Toyota shooting for Nurburgring EV Lap record on August 29

Toyota has reportedly announced it will attempt to smash the existing electric vehicle lap record at the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife on August 29.

The current electric vehicle lap record at the 'Ring stands at 9 minutes and 1.338 seconds, a time that Toyota says it has already beaten during informal testing. On August 29, Toyota will hit the track with a battery-powered two-seater that soars to a claimed top speed of 162 miles per hours, rips from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds and is loosely based on the radical Alpha-1 SRF, a vehicle developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH for German firm e-Wolf.

Rob Leupen, Toyota Motorsport's director of business operations, told the Charging Point, "We are extremely confident we can break the record by some distance, which is an indication of how electric vehicle performance is continuously improving." Only time we tell if Toyota's attempt to tame the 'Ring blows a hole through the existing record, which is held by the spectalur Peugeot EX1.

Source: The Charging Point

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid to make Monterey Le Mans Series debut

Porsche’s 911 GT3 R Hybrid will make a return to North American racing as Porsche Motorsport announced today the entry of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid Version 2.0 in the ModSpace American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón. The six-hour race on September 17 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is the eighth round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

“The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid represents one of the best examples ever of technology transfer between race track and showroom,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. “It brought an entirely new level of relevance to our platform during its North American debut at Petit Le Mans last year; certainly it stands to do the same during its maiden appearance on the West Coast. Porsche is using its involvement in the ALMS to demonstrate that high performance and fuel efficiency are not mutually exclusive achievements. The benefits of this revolutionary development program will no doubt lead to numerous advancements that will be applied to future Porsche road cars. We are proud that our position as the Global Leader of Green Racing enables such technologies to be put to the ultimate endurance test and actively developed in front of our fans.”

Two Porsche works pilots Romain Dumas (France) and Richard Lietz (Austria) will share the cockpit of the orange and white racer from Weissach. Dumas already has driven the world’s most innovative GT vehicle last year at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans. Lietz piloted the 911 Hybrid at the 24-hour races on the Nuerburgring in 2010 and 2011 as well as at various other long-distance races.

“I’m so looking forward to demonstrating the capabilities of this very special car at race speed to the spectators in California,” said Dumas, a two-time ALMS champion in LMP2 for Porsche. “Many Porsche fans live on the west coast of America, and some of them have already discovered the advantages of the hybrid system at the wheel of a Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid. I’m very excited because Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the most challenging race tracks on earth. Its layout with a series of up and downhill passages should actually suit our 911 GT3 R Hybrid.”

The outing of Porsche’s hybrid racer at the 24 Hours of Nuerburgring last month was more than heartening. The innovative race car achieved the same quick lap times as its top rivals yet used considerably less fuel. Just two broken transmission flanges and a collision thwarted a potential podium spot.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 - with two 75-kilowatt electric motors on the front axle supplementing the 465 hp four-liter, six-cylinder power unit at the rear - particularly embodies the philosophy of “Porsche Intelligent Performance”: The electric energy is generated during braking and stored in an electric flywheel. During acceleration, this energy is automatically delivered to the front wheels supporting the combustion engine. This leads to a reduction in fuel consumption and increases the cruising range on the circuit.

Moreover, drivers can manually use the stored energy with a boost-paddle on the steering wheel for overtaking. The 911 GT3 R Hybrid has undergone further development since 2010; compared to its predecessor, its weight was reduced from 1,350 kilograms (2,970 pounds) to 1,300 kilograms (2,860 pounds).

This weekend, the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. The fifth round of the 2011 ALMS championship is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 6 with ESPN2 airing the race starting at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 7. Live video coverage on race day will be available at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3.com in the US, and americanlemans.com for international viewers. Canadian fans may also watch live coverage on Rogers Sportsnet. Worldwide radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com.

No electric motors in F1 pits, Ecclestone says

From 2014 the Formula 1 race cars have to move in the pit lane just using the KERS electric motor. But Bernie Ecclestone, a self admitted climate change denier, believes it is too dangerous.

According to the regulations submitted to the FIA, the energy accumulated on the braking, shall actuate the motor during the movement of the pit lane.

