FIA Conference: The Future of Powertrain Technologies: Toward Sustainable Motorsport and Mobility

Last Tuesday, 6 July 2021, MIA CEO Chris Aylett joined a plenary session covering ‘The Future of Powertrain Technologies: Toward Sustainable Motorsport and Mobility’ at the FIA Conference 2021. During the session Chris Aylett called on the FIA saying “ It’s a great opportunity for the FIA to work with the motorsport supply chain to rise to these powertrain challenges.”

The FIA have published the below article following a plenary session:

In the quest for a more sustainable future, our choices on powertrains must avoid short-term thinking and focus on a holistic view of energy provision, as yesterday’s meeting on the future of powertrain technologies revealed.

A fascinating and detailed discussion joint plenary on ‘The Future of Powertrain Technologies: Towards Sustainable Motor Sport and Mobility’ pointed to a balanced approach to energy sources being the key to building a cleaner future.

Speaking first, Motorsport UK Chairman David Richards said that in the pursuit of sustainable motor sport it is important not to disenfranchise existing competitors and that outside top-level motor sport sustainable powertrains are best introduced at junior level.

“We have to achieve a balance,” he said. “We have 30,000 members, licence holders, who have existing cars and want to participate and we also have a demand from the general public who wants us to move towards sustainability. We cannot disenfranchise existing licence holders but we have to show leadership. We should introduce it at junior levels. For example, cadet Karting is an easy level to introduce it at.

“We have governments that are focusing on electric to the exclusion of everything else and we have to educate them that motor sport is a great platform for transforming transport very quickly.

In Mobility, Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC WA) Group CEO Rob Slocombe explained how the Club had been concerned by the lack of infrastructure in his region. In the absence of action at state level, the Club undertook the construction of 12 charging stations covering some 500 km of road. He explained that the government followed the action by committing AUS$21 million to infrastructure programmes.

However, he added that uptake of sustainable technologies in Australia will be slow as a result of the increasing popularity of diesel vehicles, coupled with the country’s poor fuel quality.

“Average emissions intensity for passenger vehicles in Australia is 45% higher than in Europe,” he said. According to our statistics, some 2,500 people die each year as a result of emissions, higher than the number dying in crashes,” he said. “The government has said it will bring in new fuel standards in 2027. That’s way too long and the longer it is delayed, the longer we will stay out of step with the world. We need to get more aggressive with our timeframes.”

Motorsport Industry Association CEO Chris Aylett insisted that consumers are being dictated to by governments in a switch to electric. According to him, this is founded on the short-term view of politicians who will not be in power over the decades needed for the future of powertrains to be played out.

“The challenge is: what is the future? Is it 10 years? That’s nonsense in technology terms. Is it 20 or 30? It’s fascinating to see politicians who are in power for five years having to talk about 10-year timeframes because they want the votes. We are going to make mistakes if we put speed before common sense. Is the future all- electric? Not a hope. Too many nations can’t adapt; can’t afford it. Electric won’t work everywhere.

“The internal combustion engine is a very efficient mode of mobility and has been so for 100 years. There is plenty of potential there if we weren’t in such a hurry to go electric. With regard to sustainable fuels, I am quite sure we will go forward into the future with an urban electric solution and a non-urban solution. It is a great opportunity for the FIA to work with the supply chain in motor sport to rise to these challenges.”

FIA Environment and Sustainability Commission President Felipe Calderón then raised the point that some forecasts suggest that as battery development improves, electric vehicles (EVs) could be “equal or even cheaper than combustion-engine vehicles. If that happens, there will be a huge change in the market. It will happen because of a rational decision by consumers to switch.”

Rob Slocombe said that such an evolution was unlikely in his home country. “In Australia the average age of a vehicle is 11 years. It will take a long time for electric vehicles to come through. EVs are very very expensive, about 60% more expensive. Yes, economics will drive change but it will take quite a while.”

Article continued on the FIA Website here.