UAE | General
Eco-friendly motor racing to be held in Dubai
Dubai is to host an alternative energy race in November.
- By Kevin Scott, Staff Reporter
- Published: 19:37 March 21, 2008
Dubai: Dubai is to host an alternative energy race in November.
The event, featuring 'Formula Zero' cars using the latest hydrogen fuel cell technology, aims to promote alternative energy and forms part of an international racing competition.
The 2008 Formula Zero championship, which begins in Rotterdam on August 14, involves a number of competing universities including Imperial College London, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Patras in Greece.
Dubai will host the fourth and final race of the event. Los Angeles and London are the other cities involved.
Mike Samaroo, Team Leader of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Systems at Lawrence Technological University's (LTU) Element One Team, is looking forward to the Dubai race and believes eco-friendly cars would be great for the city.
"More and more people are moving to Dubai by the day and the city is becoming increasingly congested. The rise in the number of vehicles will obviously lead to more pollution," he said.
The 'Formula Zero' car is approximately seven and-a- half feet long, five feet wide and two feet tall. The car's body is made from recyclable paper and materials and encompasses regenerative braking.
The motor industry has expressed great interest in the vehicles as they only emit water vapour and heat from their exhausts.
Samaroo, a mechanical engineering student at LTU, speaking at the Clean Business 2008 conference at Dubai Knowledge Village, said Element One's goal was to change the way people think about energy and sustainability through high-performance, zero-emissions racing.
He said: "Racing is the perfect way to promote this new technology. Hydrogen is the future and we want to show people it is just as much fun as racing with petrol.
"We are promoting the race events all over the world and there is a genuine excitement; it's the next level of motor sport.
The date for the Dubai race has still to be confirmed but Samaroo believes it will be great for people living in the city and will also attract a lot of tourists.
"We hope to attract a crowd of around 2,000 people for the Dubai 'time trial' race," Samaroo said.
The Element One Team was placed first in a prestigious design competition on Friday and will now be awarded a fuel cell to help them build and race their vehicle in the championship.
Twelve teams from around the world had been competing for the prize of an 8kW fuel cell mobile from Hydrogenics Corporation.
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