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Bernie Ecclestone: ‘People could be killed’ by electric F1 cars

By Brett Davis |

A new FIA rule to be imposed for the 2014 Formula One season is causing a stir, especially with F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone. The rule states F1 cars must run in electric ‘EV’ mode while in the pit lane. Ecclestone says if this rule were to be put in place, “people could be killed”.

There’s been a number of revisions to the Formula One rules and regulations in the past few years, all aimed at reducing F1′s carbon footprint. For the 2014 season, a range of new standards will be introduced, including a mandatory replacement of the current 2.4-litre V8 engine setup by a more fuel efficient 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 layout.

In a bid to further reduce emissions, the FIA (international motorsport governing body) says F1 cars in 2014 will have to shut down their petrol motors and switch to an electric motor while in the pit lane.

It does make a lot of sense as pit lane speeds are heavily restricted anyway, so there’s no real need for all that power, and no real need to burn any fuel. Ecclestone isn’t happy though. He told the Daily Express imposing this rule could be a very dangerous move:

“Formula One is absolutely not the right place to have electric engines. It’s like having ballet dancers with sneakers. More comfortable, but it doesn’t work… There’s no way that it will be electric in the pit lane. People could be killed because they won’t hear the cars coming.”

The original proposal of the 2014 rule was first proposed by ex-FIA president Max Mosley. Ecclestone is defending current FIA president Jean Todt but says the rule cannot be put in place. Ecclestone said,

“We can’t blame Jean Todt because this was started by Max [Mosley]. It was Max’s original idea. His idea is what is being promoted now.”

It’s an interesting issue, and one that normal electric road cars also face. When a car is being driven purely on electricity, the level of noise produced by the car at moderate to low speeds is almost non-existent.

Perhaps the FIA and Formula One could just adapt features such as audible systems that are currently available on electric vehicles like the Nissan LEAF. Such systems simply transmit a changeable note or high pitch noise to give the car some sound as it’s driving along, pre-warning pedestrians that a moving car is nearby.

What do you think? Feel free to give us your thoughts in the comments section below.


 
  • Meanstreak

    So put sound beacons on the car for when they switch to EV. Problem solved Bernie!

    • Trump

      Bernie is such a dinosaur

    • Harry

      what noise do you want? some fake engine sound, something like a fire alarm, a truck reversing sound? your choice

      • Force-15

        Wouldn’t the tyres make enough noise to be heard?

  • Eric

    May be they, the Professionals pit crew can look left, right and left again before they walk on to the pit lane track.

  • Charger

    Perhaps its FORMULA 1 and it should be about horsepower and technology not fuel saving and being green.

    • lucid

      Perhaps it’s Formula 1 and it should be about responsible competition, pushing the limits of technology to drive breakthroughs in fuel economy and ‘being green’? Since when is ‘technology’ operating in opposition to ‘green’? They ought to be one in the same in the minds of the public and the industry. Maybe then the moguls and investors can start harnessing human ingenuity to tackle the real problems our world faces, not slapping their egos around by building machines that have virtually no practical ethical or performance application in the real world. Or is having an F1 car that gets 4mpg too green? Maybe compelling the industry that has the capital and know-how to start developing real-world technology is a step in the right direction?

      • KO

        why cant they go an take that mindset elsewhere
        there’s plenty of other racing categories alot more relevant to road cars that could “push limits of technology” and “be green”
        just let f1 be screaming high capacity N/A motors that are pure bred race cars
        lets face it, it’s not relevant to your everyday car in any way shape or form no matter what marketing tells you
        manufacturers can develop things at their own pace instead of burning money for the sake of putting something into f1
        industry needs to be green before the general public
        they dump more stuff in an hour than a street would in a year

  • http://electric-vehicles-cars-bikes.blogspot.com/ Paul

    Bernie does talk a load of rubbish!

    Todt proposed 4 cyl turbo, Bernie (who said the sound would be hopeless) – negotiating on behalf of Ferrari got the FIA to agree to V6 turbos instead.

    I wonder what concession he’s trying to extract out of Todt this time?

  • The Original Tom

    I would argue that the WRC is the place to develop road car technology (and it has been in the past).

    Formula 1 is great, but it’s not the place. It’s from the same mindset as climbing Mt Everest or walking to the South Pole. Doesn’t do much good, but it’s an expression of human ingenuity and determination. For fun.

  • Meanstreak

    Harry don’t question me unless you can be sensible? I don’t suffer fools very well and you are leaning that way.

    • Wd

      Take it easy you fool, it’s a fair question. Picking a correct identifiable sounds is of huge importance: from hospitals to F1 to everyday cars, there’s actually a huge amount of research involved in the creation of such things to make sure they’re effective.

  • http://CarAdvice Sarcasm

    A sad day as F1 is going Green Fashionable as well.

    A reminder that animals such as cows contribute the largest greenhouse emissions on the planet.

    We need lots of corks to save the world from doomsday.

  • Mariani

    Making the F1 green? Here’s an idea: Stop wasting time, resources and massive amounts of jet fuel going to countries that have little or nothing to do with motor racing!
    GPs in Korea or China, for example… F1 is following money while places like Argentina and France do without a GP.
    So much for tradition then, let’s make F1 green. Full of ‘green’.

  • JML

    Why spend hundreds of millions of dollars on pointless technology to save 10% on F1 carbon emissions, when reducing the number of laps in each race by 10% would have the exact same effect?

    This whole F1 goes green bollocks is a huge PR wank. Bernie knows it and, in the interviews I’ve seen, he isn’t shy about saying so either. Good on him for trying to protect the spirit of what F1 is all about, i.e RACING. Save motor racing from the cult of CO2, please.