Guest Blog: Green Racing

On Valentine's Day I think it's only fitting to look at a sport lots of people love - auto racing. John Glenn and Tom Ball are a couple of EPA staff who think outside the glove box.

John Glenn and Tom Ball at the Green Racing announcement at the Detroit International Auto show

Both Tom and I have been racing fans most of our lives. It has been said that nothing accelerates the development of technology faster than war. If that is true, auto racing has to be a close second. In auto racing, winning is everything and the development of new technologies is relentless.

Tom and I wanted to harness this technology to make cleaner running, more efficient cars. We suggested creating a partnership with the Department of Energy and the Society of Auto Engineers (SAE) to promote “Green Racing.

Working with SAE, we created a work group that has developed a set of draft voluntary protocols that will turn racing into a laboratory for energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gasses and auto emissions without slowing the cars or spoiling the sport.

The draft protocols have five basic elements:
• The use of a renewable bio-based fuel or fuels;
• The use of multiple engines, fuels, and powertrains;
• The use of powertrains that recover and reuse braking energy;
• The use of energy allocations instead of detailed engine regulations; and
• The use of emission control strategies and systems.

Races that adopt the first three elements are eligible to be called Green Racing Challenge events.  Those that adopt all five are eligible to be called Green Racing Cup events.  EPA and DOE will award the Challenge and the Cup honors to the winning teams.

From left to right: David Amati, Ph.D., Director of Global Automotive Business, SAE; Ed Wall, Vehicle Technologies Program, DOE; Scott Atherton, President of the ALMS; and Margo Oge, Director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality standing in front of Chevrolet’s new Corvette race car that will run on cellulosic ethanol made from wood.

The idea is to encourage the adoption of racing rules that give advantages to competitors that incorporate renewable fuels and more efficient engine technologies. Consistent with the past history of racing, we expect the technology developed in green racing to make its way to the street. Professional auto racing is also a great platform for raising the public’s awareness of these new technologies.

Tom and I have been amazed at the attention the project has received. Nearly all the major car companies have shown interest. At a press event at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the American Le Mans series announced their intention to have the first Green Racing Challenge event in October 2008. They are planning to have sports cars that run on bio-diesel, cellulosic E- 10 and E-85 ethanols, and electric hybrids race against each other in a 1,000 mile race at speeds of up to 200 mph.

Although more work needs to be done in finalizing the protocols and working with ALMS on their plan for the Challenge, Green Racing is becoming a reality. We expect other racing organizations to see the advantages of this initiative and to adopt the elements of the protocols into their own series.

Comments

[Jake Cohen]

Great stuff! I'm all for it. I am a big fan of race cars myself and when you throw green and energy efficiency into the mix it just makes it all the better.

Sincerely, Jake Cohen.
http://www.talkprice.net/

[Sharon Rich]

That's just great. I live in Daytona Beach, and wish that our local NASCAR events were more "green." During Race Week," I can literally hear them miles away, and if I'm caught driving down International Speedway (with my window open, for improved gas mileage, on my own car) I can smell them too!

Of much greater consequence though, we in Florida, along with about sixteen other states, are still waiting for the EPA to honor its responsibility, as ruled by various courts right up to the Supreme Court, to regulate GHG emissions.

Please allow waivers for these states, whose populations comprise a large portion of our nation's car owners. This will allow the states to IMMEDIATELY (as opposed to a delayed standard expected from any Washington legislation) enact sound limits on GHG emissions from new cars. Undoubtedly, many more states will follow with similar examples. Rather than resulting in inconsistent standards from state to state, the waiver should serve instead to accelerate national acceptance of a reasonable limit on new car GHG emissions. Detroit, if it desires not to continue to lose market share to foreign auto companies, will rise to the challenge.

It would be much better for the EPA to allow this inevitable, and much needed transformation, rather than continue to be seen as the Administration's puppet, resisting change in order to comply with the dubious agendas of special interest lobbyists.

Please let the states have their CLEAN CARS NOW!!!

[Ning Li]

Great concept! I wonder if EPA/DOE/SAE would work with a Chinese "Green City" developer to co-sponsor "Green Racing" on a green city ground? If we can help China promote and adopt energy efficient green autos, it goes a long way toward fighting global warming. Opening up that rapidly growing market for hybrid, fuel cell, clean diesel or electric vehicles will give the US auto industry a much needed boost in transformation.

[marty costello 850 921-9578 with Florida DEP]

I like the idea of green racing, especially green drag racing. I have wondered if an air filter located on the sides of the drag strip (near the start) could be used to control the emissions from the burnouts. The other area of significant emissions is in the pits. An overhead exhaust collection and control device could be located in the pits to direct emissions from race car tuning away from the mechanics and the crowds. The Gatornationals are coming up in Gainesville and they could begin to use some of the green racing strategies if they were aware of the issue...

[John Glenn]

Jake,

Thanks for writing in and sorry for taking so long to answer. Tom and I are both racing fans too, but realized that auto racing had to make some changes to be relevant in world effected by climate change. Green racing will do just that for the sport. We forsee it becoming a legitimate laboratory for developing energy efficient technologies.

Thanks,
John

[John Glenn]

Sharon,

Thanks for e-mailing. I've been to Daytona several times and understand your concerns. The main benefit of Green Racing will be to develop new more energy efficient technologies that will reduce greenhouse gasses. Unfortunately, I don't think it will solve your problems in the short run, but it might help. The diesel racers in the American Le Mans series are extemely quiet. In addition, series that want to qualify as a Green Cup event will have to have some sort of pollution control devices. These tend to reduce the noise somewhat, but race cars are going to be loud until electric or hydrogen power become the predominant powerplants. That is some years away.

Thanks,
John

[John Glenn]

Ning Li

Thanks for e-mailing. EPA is not really in the business of sponsoring races. What you need to do is talk to someone at the American Le Mans Series and see if it would be profitable for them to hold a race in China. Racing is a business and it eventally comes down to dollars and cents. But, China is becoming a very big market and the auto companies might be interested in promoting their new green cars there.

It is an interesting thought,
John

[John Glenn]

Marty,

I've been around enough drag races to understand your concerns. Tom goes to the Nationals at Indy every year, so he knows them even better than I do. But, I'm not realy sure if we can help you at the moment. The only thing I can suggest is you let the track know that some of their fans are bothered by the smell and the pollution. Most racing organizations are pretty eager to be green. Who know, they just might listen to you.

Sorry I can't be of more help,
John

P.S. I can tell you that one drag racing organization has shown some interest in green racing. They have attended a couple of our Green Racing Work Group meetings. But, as I discussed in our blog, our green racing initiave is primarily focused on developing new, more efficient powertrain technologies.