McMurtry set NEW TRACK RECORD by over 4 seconds at ‘home circuit’: Castle Combe

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Running at 80% power with a 155mph speed limit, a lap time of 54.559s was achieved at Castle Combe Circuit, Wiltshire, England during private testing The car is the McMurtry Spéirling PURE (Validation Prototype 1) fan car driven by Max Chilton on 29th April 2024. This is 4.037s faster than the outright fastest race lap record (set by an F3 car in 2021) It is 9.796s faster than the GT3 lap record (set by a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 in 2022) Castle Combe is often referred to as the prettiest village in England, and its race track, Castle Combe Circuit, has a 74 year racing history. It’s 1.85mile long featuring a mix of fast corners, a blind crest and two technical chicanes. McMurtry cars are designed and handbuilt just 30 mins from Castle Combe so the venue holds a special status as ‘home circuit’ McMurtry has performed durability testing here since 2021 and has a long standing relationship with Castle Combe. This is the first time a lap time has been released. McMurtry are testing and verifying increased power modes under different use cases, and this record was set whilst running 80%. Further record attempts will be made throughout the world in 2024 and 2025, as the test programme moves towards the 100% power and 100% downforce settings. High performance Molicel lithium ion cells are used in the battery pack of this car. The McMurtry Spéirling PURE hyper-track car starts at £895k + taxes & delivery. Video here: https://youtu.be/yqk0FkA_Isk The McMurtry team thought it was about time to answer the question asked by a lot of Castle Combe locals in person and online such as ‘how fast is it around Combe?’, ‘Surely it’s got the record already’ & ‘Lap times please???’ On 29th April, The McMurtry Spéirling PURE (Validation Prototype 1) fan car achieved the outright fastest ever lap around the 1.85mile Castle Combe Circuit as a part of routine testing. The time of 54.559s was set by McMurtry development driver, Max Chilton, who also holds the record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and was 4 seconds quicker than the previous benchmark, set by an open wheel single seater F3 car. And nearly 10 seconds quicker than the GT3 lap record, a large percentage on such a short lap. Interestingly, Castle Combe is McMurtry’s local circuit and is the same venue Max passed his racing license test back in the early 2000s, which gives this lap extra significance to all involved. Max commented ‘Everyone wants bragging rights at their local circuit, and even running at 80% power and with a 155mph speed limit, we’ve knocked 4 seconds off the outright track record. This demonstrates the potential in the car for our customers to achieve the same at their local or favourite circuits’. The McMurtry Spéirling PURE is a hyper-track car available for order worldwide. It utilises a unique downforce-on-demand system to provide exceptional downforce and grip right from 0mph. This system works alongside the 1000bhp electric powertrain, offering selectable performance drive modes from GT3 to F1-level pace. Thomas Yates, Managing Director of McMurtry Automotive, “This is a fun milestone to achieve. It’s not everyday you get to see a car and driver go so much faster than what’s gone before. Having tested at Castle Combe for years, it was about time we showed what the car can do around our local circuit”. McMurtry are now heading to the USA to compete at Laguna Seca in the reverse corkscrew hillclimb with the original Goodwood record holding Spéirling and driver Max Chilton on 10th and 11th August. Spéirling PURE track car objectives To make record breaking performance accessible to track driving enthusiasts. To bring back legendary fan car technology To restore passion for small and lightweight cars McMurtry Company Objectives McMurtry’s ambition is to become one of the world’s most prestigious and long-standing automotive brands, founded on motorsport innovation. Inspired by legends of the past, we champion small and lightweight. We proudly showcase British innovation and engineering design.

Škoda Auto: Official main partner of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for third consecutive year

