Ford unveils historic, all-new Focus ELECTRIC pace car for Richmond (NASCAR)

[Mopar151]

Source: Ford press release via Jayski.com

•Ford Unveils Historic All-New Focus Electric Pace Car for Richmond: After being unveiled in a public ceremony at the Virginia State Capitol, the 2012 Focus Electric pace cars are ready for their historic race weekend when they become the first all-electric vehicles to pace a NASCAR Sprint Cup event. The two Focus Electric vehicles will perform all pace car duties for the Capital City 400 presented by Virginia is for Lovers Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. The two cars were unveiled by Eric Kuehn, chief nameplate engineer, Ford Global Electrified Programs; Mike Lynch, NASCAR's managing director of Green Innovation; and Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. Production of the Focus Electric began in December at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich.(Ford), see image of the pace car on my 2012 Pace Car page.(4-27-2012)



Read more: http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm

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A bold move by Ford - the Focus will be under a microscope of critical, knowledgable race fans, and must be capable of performing at speeds above most highway limits, along with agility and braking sufficent to stay out of a 30,000 + horsepower stampede. NASCAR prefers pace car drivers with significant racing experience - like Brett Bodine of their Tech Center. You better beleive that ol' DW will be asking the Focus pace car driver's opinion of it's performance - and how much it cost to "fill it up"!

[PoliticAverse]

1. Picture of the car:

[freshwest]

2. Ah, good, I was wondering. The OP link didn't have one. Nice, I like it.

My state is putting in the charging stations and a lot of businesses and apartment buildings are allowing it. So this might really have some legs. It's way past time we got going on alternatives.

[Grassy Knoll]

5. I wonder if this picture will be on the "Hood"

Oops, ment to post to OP, Sorry.

[Mopar151]

7. Who is this, and how is it relevant? n/t

[Grassy Knoll]

10. It's General Lee......

and he is at war with General Lectrick. um kay ?

[Duppers]

14. you seriously don't know?

wow.

[Mopar151]

21. Is that Flush Limburger, 5 or 10 years ago?

I'm pretty sure it's no one to do with NASCAR, or motorsports in general.

[Duppers]

25. indeed, it is him

and it's the poster's satirical jab at the fat asshole who constantly slamming anything remotely "green."

[russspeakeasy]

3. Will Ford be building this in their new east China plant ?

[Mopar151]

8. Only if east China is in Wayne, Michigan. n/t

[SunSeeker]

4. Very cool. Thanks for the post. nt

[Old and In the Way]

6. We need Chrysler to get onboard, as well.

This is good news and a very hi-profile showcase. The Big Three need to promote and market the electric car as a viable way to break our dependence on fossil fuel and provide the basis for a new post-oil economy.

[frylock]

9. great PR for both EV and NASCAR

[truthisfreedom]

11. My Tesla Roadster Sport would have been a better choice.

American-made, 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, 245 mile range, 3.5 hour charge. And sexy as all get out.

[AdHocSolver]

12. However, the Tesla might outshine the gas guzzlers. Can't have that happen. nt

[Mopar151]

20. Not f'n likely

The big boys make 850+ horsepower, and will run over 250 mph on an open road.

[MrTriumph]

16. Did the huge gov't subsidies may your ride more "sexy"?

If truth is freedom, subsidies are freeloading.

Telsa autos are the "welfare Cadillac" for the rich.

[AdHocSolver]

18. Big Oil takes government subsidies, Big Pharma takes government subsidies...

...Big banks take government subsidies (also known as bank bailouts), airlines take government subsidies, nuclear power companies take huge government subsidies.

What's your point?

[Fumesucker]

13. It wouldn't surprise me at all if this gets a negative reaction at the race(s)..

NASCAR leans heavily Republican and Republicans seem to really despise anything "green" and things like hybrids and electric vehicles come in for particular scorn..

[Duppers]

15. my thoughts exactly

they are a brainwashed bunch.

[Mopar151]

17. Ah tell yew whut... Dollars widn over politics, 'most every time.

A friend of mine assembles high-end racing engines, including some regional "Tour" NASCAR stuff. He scored an old diesel Jetta in a charity auction - figured "I'll make a quick buck by doing a cooking oil fuel conversion, and sell it to some Greenie." He did the conversion, and decided to test drive it for a week or 2. "So I realized, after the first week, that I'm gettin 40 mpg, and it's an hour to work - and the fuel is FREE, and I'm a cheap bastid!" He's still drivin' it 2 years later, and built a new to him camper from a diesel airport shuttle bus - also converted to "grease". "Went from Conn. to Limestone, Maine for the ECTA Maine Mile, spent nuthin' but groceries!"

