TTXGP, the world’s first clean emission eGrandPrix has announced plans for a return to the Isle of Man in August 2010. In a development on the TTXGP 2009 event to be run later this week, plans for 2010 include an extended motorcycle race with plans to include a class for electric cars. It is an enormous irony that the first electric car race is looming at exactly the same time as the myopic Formula One circus hurtles towards self destruction with talk of strikes, alternative series and erratic governance.
On the eve of the first practice session for the first electric motorcycle Grand Prix, the concept of electric racing is obviously catching on. The future of transport is inevitably clean electric power and racing gives the fledgling industry the performance showcase it needs – just as it did a century ago when the internal combustion engine used the public platform of racing to promise the world the freedom of viable transportation. Gizmag
Azhar Hussain, founder of the TTXGP said, “With TTXGP 2010, we want to push boundaries of zero-carbon racing further by not only extending the race to two laps but also by including hot-swappable batteries. This will bring the motorcycles taking part in the race closer to the requirements of the real world.”
Potential teams, keen to take part in the car race, are coming forward rapidly and include a number of teams preparing to take part in the TTXGP 2009 race. Visordown.com
High-performance battery maker LifeBatt is planning to race its prototype R2 EV e-car in 2010, and several other leccy car firms – including California-based Saba Motors and UK-based JJAD – are also thought to be considering entering teams into the TTXGP next year.
LifeBatt will supply battery packs to several of this year’s runners. The firm’s Director, Ian Goodman, promised: “By 2010 we will have a new, higher performance generation of battery pack available.”
He even added that experience gained from this year’s race will enable the company to develop the R2, ahead of TTXGP 2010. Reg Hardware
When Hussain launched the TTXGP last year, there were no more than a few companies developing electric motorcycles. Less than a year later, 18 teams will be on the grid for the start of Friday’s event and they’re bringing some lustworthy iron. Mission One, Brammo, MotoCzyszk and Evo Design are just some of the outfits that have developed electric race bikes for the event. Wired News
| 
|