In a bold move, the World Rallycross championship, a mixed-surface racing series, goes all-electric this year, becoming the first FIA-sanctioned motorsport to move away from combustion engines, eschewing its petrol past. In our latest video, New Scientist goes trackside to find out more.
On track during their first race outing at the iconic Lånkebanen track in Hell, Norway, the new cars’ speed already looks likely to supersede their combustion engine counterparts. “They have so much potential to be the quickest rallycross car ever built”, says Klara Andersson, a driver for the CE dealer team.
For fans used to the sound and smell of petrol engines, it may take a bit of getting used to. “It’s a bold move to go full electric”, says Andersson, but the evolution of speed and racing ability will win over die-hard petrolheads and newcomers alike, the sports promoters hope. “There is no way back”, says Arne Dirks, executive director of the FIA World Rallycross series. “The old sport doesn’t exist anymore”.
—
Subscribe ➤ https://bit.ly/NSYTSUBS
Get more from New Scientist:
Official website: https://bit.ly/NSYTHP
Facebook: https://bit.ly/NSYTFB
Twitter: https://bit.ly/NSYTTW
Instagram: https://bit.ly/NSYTINSTA
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/NSYTLIN
About New Scientist:
New Scientist was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”. Today our website, videos, newsletters, app, podcast and print magazine cover the world’s most important, exciting and entertaining science news as well as asking the big-picture questions about life, the universe, and what it means to be human.
New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/