"To go on the electric motor on pit lane would be dangerous, because people who are there will not hear the machine – says Bernie. – Also, the absence of sound affect the interest of viewers. Now, as soon as the GP3 race starts, where the sound of the engine is almost inaudible, the stands begin to thin out. Electric motors have no place in Formula 1. "

HaloIPT and Drayson to Bring 'Wireless Charging' to Electric Motorsport

HaloIPT today announces a new strategic partnership with Drayson Racing Technologies, the green R&D racing organisation founded by Lord Drayson, former UK Minister for Science and Innovation. The partnership will use HaloIPT's unique wireless charging technology to power high-performance cars as they race around the track.

The partnership with Drayson Racing, which develops and races green motorsport technology, including electric vehicles, aims to pioneer the deployment of dynamic (in-motion) charging of zero emission electric vehicles. The racing cars, fitted with HaloIPT technology, will pick up power wirelessly from transmitters buried under the surface of the road or race track; transferring power directly to the vehicle's electric battery, ensuring that the vehicle receives constant charging on the move.

This innovation is made possible because HaloIPT's tried and tested technology provides a significant tolerance to misalignment over the transmitter pads, automatically adjusting for changing vertical gap. The system has the ability to intelligently distribute power: ensuring a consistent delivery of power at speed.

HaloIPT and Drayson Racing will work together on the development of electric drive-train packages and trackside-charging systems to replace the internal combustion engine and fuel pit stops.

Lord Paul Drayson, co-founder of Drayson Racing said: "Dynamic wireless charging will be a real game-changer, enabling zero emission electric vehicles to race over long periods without the need for heavy batteries. This is a milestone innovation that will have a dramatic effect not just on racing but on the mainstream auto industry. We're looking forward to putting this technology through its paces as it charges electric race cars at speeds of up to 200 mph."

Dr Anthony Thomson, CEO of HaloIPT, said: "HaloIPT's technology has a proven heritage in dynamic charging and we are excited to be transferring this expertise to the electric vehicle market. The deal with Drayson Racing demonstrates the appetite for technology that makes driving an electric car more convenient, and this is certainly the case in the motorsport sector - nothing could be more convenient than a race car that re-fuels itself on the track."

Renault F1 alarmed by electric pit running from 2014

Renault team boss Eric Boullier is among a number of Formula One personalities to express fears that plans to make cars run electrically in the pits from 2014 is too dangerous.

The proposal that "the car must be run in electric mode (no ignition and no fuel supply to the engine) at all times when being driven in the pit lane" was included in the governing FIA's new 2014 regulations published last week.

Other environmentally-friendly ideas were also adopted but some teams feel they were not adequately consulted on the changes by the governing body.

"The concept is intriguing but... the cars would not make noise and that could be very dangerous," Boullier told reporters at the German Grand Prix.

"I think there are aspects of the rules published by the FIA which should be looked at again."

Formula One is due to switch to a new 1.6 litre turbo V6 engine with energy recovery systems from 2014. The sport currently uses V8 units.

Boullier is also keen on an extra practice session rather than just two on a Friday from 2012 while teams continue to talk with the FIA about a return to some form of in-season testing from next year.

Prototype version of the electric McRae 4×2 Dakar Buggy Revealed [video]

Following long preparations, Tim Coronel today presented the first electric Dakar Buggy in spectacular fashion to press and business associates. In the premises of partner All Green Vehicles (AGV) in Oosterhout,Coronel unveiled the prototype version of the electric McRae 4×2 Buggy, thereby providing a world first. The Netherlands’ first astronaut, Wubbo Ockels, drove the first few metres in the electric Dakar Buggy and Glennis Grace opened the afternoon with a spectacular performance.

The buggy presented is the version Tim used to win the solo category for the second time
together with Prodakar in 2011, and is fitted with a 90KW electric engine. Over the coming
months the prototype will be used in extensive testing in order ultimately to come up with the
definitive version for Le Dakar 2012.

After Coronel intimated a few months ago that he wanted to conquer the toughest rally in
the world using an electric buggy, a lot of people thought he was out of his mind, but a small
group of experts were willing to take up the challenge. The adventure started at Novolectriq
and All Green Vehicles and, through Wubbo Ockels, was given a home at Delft University of
Technology where a team of 10 students spent 10 weeks (4000 hours) labouring away at the
numbers.