Industry News

154 riders in 22 teams will embark on a 950 km route across the Netherlands, Belgium and France Škoda Auto to provide a fleet of 70 electric and plug-in hybrid cars to the race organisers Škoda Auto sponsors the green jersey for the points classification leader; the crystal trophy has been created by Škoda Design Rider Katarzyna ‘Kasia’ Niewiadoma will be sharing updates and insights from the track on the WeLoveCycling social media channels Mladá Boleslav, 9 August 2024 – Škoda Auto is the official main partner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for the third consecutive year. From 12 to 18 August, 154 riders from 22 teams will embark on a 950 km route across eight stages through the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Škoda Auto is providing the organisers with 70 electric and plug-in hybrid Škoda cars. Race Director Marion Rousse, will oversee the event from an all-electric Enyaq, which will be serving as the Red Car. Fans can stay up-to-date with the latest news from the peloton and behind-the-scenes insights on the WeLoveCycling social media channels, with posts shared by Polish rider Katarzyna ‘Kasia’ Niewiadoma. Martin Jahn, Škoda Auto Board Member for Sales and Marketing, says: “As a long-standing supporter of cycling, we are proud to be the official main partner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for the third year in a row. With our ongoing commitment to women’s cycling, we aim to further strengthen the impact and reach of this wonderful event. We are looking forward to great performances from all the athletes and being close to the fans along the route. With a Škoda fleet of 70 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles for the organisers, we will maintain a strong presence and visibility of our brand from the Grand Départ to the finish line.” This year, a peloton of 154 riders from 22 teams will tackle the 950-kilometre route through the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Due to the Olympic Games in Paris, the Grand Départ will take place in Rotterdam. The most significant sporting challenge awaits the athletes on the eighth and final stage from Le Grand-Bornand to Alpe d’Huez. Here, on the Col du Glandon, the riders will reach the highest point of the route at 1,924 metres and conquer a total of 3,900 metres of elevation gain. Fleet of 70 electric and plug-in hybrid Škoda carsŠkoda Auto is providing the organisers with 70 electric and plug-in hybrid Škoda vehicles. The Director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Marion Rousse, will use the fullyelectric Škoda Enyaq as a Red Car, overseeing the action on the track from the specially equipped command centre. By offering a choice of vehicles to the race organisers, the Czech car manufacturer contributes to enhancing the sustainability of the fleet and ultimately the race itself. The Škoda brand will also be present in other ways: As in previous years, the car manufacturer is sponsoring the green jersey for the leader of the points classification, and the winner will receive a green crystal glass trophy created by Škoda Design. Women’s Tour up close through the WeLoveCycling.com platformFans will once again have the opportunity to get up close to the racing action through the WeLoveCycling social media channels. Polish cyclist Katarzyna ‘Kasia’ Niewiadoma, last year’s mountain classification winner, will be posting updates from the peloton and behind the scenes. On the WeLoveCycling website, fans can take part in a weekly contest to win exciting prizes: an electric bike, a GPS bike computer and original Škoda green jerseys. Škoda Auto: a long-standing partner of elite cyclingThis year, Škoda Auto has extended its partnership with the organising body A.S.O. and now supports a total of 20 international professional and amateur cycling events for both men and women. Besides the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, these include races such as La Vuelta and La Flèche Wallonne. The car manufacturer also sponsors the L’Étape by Tour de France, an event organised for amateur cyclists.

Celadyne and GM are working on longer-lasting fuel cells for trucks

Industry News

The project will utilise Celadyne’s Dura technology to develop and produce longer-life fuel cells for heavy-duty applications. These long-life fuel cells will support a broader decarbonisation strategy for heavy-duty vehicles and industrial applications. “At Celadyne, we firmly believe that if you can unlock hydrogen, you can change the world,” said Gary Ong, CEO and founder of Celadyne Technologies. “We are dedicated to bringing our hydrogen solutions to the world’s major industries and players, propelling hydrogen toward mass market adoption for the sake of the planet. To collaborate with some of the world’s most well-known and respected developers of fuel cell systems on such a wide-scale project means bringing green solutions to the forefront, and we couldn’t be more excited.” According to the company, Celadyne’s Dura technology makes fuel cells particularly durable by using advanced cells with three key properties: It keeps membranes thin, allows protons to flow quickly and prevents gases and ions from moving around too much. It enables special membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with thin selective transport (ST) layers next to or inside the proton exchange membrane (PEM). “Fuel cells were originally developed for light-duty systems,” explained Celadyne founder Gary Ong to Interesting Engineering magazine. “To meet heavy-duty application milestones, similar to those of a diesel engine, we need to quintuple the durability of existing fuel cells.” But why target heavy goods transport directly instead of trialling the technology in a smaller vehicle such as a car first? “Hydrogen makes sense where size, scale, and volume matter,” Ong tells Interesting Engineering. “Basically, it makes sense for industrial decarbonization and industrial logistics. It has much higher value in these hard-to-abate sectors where direct electrification or battery electrification can struggle,” Ong continues. Meanwhile, the use of hydrogen in commercial vehicles is progressing. Daimler Truck’s fuel cell truck entered the next phase on its way to series production at the end of July. After long internal test drives, the company handed over the first five pre-series vehicles to customers to test the GenH2 truck in their daily logistics operations. prnewswire.com, interestingengineering.com

