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Meeting everyday driver needs
The first results from the UrbanConcept cars are coming in, while teams modify futuristic Prototypes to beat yesterday’s results. One team from Denmark is running well on ethanol.
After a morning on the track, early results put the DTU Roadrunners from Denmark out in front with the equivalent of 579 km/l on ethanol. “We hope to win!” says Andreas Junker. The team is taking a break to eat, before turning back to their car. “Our stand is not like others in the Ahoy: we are not repairing our vehicle, we are constantly working to improve it.”
The Dynamo car, DTU Technical University of Denmark, tries out the circuit at Ahoy, Rotterdam
In other categories the current scoreboard includes, for example, Universiteit Twente with 68 km/kWh for solar, Lycée des metiers Charles Privat with 251 km/kWh for battery electric, and Lycée Louis Delage with 381 km/l for petrol (gasoline).
Big brother
Out on the track all participants must play fair. From a trackside cabin Race Director Jeroen Frieman and his team watch screens displaying live feeds from 12 cameras covering the entire route. In constant contact with marshalls on 40 points around the track, he makes sure competitors respect the rules. Jeroen is more used to the racing speeds on motorsport circuits: “Here the top speed is around 35 km per hour,” he says.
Among the many regulations, this year car horns must reach 85 decibels up to four metres away once the car is closed. “If we notice cars not using horns when they overtake, for example, we talk to drivers and they could be penalised.”
Unchained melody
His team also prioritises safety. “The most common problems are breakdowns.” The marshalls are trained to intervene, and four golf carts are on hand to tow away cars too awkward to lift by hand.
One team that fell into difficulty on the track yesterday was a petrol-fuelled Prototype from BebUMlitro, Portugal. In 2011 they achieved 1,273 km/l. “Yesterday I was on the final lap when a chain broke in the car and I stopped,” says driver Pedro Numes. “Tonight I will get some sleep and try again tomorrow.” For the Prototypes that are ready, round two powers ahead this afternoon.
See how UrbanConcept vehicles hit the track in first competitive runs
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