Delft University of Technology was primarily occupied with calculating the energy
requirements, air resistance and minimum weight of the Buggy so as to produce optimum
results. After the students had finished calculating, it was down to AGV and Prodakar to fit the
specially prepared electric engine into the existing McRae 4×2 Buggy and prepare it for the
first tests. Following months of hard work by the various parties, today the initial results are
manifest and phase two of the Dakar Electric project can be set in motion.

Phase two will chiefly consist in testing the Buggy under a variety of conditions and kinds of
weather. In particular, the extreme heat in the Atacama desert during Le Dakar will play a
significant role in the project’s success (or failure).

To this end the different working groups have drawn up a comprehensive testing programme which will be carried out in countries such as the Netherlands, France, Spain and Morocco. The definitive version of the electric Dakar Buggy will be designed on the basis of this test data.

Lola to develop electric racing car with Drayson Racing

Lola is to build an all-electric racing car in conjunction with established sportscar team Drayson Racing Technologies.

The car - which will be named the Lola-Drayson B12/69EV - will be developed by the two groups, with Lola taking responsibility for the chassis and Drayson undertaking work on the electric drivetrain.

Paul Drayson, who has led his team to wins in the American Le Mans Series and the British GT Championship over the past four years, said: "This project aims to tap into the huge demand from high tech industry for innovative new technologies that improve vehicle performance and sustainability.

"The Lola-Drayson B12/69EV will act as a racing laboratory, catalysing technology innovation and driving commercial application in the automotive and related industries."

Lola managing director Robin Brundle added: "This joint technology showcase programme will truly evidence the technical excellence that exists within Lola. We are delighted to work with Drayson Racing and on this very exciting and multi-industry led programme.

"You cannot fail to be impressed with the full range of new technology that will be used in this first project which will demonstrate performance in a different class."

The car, which is being aimed at the proposed FIA Electric Car Championship from 2013, is due to run during the latter stages of this year.

An entry into the Le Mans 24 Hours in the future was not mentioned.

Audi A1 e-tron wins 2011 Silvretta Electric Car Rally [video]

Audi is this year’s overall winner of the second Silvretta Electric Car Rally in Austria’s Montafon region. The 2011 victory of the A1 e-tron follows the R8 e-tron’s win last year. The second Audi in the rally, a Q5 HFC with a fuel cell finished in sixth place. A total of 32 electric vehicles were evaluated.

After three days, 307 kilometers and a total altitude difference of 11,541 meters, the A1 e-tron bearing the number 206 was named the winner of the second Silvretta Electric Car Rally Montafon. The event took place from July 7-9 as part of the 14th Silvretta Classic. The name Silvretta refers to a group of mountains in the eastern Alps of Austria. The Audi A1 e-tron won against 31 competitors in a rally, that was held on highly taxing mountain roads with inclines up to 15 percent, presenting a special challenge to electric vehicles. The Audi Q5 HFC, which was also entered by Audi, achieved sixth place. This was the best final result of all cars with a fuel cell.

The A1 e-tron contains technology that Audi’s development engineers are using to study the mobility requirements for such a future-oriented concept. The technological basis includes an electric motor with a maximum output of 75 kW that is powered by a lithium-ion battery. The battery features a 12 kWh capacity and can be completely charged in 30 minutes (quick charge), or in less than three hours (standard charge). It offers a range of 50 kilometers. To prevent drivers from being stranded by an empty battery, the A1 e-tron also comes equipped with a combustion engine, which can charge the battery as needed. The one-disc rotary engine (254 cc) is located under the trunk floor; it provides 15 kW of output intended solely to charge the battery, rather than to directly power the wheels.

The A1 e-tron is designed with a local emission-free electric drive system, which is ideally suited for driving in a city.

During the rally the A1 e-tron was driven by Franciscus van Meel, Head of Electromobility Strategy at AUDI AG. Long-time Audi employee Gerhard Gruber took on the important role of co-driver. “Sending an electric car into the Alps is one of the toughest challenges you can present it with. The fact that the A1 e-tron proved so impressive here is especially gratifying to me and it proves we’re on the right track with our electric mobility approach of combining an electric motor with a combustion engine . Many thanks to our dedicated team for making our second overall victory in a row possible,” said van Meel after crossing the finish line.