EAFO report finds majority of EU consumers are curious about electric cars

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The European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) published its Consumer Monitor 2023 and analysed the attitudes of European citizens towards EVs in twelve EU countries. On this basis, the authority has compiled twelve country reports and an aggregated analysis for Europe. The participants in the survey, which was conducted in October 2023, came from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The EAFO differentiates between electric car drivers and non-BEV drivers among the people surveyed. A key finding of the aggregated analysis is that Europeans are generally in favour of electric mobility. Although the price of electric cars is a major hurdle, 57 per cent of non-electric car drivers are considering buying an electric car in the future. Interestingly, the figures vary from country to country. In Belgium, for example, only 22 per cent said that they are looking to get an EV within the next five years. On top of that are ten per cent, who will buy one in five to ten years and another 12 per cent, who want to get an EV, “but without a time frame in mind.” Compare that to France, where 33 per cent of non-BEV drivers surveyed want to get an electric car in the next five years, 8 per cent are looking to get one in five to ten years, and a mere 6 per cent are looking to buy an electric vehicle “without a time frame in mind.” Still, that means the bottom line is that 44 and 47 per cent of non-BEV drivers surveyed are interested in an electric car medium to long term. In Italy, for example, that bottom line is much higher. There, 65 per cent say that they will buy an electric car in the future. In Spain, it is even 70 per cent. Based on the completed questionnaires, the EAFO initially created a picture of the typical European BEV driver. These are predominantly men between the ages of 35 and 55 who live in a detached house, have a medium income (2,000 to 3,999 euros) and a high level of education. Conversely, non-BEV drivers tend to be women living in a flat with a secondary school qualification. Among non-BEV drivers, however, 57 per cent say they would buy an electric car in the short, medium or long term. Eighteen per cent are undecided, and 25 per cent rule it out. If the time horizon for purchasing an electric car is focused on the next five years, 33% of European respondents still say they are considering it. According to the EAFO Monitor, 29 per cent of non-BEV drivers are already “familiar” or “very familiar” with electric cars, while a good third (37%) describe themselves as “interested in BEVs.” The figures for Germany differ slightly. Slightly more people are considering buying a BEV within five years (37%) than the EU average of twelve countries. However, familiarity with EVs (30%) and interest (36%) are as good as the average. Almost a third of European BEV drivers have never had to wait at public charging stations (“if occupied, drive on”). And when travelling abroad, 60% of respondents rated their charging experience as “easy” or “very easy.” The EAFO has collected further interesting information on electric car drivers. For example, 96 per cent of European BEV drivers use their vehicle daily or several times a week. Their electric car is mostly new (74%) and privately owned (69%). One in five leases (20%), and one in ten is a company car (11%). Just under half of electric car drivers (44%) know what vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is, and a good two-thirds (68%) are interested in buying a V2G-capable vehicle. In Germany, the proportion of new cars (86%) is significantly higher than the calculated EU average, but the proportion of private ownership is lower (61%). Leasing (27%) and company cars (12%) play a greater role. Most respondents consider a purchase bonus to be the most effective incentive for increasing electric car sales. At the same time, they fear that too few private and public AC charging options could be available. To a lesser extent, the survey participants also stated that too few public fast-charging stations could pose a problem. With its Consumer Monitor, published for the second year in a row, the EAFO aims to better understand consumers’ attitudes towards battery electric cars, their electric mobility and charging behaviour and the challenges people perceive in this context. According to the analysts, political decision-makers and other stakeholders can use the results to derive trends, needs, and opportunities to drive the transition. In terms of methodology, the authority conducted an online survey within a closed panel to ensure the representativeness of the general population, including non-BEV and BEV drivers. To improve the analysis among BEV drivers, an identical online survey was initiated via EAFO’s partner AVERE and other external participants. The total number of valid responses totalled 19,080, of which 17,034 were completed by non-BEV drivers and 2,046 by BEV drivers. alternative-fuels-observatory.ec.europa.eu (Report, Europe), alternative-fuels-observatory.ec.europa.eu (Factsheet, Europe) alternative-fuels-observatory.ec.europa.eu (all 12 country reports and factsheets)

Delivery robot brings orders to the door via Uber Eats

Industry News

The delivery robot is an electric vehicle that looks vaguely like a pram with its four wheels. Serve Robotics says it has partnered with fast food chain Shake Shack to expand its “autonomous sidewalk delivery,” allowing “select Shake Shack customers in the Los Angeles area may receive their next order via a Serve robot.” According to Serve Robotics, the partnership is another step in the expansion of autonomous Serve deliveries via Uber Eats. The beginnings of this type of delivery date back to 2022. The initiators cite the advantages of efficient route planning, greater safety in food transport and lower costs. The transport robot finds its way thanks to its driving systems: “Equipped with advanced GPS technology and artificial intelligence (AI), the robots safely and swiftly navigate urban environments, avoiding obstacles and offering a smooth delivery experience,” Fastned writes. Touraj Parang, President and COO of Serve Robotics, is excited to add another national distributor like Shake Shack to the platform: “Today’s announcement highlights the value of Serve’s world-class strategic partnerships as we work to expand our geographic footprint and deploy 2,000 robots across the U.S. in 2025.” prnewswire.com, serverobotics.com

