A NEW ERA OF MOTORSPORT IS BORN

The AEVA Motorsport Development Committee recently formed with twenty members meeting online for the first time in August to launch electric motorsport for AEVA.

The hypothesis: “we can get there faster by going faster”.

By demonstrating EV performance and preparing the motorsport landscape for EV competition we support AEVA’s mission, add to member benefits and generate positive energy and opportunities to engage the motorsport and broader communities to understand electric vehicles by “inviting not inciting”.

There are four ways AEVA members can get involved in AEVA Motorsport:

1. Competition – preparing and competing in electric motorsport;
2. Committee – guiding and developing our club and working with motorsport organisations to enable various forms of electric motorsport;
3. Volunteer – actively involved in organising and operating the club and events, representing at pop-ups, check-ins, first-aid and so on;
4. Supporter – involved via online campaigns, social media or spectating at events.

AEVA Motorsport’s first initiative is our Motorsport Drive, details below, with more to come soon.

David (Sarge) Sargent
AEVA Motorsport Secretary & Editor Watts in Motorsport

COMMITTEE CHAIR MESSAGE

Welcome to AEVA Motorsport and our very first monthly newsletter, Watts in Motorsport.

Watts in Motorsport will bring EV motorsport stories from across Australia, provide details about upcoming events, issues, initiatives, and ways to get involved.

The AEVA Motorsport Development Committee members are creating the conditions for EV motorsport to grow and thrive, and for AEVA members to safely compete.  We believe this can help AEVA achieve our mission to accelerate a transition to electric transport.

There are plenty of challenges ahead to prepare the motorsport landscape and industry for electric vehicle racing, but the good news is EVs can already compete in production vehicles, and some already have.  A record 4 EV’s recently competed in non-speed Khanacross series amidst 45 ICE vehicles at Tailem Bend. 

Motorsport, like AEVA, survives and thrives on volunteers and support.  
I invite and encourage you to get involved by competing, helping, supporting, sharing and "liking".

Be sure to check the AEVA Calendar for upcoming Motorsport Events.

AEAV Motorsport is readying our “socials” to launch soon. 
You can use AEVA Motorsport Forums right now if you have an idea or want to join discussions. 

Mike Polljonker
Chair AEVA Motorsport Development Committee 

ROB ROY ALL ELECTRIC HILLCLIMB

Australia’s first-ever EV-only motorsport event is coming up fast.

Run as a regularity trial where consistency is rewarded, EV’s will charge up the MG Car Club of Victoria's Rob Roy course on Sunday 27 October 2024.  In addition to the EV-only competition, the EV Car Show will display a range of electric vehicles. Less than an hour from central Melbourne, take a morning drive into the future of motorsport in the magnificent Yarra Valley. 

You can compete, spectate and even include your EV in the Car Show.  Getting cracking. 

Details here

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MOTORSPORT DRIVE

Help AEVA accelerate the transition to electric motoring by joining Motorsport Australia for FREE. Motorsport Australia (MA) is the national governing body for the majority of motorsport, and sets the rules for safe and fair competitions.

Current MA rules prohibit or inhibit competitions in electric vehicles compared to “similar” ICE vehicles.  
AEVA Motorsport aims to change that, lowering barriers to involvement and inclusion.

Simply by joining Motorsport Australia, we send a strong message of intent.
EV’s are here to play too.  AEVA members are encouraged to join MA today - it takes 5 minutes.
Here is the Join AEVA Motorsport How To Guide (HTG) or click here and wing it!

An even bigger signal would be to register your EV for competition by requesting a Vehicle Log Book. Details in Next Steps in the above HTG.

MOTORSPORT NEWS

EVs Debut at Atom Sprints Khanacross

EV motorsport took a great leap forward at The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend in South Australia in August and late September.  Four production electric vehicles joined 45 other competitors in the first two rounds of Atom Sprints’ Tarmac Khanacross.  Khanacross is a relatively low-speed timed manoeuvrability challenge around cones and bollards with time penalties for various infractions.

 

Figure 1 EV class winner Steve McCarthy in the EVNV KIA EV6 GT in Round 1
Image courtesy of TwinCam Media

Damp conditions, showers and a howling wind greeted the competitors and officials as they gathered for scrutineering and driver briefings in Round 1.  All vehicles arrived with a Motorsport Australia Vehicle Log Book and  had been previously scrutineered for rules compliance - a brief inspection and checking of the VIN for production EVs.

The driver briefing included safety and conduct instructions, then competitors received a handout of the first course of the day.  Timing screens were ready and competitors queued to enter the Start Box.  A fabulous assortment of rear, front, and all-wheel drive vehicles competed in several classes, with a female and youth class as well. 

The EV drivers were mostly novices, competing for the first time in motorsport and in production EVs - an IONIQ 5 N, a KIA EV6 GT, and an MG4 X Power - all under the EVNV banner of Team Principal David (Sarge) Sargent.  The exception was Mike Polljonker in the dkubus "Electrohoon" EV6 GT suspension development vehicle.  Mike has experience and motorsport "cred".

Figure 2 Mike Polljonker in the dkubus ELECTROHOON EV6 GT in Round 1
Image courtesy of TwinCam Media

The driver field included outstanding motorsport pedigree, humbling debutantes.  Damian Brand in his Subaru STI, Anthony Daily in the Hyundai i30N, Daniel Andrews (not that one) in a Ford Focus RS, and former Australian Rally champion Dan Day in his 2005 STI were standouts. 

