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Oaktec

Company

Oaktec

Additional Participants

International Automotive Research Centre, University of Warwick
Millbrook Proving Ground

Click here to see the Oaktec page

Summary

Oaktec, a small race team based in Lancashire, became the first team to compete in a petrol/electric hybrid vehicle by optimising a Honda Insight hybrid to compete in the Formula 1000 Special Stage Rally Championship. Competing throughout 2005 – 2007, the team has developed and optimised the vehicle, showcasing the performance and energy efficiency benefits that can be achieved. They have also demonstrated the use of bioethanol with the hybrid system.

Key Facts

• At 85g/km, the Insight achieves the lowest CO2 rating of any production car.
• Extra performance from the hybrid system has been achieved by installing and developing a specialist hybrid controller.
• Technical partnership enabled the analysis of the hybrid systems through testing and data logging and computer simulations.
• The car has successfully competed throughout 2006 and 2007 using E85 bioethanol fuel leading to further reduced CO2 emission levels.
• In January 2007, the team presented the project to the Environmental Commission of the FIA in Paris.

The Challenge

The project objectives were to assess the suitability of petrol/electric hybrid systems for motorsport, learn their characteristics and explore ways to gain a performance advantage through the development of energy storage and regeneration technologies, without increasing CO2 emissions.

The Solution

The project started in 2004 when Oaktec began modifying a Honda Insight hybrid to compete in the Formula 1000 Special Stage Rally Championship.

The Insight was one of the first hybrid production cars sold in the UK, produced by Honda as a low volume technological tour de force to showcase hybrid technology to the market. At 85g/km, the Insight achieves the lowest CO2 rating of any production car and has an achievable fuel consumption of over 70mpg in normal use. To achieve this efficiency, it has a sophisticated 995cc V-TEC engine and a lower aerodynamic drag coefficient than any car in the current market. It has a high strength, lightweight aluminium alloy body shell and a kerb weight of just over 830kg.

Issues Arising

Oaktec have modified the car for rallying by increasing strength, reducing weight and fitting safety systems. In 2006, the car was rebuilt using a more suitable CVT transmission. Special rally suspension has been manufactured. The only modifications to the engine were to improve inlet and exhaust gas flow efficiency. The emissions control systems are standard.

The solution to gaining extra performance from the hybrid system was to develop a specialist hybrid controller which was programmed to alter the control strategies of the system giving stronger braking, with more energy regenerated, and more power with assist. This system, called MIMA (Manual Integrated Motor Assist), improves vehicle performance without resorting to conventional engine tuning methods, which would spoil the Insight’s emissions performance.

The car has also successfully competed using E85 bioethanol fuel (a mix of 85% bioethanol and 15% petrol) further reducing CO2 emission levels.

The project has identified the reluctance of the standard NiMH batteries to cope with the rapid electrical energy flows brought on by the extreme drive cycle employed during competition driving. In certain circumstances, this can cause a loss of efficiency of hybrid operation brought on by a rise in temperature of the batteries.

Following an introduction by EEMS, Oaktec formed a technology partnership with the International Automotive Research Centre, at the University of Warwick, and Millbrook Proving Ground. This partnership enabled the analysis of the hybrid systems through testing and data logging and computer simulations to predict potential areas for performance gain through tuning and modification.

Benefits

The benefits to Oaktec have been enormous and wide reaching and, through the association with EEMS, they have achieved substantial exposure both nationally and internationally.

As the first team to successfully compete in a hybrid car, they have acquired leading edge know-how on the optimisation of energy recovery and considerable expertise in the installation and development of the specialist hybrid controller.

Optimisation of the car led to success in the 2006 Formula 1000 Rally Championship where Oaktec won class A for production cars, scoring three class wins from four rallies.

In January 2007, the team presented the project to the Environmental Commission of the FIA in Paris, impressing delegates with how a car designed purely for low emissions and high fuel efficiency could achieve such success in a highly competitive motorsport category.

The Future

Oaktec are continuing to explore new areas of more effective energy storage such as ultra-capacitors and more efficient batteries. They see further potential for a hybrid car for circuit racing, perhaps with a higher revolution engine. The team are now developing a brand new motorsport Honda Civic hybrid with support from Honda.

Further information

Paul Andrews
Oaktec

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