam, Motosport at its Cleanest
by Petz Scholtus, Barcelona, Spain on 08.14.08
Rotterdam, home of the first Sustainable Dance Club due to open next month, the Happy Shrimp Farm and Enviu eco-innovators, to only name a few, is now hosting the world’s first international championship for fuel cell powered racers this August 22 - 23. Formula Zero is a World Premiere that researches and promotes zero emission technology through organising races. It is a new zero-emission race class for open fuel cell single seaters. The only rule: zero emissions.
The 2008 Championship is a competition between university teams that develop their own fuel cell kart. This race class will scale-up to full-size racing cars, as commercial interest and the technology develop. Formula One cars gain speed to over 200 miles per hour, whereas Formula Zero cars a the moment, reach just over 30 miles per hour. But according to Discovery Channel’s documentary about the zero emission racers in the Netherlands, “speed is not everything. Forumla Zero can change life as we know it; they race for the future.” So this new kind of fast is clean, and all hydrogen.
Why hydrogen? Forumla Zero explains:
Hydrogen has the potential to become a truly sustainable energy source because it can be produced from renewable sources like biomass, wind and solar power. Fuel cells turn hydrogen into electricity emitting only water. Hydrogen in combination with fuel cells is a serious zero emissions alternative for conventional combustion engines: safe, practical, clean and efficient.
According to Godert from Forumla Zero, “there is one step beyond Formula One, and that is Zero. We are the next level of motor speed racing.”
So if you feel you belong to the new generation of race fans, who love watching fast cars driving around in circles producing zero emission, visit Rotterdam city centre this month to witness some promising technological innovations. Visit the Formula Zero web site to meet the teams, and find out more about fuel cell racing. Thanks Oriol P. for the tip! ::Formula Zero
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There is a contradiction here:
"race class for open fuel cell single seaters"
VS
"The only rule: zero emissions"
Which is it? Are they banning batteries because they'd win? Or because there is some awkward corporate sponsorship deal that demands money be poured into fuel-cells?
Quit messing around, I'm all for a race series with zero emissions, but don't put restrictions on it! Let the air cars, and EV's in as well and see what the real winner is!
Greener or not greener, driving around in circles still represents a waste of energy ... not to mention all the people who drive over to watch.
Waste or not, it gets the general populace interested in a better technology, and that means more money to fund research and development.
Also, the race itself is only part of the competition. The real challenge is in the actual build and planning of the vehicle. Some great technology could come from this.
gotta agree with Jon. Awareness is key.
For example, no one likes to see killer whales in tanks doing flips for the crowd. But a relatively few number of killer whales have encouraged a large number of people to become "aware" of their beauty.
Likewise, hydrogen power itself is beautiful and should be developed. ZERO Waste should be the goal. We have our first ZW conference coming up next month here on the big island of hawaii. I'm psyched that we might learn a thing or two from Gunter Pauli and what you folks are up to over there! If you're here, come to the conference. Not sure of the dates but I think there's more info here: http://hiedb.org