Revel to open EV fas-charging hub in LA in 2026

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Revel currently only offers EV charging infrastructure on the other side of the United States. It operates three sites in New York City with a total of 54 fast-chargers. Two of them are located in Brooklyn, and one in Queens. Revel’s flagship Superhub is located in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Initially, it planned to have six locations in the Big Apple by the end of this year. There are currently five additional locations with a total of 163 fast-chargers on the list for ‘NYC locations opening soon.’ Moreover, Reval’s expansion to California won’t stop with LA. According to its website, the EV infrastructure company also wants to open charging hubs in Northern California, namely in Oakland, San Francisco, and San José. However, there is not information on the timeline or number of planned chargers. Revel announced at the end of 2023 that it wanted to focus on its ride-hailing business and the installation of fast-charging stations. The company previously also operated an electric scooter-sharing business in New York City and San Francisco. In 2022, the company received about 175 million dollars in funding and debt financing to build its fast-charging Superhubs across the US. “Revel is building a portfolio of the largest fast charging stations in America’s biggest cities. We’re now officially expanding that footprint to LA,” Frank Reig, co-founder and CEO of Revel, is quoted as saying by Charged EVs. “In the next two years, we’ll have 1,000 fast chargers open across New York City, the Bay Area and Los Angeles. This infrastructure will close the urban charging gap and allow everyone, from rideshare drivers and last-mile delivery fleets to everyday drivers, to electrify.” chargedevs.com

Nevera R: Rimac turns the Nevera into a hypercar

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With an output of 1,400 kilowatts and an acceleration of 1.81 seconds from a standstill to 100 kph, the Rimac Nevera is certainly no unsportsmanlike electric car. However, Rimac Automobili has deliberately developed the vehicle as a “hyper-GT” – with the aim of being able to drive a record lap on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife one moment and then set off on a road trip of over a thousand kilometres across the continent a short time later. With the corresponding space and comfort in the interior. “However, we continue to develop the car relentlessly with customer wishes in mind,” explains Rimac CEO and founder Mate Rimac. “Many were looking for a car that would emphasize the Nevera’s cornering stability even more and make the most of all the advanced technologies on board. We are responding to these requests with the Nevera R.” According to the company boss, the R model will retain the DNA of the Nevera, “but will be lighter, faster and more concentrated”. The power output of the drive has been increased to 1,571 kW, the battery system has been further developed with a view to performance and Rimac’s own torque vectoring of the all-wheel drive (R-AWTV) has also been optimized. New brakes have also been installed to trim the Nevera R for fast cornering. The design of the R version has only been subtly refined, but the large, fixed rear wing and the large diffuser at the rear are striking. The “aggressive aerodynamics package” (quote from the press release) is intended to increase downforce by 15 per cent and aerodynamic efficiency by ten per cent. In addition, new Cup 2 tires from Michelin are fitted, which are intended to improve lateral grip and the tendency to understeer on corner entry. An initial result: on the handling circuit in Nardò, Italy, the Nevera R is 3.8 seconds faster than the “base model”, if one can call the million-euro Nevera that. The Nevera R has not yet been on the Nordschleife racetrack of the Nurburgring, where the Nevera achieved a lap time of 7:05:298 minutes last August. Although the R has been optimized for cornering, it is also slightly faster than the Nevera on the straights: from a standing start, it should reach the 300 kph mark in 8.66 seconds. The Nevera takes a little longer at 9.22 seconds. Incidentally, the top speed ex-works is 350 kph. As with the Nevera, the 412 kph of the R model is only permitted under the supervision of the manufacturer. Source: Info via email

