“Within the FIA, we are very interested to further push alternative drives in racing. As karting usually is the beginning of a racing career, it is the ideal platform to do so,” said Prof. Dr. Ing. Burkhard Göschel, head of the responsible FIA-commission.
The FIA has teamed up with German motorsport association DMSB, Bosch Motorsport that provided the electric powertrain and Mach1 as chassis supplier.
The collaboration has resulted in a kart that accelerates from 0 to 100 kph under five seconds and reaches a top speed of over 130 kph. As usual to electric vehicles, it will deliver peak torque at low engine speeds.
Two starter-generators deliver a total output of 20kW and form the basis of the powertrain, which sends 300 Nm of torque to the rear axle. Energy is stored in the system using a 48-volt lithium battery.
In addition, the starter-generators can recover energy during recuperation and then use it for acceleration. A custom ECU controls the energy flowing throughout the kart and a set of sensors and a wiring harness complete the overall system. The electric powertrain turns the Mach 1 kart chassis into a fully electric racer.
ElectricAutosport.com understands that the kart will undergo further testing and optimisations before it runs in a series on go-karting race tracks next season.