[Duppers]

22. ell, good on 'em, then

He converted himself. But too many of them will not learn from others nor will they teach themselves. They prefer to remain rooted in a failed idealogy and they feel their culture is threatened from the outside. And it is.

They continue to vote against their own best interests - they, for the most part, are incapable of converting themselves. I know for I am a born and raised Tennessean.

[Mopar151]

23. My buddy is NOT a "Talladega Infield" Nascar fan

I'm a lot more acquainted with the racers and the rest of the folks who put on the show than the casual fans - pitside got fuel efficency a long time ago, we all figured out that high gas prices and thirsty tow rigs eat into the tire and hot dog budget somethin' terrible.

[Duppers]

24. great

I've the upmost respect for folks like the late Paul Newman and his pit crew, one of whom is or was a DUer.

However, my extended family is full of nascar fans who don't love green as I do. Heck, they're even fakenews watching, global warming deniers.

Btw, hubs and I plan to buy a Ford Hydrid in the next couple of years.

[FarCenter]

19. With electric pace car, NASCAR puts pedal down on green efforts

RICHMOND — At its essence, NASCAR is an ear-blasting, exhaust-spewing, gas-guzzling celebration of unbridled horsepower. Its racecars get five miles per gallon under optimum conditions. And over the course of a 36-race season, NASCAR’s elite Sprint Cup division burns through more than 135,000 gallons of fuel.

But in a world turned green, NASCAR is waking up to the reality that American attitudes about automobiles are shifting — from consumers’ demands for better gas mileage to heightened concern about global warming. Lest NASCAR be relegated to the scrap heap as a pointless spectacle that squanders precious fossil fuel, the sport in 2008 launched an initiative known as NASCAR Green and, ever since, has been advocating environmental stewardship — with a straight face, no less.


The most striking representation of NASCAR’s new eco-awareness takes center stage Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, where an all-electric Ford Focus pace car will lead the field of 43 thundering stock cars to the green flag.

It will be a proud moment for Ford engineers, who get to showcase their latest breakthrough in energy-efficient vehicles before 90,000 rabid NASCAR fans and a nationwide FOX viewing audience. (The all-electric Focus, which retails for $39,995, goes on sale in 16 targeted markets this year, including Richmond and Washington.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/with-electric-pace-car-nascar-puts-pedal-down-on-green-efforts/2012/04/27/gIQAjqkEmT_story.html

With electric motors on all 4 wheels, an electric race car should be able to get more power onto the track. Especially if you can use computer controls to keep each wheel at the limit of traction.

Formula 1 already uses hybrid technology in the kinetic energy recovery system.

Formula One cars to use hybrid-style electric-only mode in the pits

Formula One is responsible for passing a shedload of hand-me-down tech to everyday road cars. Traction control, launch control, flappy paddle gearboxes and carbon fibre were all made famous through track racing before gaining mainstream acceptance in road cars, but it appears it's the road car's turn to influence F1.

The sport's governing body, the FIA, will introduce a next-generation hybrid system to F1 cars from the 2013 season onwards. And according to Williams team boss Adam Parr, this will allow them to run on electric power alone when driving through the pits -- much like hybrid road cars allow you to cruise on 'leccy power alone at low speeds.

Today's F1 cars already use part petrol, part electric hybrid-style KERS (kinetic energy recovery systems). At present, KERS is designed to provide an extra 80hp of boost for a maximum of 6.67 seconds per lap to aid overtaking. According to the excellent James Allen on F1 blog, however, Parr believes KERS systems of tomorrow will be four times more powerful than today's systems and have an EV-only mode.

"It will have one fan generating electricity to super-charge the engine, another fan to recover energy from the exhausts which will recharge a battery and then be usable," he said. "It's going to run on pure electric in the pitlane."

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/cartech/formula-one-cars-to-use-hybrid-style-electric-only-mode-in-the-pits-50003619/

[sofa king]

26. The pace lap will have an 8-hour recharge intermission.