Van Meel then went on to describe the rally itself: “On the first day we drove cautiously and despite a distance of just over 100 kilometers we finished with a lot of electricity left in the battery. On the second day we were better prepared and we were able to win the day; on day three we came in second, and in the end that was enough to win the overall victory. The car ran flawlessly. We’re now looking forward to the 2012 rally. We already have a few ideas about the kind of concepts we’ll enter with, of course.”

Porsche Le Mans Return Could be a Hybrid Admits Motorsports Boss

When Porsche returns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in search of its 17th overall victory in 2014 the famed German sports car maker could rely on hybrid power to do so admits motorsports boss Hartmut Kristen.

Commenting in a release issued by Porsche on its return to the top-tier of sports car racing and the future of the program, Kristen said that, “the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.” Kristen is cautions, however, admitting that the entire plan would rely on exactly what the rules allow, but you can be certain Porsche is already lobbying the sport’s governing body.

Currently the LMP1 class is dominated by Audi’s R18 diesel race cars, with the only serious rivals coming from Peugeot with diesel technology as well. The reason for their success is fuel economy, with the diesels taking fewer pit stops to refuel. Porsche has already proven with its GT3 R Hybrid race car that it can achieve similar success using hybrid technology, taking the overall win in round four of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship by requiring one fewer pit stop than the rest of the field. the GT3 R Hybrid uses a modified version of the original GT3 R hybrid powertrain, making 470-hp from a naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine, with an additional 200-hp of electric boost available on demand.

Baring a miracle breakthrough in internal combustion engine technology between now and 2014, look for Porsche to take to the the LMP1 class with a hybrid race car.

Perhaps the bigger question would then be who Porsche will compete against. While Audi is the dominant force in the series right now it’s unlikely the two will square off on the track, considering they are both owned by Volkswagen. Does Porsche’s LMP1 success depend on the end of the Audi program?

A Nissan Leaf Laps Laguna Seca [video]

Stock Nissan Leaf at Laguna Seca for Refuel 2011. Best lap during the TT event was a 2:10.

Hybrid rally car banned for being too fast [video]

What has been called the “world’s greenest rally car” has been kicked out of its championship because it’s too fast. The gasoline-electric Honda Insight hybrid, which competes in Britain’s Formula 1000 rally championship, has been asked to withdraw following concerns from rival competitors that it has an unfair advantage, after dominating the 2011 series with two wins and a second place from the first three rounds.

The car, which uses a tuned gasoline-electric hybrid system to give it more power and better fuel efficiency, has been developed by the Oaktec team from Lancaster over a six-year period using the low-emission Honda car as a base. The developments of the green technology have been so successful that the eco-car, which can return 2.8 L/100 km when driven slowly, has blown away a field of conventional rally cars to gain a 19-point championship lead after just three rallies.

The championship organizers phoned the Oaktec team to request that it stand down from the series and compete the car in a higher class to appease rival competitors. The team has agreed to the demand and will now look to race in other classes.

“It was a bit of a shock when I got the call as, after six years of hard work ,we finally had our chance for a bit of glory,” says Oaktec boss Paul Andrews. “But I fully understand the perspective of the organizers and their wish not to spoil the sport for the other drivers. Formula 1000 is a great championship and they were really supportive by allowing us to compete with these new hybrid technologies in their rallies and we always agreed that if we had a clear advantage we would step aside.

“It’s a shame it had to happen mid-season, but it’s the risk you face in going against the grain and trying something radical. If it fails, no one notices; if it’s successful, you have an unfair advantage. I think our project has made people realize that there is a real future for genuinely green technologies in motorsport and other leisure activities.”

To prove the eco-credentials of the tuned Honda hybrid system, Oaktec entered the rally car in a fuel economy competition and returned 3.45 L/100 km, beating the next best car, a small diesel, by almost a litre per 100 km. It has regularly returned less than 2.8 L/100 km in testing and has ultra-low CO2 emissions, yet uses the same combination of efficient engine, batteries and electric motor to win rallies.

In addition, the car is unique in motorsport because it uses a continuously variable transmission developed by Bosch, who also sponsor the car.

OakTec Motorsport

FIA OK new 1.6-litre V6 engine plans to be introduced in 2014

Formula 1 will officially switch to a 1.6-litre V6 engine format from 2014 after proposals finalised by the sport's stakeholders during last weekend's European Grand Prix were rubber-stamped by the FIA's World Motorsport Council on Wednesday.

