SuperCharge, a new racing series, has just been confirmed. Planned for a launch in 2022, it will use race cars based on road-going EVs, albeit ones that have been tweaked for maximum performance.
EV momentum
"Motorsport is at a crossroads," says SuperCharge Managing Director and co-founder Rob Armstrong. "Alejandro Agag (founder of Formula E) and Jean Todt have done a great job pioneering electric motorsport. With many countries and cities already announcing plans to ban internal combustion-engine cars in the coming years, the need for road car-based electric motorsport is becoming more and more compelling. We believe it is only a matter of time before there are more electric motorsport series. Given this rapidly increasing EV momentum, we believe the timing and appeal of SuperCharge is ideal and see a clear space for it as the road car-relevant motorsport series.
"We have carefully conceived SuperCharge to take account into these societal changes and to consider the needs of car companies, fans, commercial parties and venues in order to make a truly sustainable and commercially viable new series. SuperCharge takes motorsport into a new and hugely relevant arena and we can't wait to spark the series into life across the globe."
Road car bodies
The new series will use cars based on familiar road-going SUVs and crossovers, but will be a silhouette formula so that under the skin the cars are basically identical, making for closer racing. Called the SC01, the SuperCharge chassis will include two electric motors, one for each axle, developing a combined 670hp, with acceleration from 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds.
According to SuperCharge, teams will be able to adapt the standard specification car in two ways. The first is the car's bodywork, so the public have a clear visual link between the striking race car on the track and the one they can, or will, enjoy on the road. The second is battery technology system development, that can in turn enhance the underlying battery performance of road-going EVs. To reflect the full electric ecosystem on public roads, the SuperCharge race car will also be designed to use roadside fast charging systems and connectors.
In terms of making their cars better for the race, teams will be able to adjust the suspension and steering setup, as they would be in a traditional racing car, but also the 'power draw down' systems of the electric powertrain - battery geometry, cooling and battery management systems. The idea is not to allow people to find more power, but to encourage them to develop energy-saving systems, allowing them to run their cars harder for longer. Developments such as that could then, theoretically, trickle through to road cars. Indeed, Jaguar recently said that it was able to improve the all-round performance of its I-Pace model thanks to its experience racing in Formula E.
Ramp action!
The tracks, located in city centres as per Formula E, will be just one-kilometre long, and will feature a 2.5-metre ramp that will actually fling the cars some ten metres through the air (Formula One needs to get on board with this idea too...). Each track will also feature a 'low friction' zone, encouraging drifting and sliding. There will also be a water gantry for random injections of fake rain, and an extra loop in the track, similar to that used by Rallycross, which drivers can access once per race.
Races will be built around a grid of 16 cars, and each race will consist of just six laps, with the idea to hold 15 races per event.
A centrepiece of each event will be a central charging location for the cars, which will be identical to public chargers used by road cars - the idea being that race-goers will see the new vehicles charging from the same plugs as the road cars they will (hopefully) buy.
SuperCharge's Managing Director and co-founder is Rob Armstrong, who brings his extensive experience from Formula 1 as well as WME IMG as its Global Head of Motorsport, responsible for the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the FIM Speedway World Championships. His co-founder is Max Welti, a former professional racing driver and seasoned expert who has directed global motorsport programmes for car manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Ford, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen.
Commenting on his involvement with SuperCharge, Max Welti adds: "I've been involved with many ground breaking race series as both a driver and promoter and realised that motorsport as we know it has to change. SuperCharge has been developed to be an intrinsic part of that change, and we are working closely with leading manufacturers and key suppliers, like German car constructor Holzer, in turning this exciting concept into reality. Undoubtedly, it is an exciting time to be involved in revolutionising the next generation of motorsport."
Günther Holzer, Managing Director, said: "We are delighted to be involved in this exciting project. Electric motorsport will be a major part of our future business and we look forward to working with SuperCharge on this next-generation of race cars."
SuperCharge has also benefitted from the behind-the-wheel perspective of professional racing drivers including the globally recognised, versatile and multi-talented driver and media personality, Tanner Foust. Foust commented: "The SuperCharge series has amazing allure for a race driver like me. In my career I've found that for a new motorsport to grow successfully it has to appeal to a young demographic, as well as the major car manufacturers. The excitement of electric acceleration, high-performance and cutting-edge technology, combined with the tempo of the race day, will tick both boxes and in turn ensure a very successful series. At a time when the automotive enthusiast world is so strong, and yet the manufacturer involvement in traditional motorsport is weakening, we really need an environmentally and financially sustainable, technologically relevant racing series like SuperCharge to reinvigorate motorsport at its core. I can't wait!"