Tenth out of the Start Box was the first EV to hit the tarmac -  MPJ in the dkubus Electrohoon EV6 GT. Competitors and spectators were interested to see what might come of this, but unsighted because of the timing van.  What they saw next began to open their eyes.

The Electrohoon leapt silently out from behind the timing van like a cheetah pouncing on a gormless gazelle, tyres screaming for mercy, and proceeded to devour the tarmac between and around the markers in a frenzy of wheelwork, hard braking and rapid acceleration.  It was apparent that this first-time run was a feeler, and that Mike would need to better understand the dynamics further.

Figure 3 Sarge eyes the apex in the EVNV IONIQ 5 N in Round 1
Image courtesy of TwinCam Media

Several ICE entrants later, Sarge debuted for EVNV in his team’s first-ever motorsport event, driving into the Start Box and readying to launch.  Green light!  Go!  The IONIQ 5 N shot out of the box like a scalded cat fleeing an Alsatian, traction control evidently assisting in the slightly slippery conditions, somewhat hampered by a wide turning circle and little ability to rotate the car quickly into the slower corners. Nevertheless, Sarge put in a good time and was P13 overall after the first Course, with teammates Steven McCarthy and Andrew Engelhardt placing 27th and 41st respectively.

In between each EV, the ICE vehicles sported their stuff.  Rather noisy (some people like that kind of thing), smelly (fumes, emissions), and acrid (tyre smoke), but highly entertaining, with tremendous skill and vehicle control from the top of the field especially. 

 

Figure 4 Andrew Engelhardt in EVNV's MG 4 X POWER during Round 1
Image courtesy of TwinCam Media

Course 2 added complexity.  By late morning the tarmac was dry. Grip was up.  Mike managed to spin, leave the track, and put the Electrohoon backwards onto the apron - the only car to go off-piste on the day.   #hadtobeanev

Several competitors did not correctly navigate the course, attracting penalties.  Penalties in each of the two runs in any Course meant a time equal to the slowest time on the Course plus 5 seconds.  Mistakes proved costly.  

Figure 5 Mike Polljonker goes off-piste in the dkubus ELECTROHOON KIA EV6 GT in Round 1
Image courtesy of TwinCam Media

After Course 2, Sarge was first of the EV drivers, placed 12th overall, with Steve McCarthy in 26th, Andrew Engelhardt in 35th and Mike in 43rd.

It was taking time to get through each Course, and it became apparent that there would be only 2 runs of Course 3 remaining for each competitor.  Crunch time.  Mike put in a “banker”, then took almost 2 seconds off in his final run, coming to terms with his EV6 GT across the total of about 5 minutes of driving time.

Unfortunately Sarge didn’t correctly navigate both runs, returning dejected to the timing box.  A time penalty moved him from 12th  overall and 1st in the EV category at the end of C2, to 43rd overall and last in the category. Lessons.

Figure 6 Sarge navigates the cones in EVNV's IONIQ 5 N in Round 1
Image courtesy of TwinCam Media

The other 2 EVNV drivers were penalised in run 1, but recovered to record valid times in the second run.  As the final entrant returned to the timing box, drivers and supporters moved into the Briefing Room, where awards were given in the various classes (not overall).

Figure 7 Winners are Grinners - Steve McCarthy driving the EVNV KIA EV6 GT takes P1 in EV Class

Congratulations to Steve McCarthy, Andrew Engelhardt and Mike Polljonker for taking the podium positions in the EV class - results below.  No-one expected trophies, and the debutantes holding the prime trophies were chuffed.

In between the 294 runs, our EV entrants engaged with other competitors and supporters interested in the EVs, opening up the conversation about electrification of motorsport.

 

Mike Polljonker with his 3rd place trophy next to his dkubus EV6 GT Electrohoon.

Atom Sprints are to be congratulated for taking the initiative and expending the additional effort and money required to field EVs in any form of motorsport.

TwinCam Media were on-hand to capture some dynamic images of vehicles and drivers, some of which are provided here, with others courtesy of EVNV and dkubus.

ROUND 1 EV Class Results

EV CLASS	OVERALL	DRIVER	EV	TEAM
1	19	Steve McCarthy	KIA EV6 GT	EVNV
2	35	Andrew Engelhardt	MG 4 X POWER	EVNV
3	38	Mike Polljonker	KIA EV6 GT	dkubus
4	43	David Sargent	HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 N	EVNV

Round 2 was held on the last weekend of September and will be reported in Edition #2

EVENT HORIZON

DATE

EVENT

TYPE

LOCATION

DETAILS

27 OCT	Rob Roy All Electric Hillclimb & EV Car Show	Hillclimb regularity	Christmas Hills VIC	click here
8-10 NOV	Adelaide Rally	Tarmac Rally	Adelaide SA	click here

2025

11-12 JAN

Atom Sprints Round 3

Tarmac Khanacross

SA - Mitsi Track The Bend

click here

Check back at the AEVA Events calendar for more motorsport.

THAT'S IT!

We look forward to bringing you lots of big news in EV motorsport in coming months.