According to a statement from the sport's governing body, WMSC members agreed in a fax vote to formalise the new turbo-charged engines, which will feature energy recovery units.

The statement read: "Following a fax vote by its members, the World Motor Sport Council has ratified the engine regulations recently drawn up in consultation with the main stakeholders in Formula One.

"The new power plant will be a V6 1.6 turbo unit with energy recovery systems. This new formula will come into effect as from the start of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship season."

F1's teams and the FIA were in deadlock over the engine situation for several weeks until agreement was reached during a Formula 1 Commission meeting prior to the European Grand Prix weekend to delay introducing the regulations by a year to 2014.

The new plans also featured a change in the format from a four cylinder engine to a six cylinder unit - Ferrari having been against the former on marketing grounds. Mercedes and Cosworth had also voiced concerns about development costs. F1 technical chiefs then met in Valencia to give their formal backing to the V6, 1.6-litre plan.

The teams indicated after the Valencia gathering that they would ask for a rise in the proposed rev limit of 12,000rpm to 15,000rpm. It remains unclear whether this was included in the ratified plans. Similarly it is not known whether a request to delay the introduction of new chassis rules set for 2013 - to coincide with the new engine plan - has been successful.

Pikes Peak on an Electric Motorcycle - Record Setting Ride [video]

Chip Yates piloted his homebuilt 240hp electric superbike to 14,110 feet setting the world record for electric motorcycles on Pikes Peak and placing 2nd in class.

Chip was hampered by 2.6 agonizingly slow miles of dirt, a huge oil slick on the Bottomless Pit right hand sweeper, and many hairpins had dirt strewn across them. Next year the course is entirely paved and Chip will be going for a top-10 or better result!

Mission R Electric Bike sets new Record time @ Laguna Seca [video]

Mission Motors: One lap of Laguna Seca on the Mission R from Mission Motors on Vimeo.

Steve Rapp put the Mission R electric race bike around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 1:43.7. His run at Sunday’s REFUEL event handily topped the previous EV record of 1:44.4 held by Michael Czysz and his 2010 MotoCzsyz E1pc.

Nissan Leaf set bench mark in EV production class @ Pikes Peak

Under beautiful blue skies at the 89th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb yesterday, veteran Nissan off-road truck racing champion Chad Hord and the 100 percent electric Nissan LEAF made history as the first winners of the Electric Production Class. The LEAF completed the run with a time of 14 minutes 33 seconds for the 12.42 mile run. Even though the LEAF was virtually stock except for interior safety modifications and more aggressive wheels and tires, it out ran several competitors with highly modified internal combustion engines.

The race is run on a 12.42 mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak. As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength. The thin air also robs internal combustion engines of up to 30% of their power at the summit but the LEAF's electric motor is not impacted by the thin air. It produces the same amount of power at the start and the summit.

The LEAF zipped from corner to corner in near silence other than the sound of squealing tires and the high pitched sound of a warning beeper installed at the request of the race organizers to warn spectators and workers. The LEAF comes from the factory with a pedestrian warning system that is active up to about 30 miles per hour but since the LEAF was traveling much faster on the course a supplemental system was a good way to warn those along the course that it was approaching.

"The LEAF was great fun to drive up the mountain" said Hord. "With the instant torque from the electric motor we were able to jump out of the many slow corners and the performance was very consistent from the bottom to the top since the electric motor wasn't affected by the high altitude near the summit like the gasoline powered cars."

Since the competitors can only practice a third of the run at a time during the week leading up to the race, today was the first time Chad and the LEAF had completed the entire race distance in a single run. "The Nissan LEAF and Chad both performed flawlessly this week" said Ron Stukenberg, senior manager, Marketing Communications, Motorsports. "This was an innovative way to demonstrate that 100 percent electric vehicles perform very well in highly demanding situations like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb."

Fresh off his first ever Traxxas TORC series podium finish in his Nissan Frontier last weekend at Crandon International Speedway, Colorado Springs resident Brad Lovell made it two in a row with a second place finish in the tough Pikes Peak Open class in a time of 12 minutes and 33 seconds. This was done in the same truck that finished second at Crandon despite the very different nature of the course at Pikes Peak verses that at Crandon.