US DOE announces 50 million dollar grants for six states

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The states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois have qualified for funding. The program is coordinated by the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) of the US Department of Energy. The aim of the grants is to support small and medium-sized suppliers in the transition to e-mobility components and thus help “preserve well-paying, unionized jobs in traditional automotive communities”, according to an official statement. Specifically, companies that are preparing for the transition to electric, hybrid or fuel cell vehicles are eligible for the grants. The 50 million dollars for suppliers is part of the large, two billion dollar funding program for the conversion of US automobile production, which is financed by the Inflation Reduction Act. The states have had time to apply for the grants since April. The prerequisite was that at least 0.5 percent of the state’s workforce must be employed in the automotive industry and the eligibility for funding must be for at least four million dollars. The six states listed above qualified under these premises. The funding is distributed as follows: US State Funding Michigan 18,406,420.45 $ Ohio 9,373,236.32 $ Indiana 8,770,249.81 $ Kentucky 4,876,458.57 $ Tennessee 4,513,688.68 $ Illinois 4,059,946.17 $ “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, America’s auto communities and the workforces they support finally have the tools they need to compete and thrive in the 21st century clean energy economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “By helping states and manufacturers navigate the emerging EV manufacturing industry, today’s announcements will help ensure the workforces that defined America’s auto sector for the last 100 years will have the opportunity to shape the next 100 years.” energy.gov

Natron Energy to build Na-ion battery factory in North Carolina

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So far, Natron Energy has only presented the plans for the 1.4 billion dollar battery factory in eastern North Carolina. However, there was no timetable – so it remains unclear when construction will begin, when production will start or when the final capacity of 24 GWh will be reached. One thing is clear: at 24 GWh, the plant’s capacity is 40 times what Natron Energy can produce today. Sodium-ion batteries are seen as an alternative to the lithium-ion batteries that are widely used today, as they do not require materials such as lithium, cobalt, copper or nickel, are non-flammable and are also cheaper due to the better availability of sodium. Natron Energy also confidently states that its own high-performance cells should “outperform lithium-ion batteries in terms of power density and charging speed”. Natron Energy sees a broad sales market for its battery cells, for example in the field of industrial energy supply, “including data centers, mobility, EV fast charging, microgrids, and telecom, among others”, according to Natron Energy. United Airlines invested in Natron Energy in 2022 – as it also sees potential in aviation. In addition to electric aircraft, United is also focusing on the electrification of ground vehicles. “Natron’s patented Prussian blue electrodes store and transfer sodium-ions faster, and with lower internal resistance than any other commercial battery on the market today. The Company’s battery chemistry presents zero strain during charging and discharge, 10x faster cycling than traditional lithium-ion batteries, and 50,000+ cycle life,” the company says. Natron Energy uses aluminum, iron, manganese and a sodium electrolyte for its cells, modules and packs. The 177-hectare site in Kingsboro is located near US Highway 64, where battery cells are to be manufactured in the future on around 110,000 square meters (original specification: 1.2 million square feet) – it would be the first battery factory on a gigawatt-hour scale for sodium-ion cells in the USA. The published images and Google Maps show an area that has already been levelled but is still undeveloped and already connected to the road network. “After evaluating over 70 sites across 9 states, we found that North Carolina, with its leadership in the clean energy revolution, would make the perfect home for this project,” said Colin Wessells, founder and co-CEO of Natron Energy. “We are proud to partner with the state on this ambitious project to deliver high-quality jobs to the community while advancing the electrification of our economy. We look forward to joining the Edgecombe County business community.” The total investment of nearly $1.4 billion is also supported by a grant from the state. North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee has approved such funding through the Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). Up to 1,000 jobs are expected to be created in Edgecombe County. “With today’s news, North Carolina’s momentum in the clean energy economy is reaching epic proportions,” said Gov. Roy Cooper (Democrat). “Natron Energy’s decision to build this large and unique battery plant in our state will help the country reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating good jobs in Rocky Mount, Nash and Edgecombe counties, as well as many other places in eastern North Carolina.” businesswire.com

Over 1,200 electric cars involved in V2G project in China

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As reported by the state news agency Xinhua, these electric cars charge during off-peak times and make electricity available to the grid again in the event of impending bottlenecks. According to the grid operator State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power, participants were recruited for the project through discount vouchers, meaning that 1,277 electric vehicles at 482 charging stations are now involved in the project. An employee of the grid operator is quoted by Xinhua as saying that the number of electric vehicles in Jiangsu is expected to exceed 10 million units by 2030. “If just 10 per cent of these vehicles participate in reverse discharging, they could provide over 1 million kilowatts of peak-shaving capacity, equivalent to plugging in a 1 million-kilowatt ‘portable power bank’ to the grid.” State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power is also currently conducting a V2G test with electric buses. However, only two vehicles are involved in this case. “Compared to ordinary new energy vehicles, buses offer advantages such as larger single-charge discharge capacity, stable charging times, and scalability, providing a novel technological approach to green transportation, clean energy consumption, and power supply security in the region,” said Jiang Renxin, Director of the Marketing Department of State Grid Zhenjiang Yangzhong Power Supply Company. english.news.cn