AC Propulsion Electric Car Smashes Its Own Pikes Peak EV Record

AC Propulsion, a global leader in electric drive design, development and manufacturing, announced today that the Yokohama-sponsored electric race car using AC Propulsion’s proprietary electric drive system broke it’s own record set last year at the 88th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The electronic race car won the hill climb’s Exhibition Class and set a new EV record, coming in at 12:20:084, beating last year’s 13:17:575 record. The car was also the race’s fastest EV among both cars and motorcycles.

“AC Propulsion electric drive systems deliver performance,” said AC Propulsion CEO Tom Gage. “Our string of Pikes Peak EV records–especially this one, where we are well into the 12-minute bracket–clearly demonstrates that electric vehicles can get up the hill fast. Now that more people are buying EVs, it’s important to offer really good performance. For us, the old racing slogan holds: win on Sunday, sell on Monday.”

This year’s 89th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is comprised of racing to the 4,301-meter summit, covering 12.4-miles. Road conditions vary based on rapidly changing temperatiures and weather as well as combination of tarmac/ gravel surfaces and 156 turns.

The Yokohama EV is a rear-wheel drive, open-wheel race car . The AC-180 motor cranks out 268-hp at 6000-7000 rpm and has 258 lb-ft of torque.

Nurburgring 24 Hour qualifying report [video]

The further-developed Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid (Version 2.0) with its innovative hybrid drive was not able to match the pace of the fastest vehicles after its performance was capped recently by the organizers due to the car winning the recent 4 hour endurance race at the Nurburgring.

Porsche driver Joerg Bergmeister had to contend with heavy traffic during his fastest lap and only managed 14th. He shares the cockpit of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid with his factory pilot colleagues Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer and Patrick Long.

The second and final qualifying takes place on Friday from 16.55 to 18.55 hours. The 24 hour race gets underway on Saturday at 16.00 hours.

Formula 1 to introduce V6 turbo with 10x more powerful KERS in 2014

The new engine regulations planned for 2014 will also see the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) output increase.

New 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged engines will be introduced as manufacturers attempt to reduce fuel consumption levels with the KERS hybrid technology also integrated. RenaultSport F1 deputy managing director (technical) Rob White told the Red Bull website that the lack of power from the engine will be partly compensated by an increase in performance ten times that of the current KERS units.

"It will be much more potent than KERS is now," White said. "In 2011 KERS is limited to 60kW power, using 400kJ of energy per lap. The equivalent numbers for [the new engine] are 120kW - so twice as much power - but more importantly, up to 4MJ (4,000kJ) will be available to the driver each lap.

"Basically it will contribute performance ten times greater than the 2011 KERS. We've become used to the cars using 60kW for a few seconds a lap. What we're talking about is twice as much power for much, much longer."

F1 to dump 4 cyl plan and move to V6 turbos with KERS in 2014

The Formula 1 Commission is set to be asked to consider switching the sport's future engines to 1.6-litre V6 turbos in a bid to end the ongoing stalemate about future regulations.

Ahead of a crunch meeting in London today to discuss engine regulations for 2013, amid disagreement between manufacturers over plans to move to 1.6-litre four-cylinder engines, it is understood that a final push has been made by the car makers to find a solution that is acceptable to all the sport's stakeholders.

Sources have revealed that those behind-the-scenes discussions between the engine manufacturers have resulted in a plan for the four-cylinder plans to be dropped and instead 1.6-litre V6s to come into force from 2014 - one year later than the current change in regulations is planned to come into force.

With the support of all the car makers, there is no reason why the teams would be against such a tweak to the engine regulations - especially as it would guarantee all the current manufacturers staying in the sport.

And crucially for the FIA and its president Jean Todt, who has been adamant that F1 has to move to more environmentally-friendly rules, the plan includes sticking to the 'green' KERS technologies that were originally planned for the four-cylinder power units.

The FIA said earlier this month that it would be willing to hold off the switch the four-cylinder engines if there was unanimous support of the competitors.

If the V6 plan is received positively by the F1 Commission then it would go to the FIA's World Motor Sport Council for approval.

How does the Nissan LEAF Nismo RC compare to a standard Leaf? [video]

During the shooting of GT Academy in Silverstone, Colin Price of Nissan takes us through a side-by-side comparison of Nissan's 100% electric Nismo Race Car, and the Nissan LEAF from which it was born.