EESA Success Stories

Simulator Makes Green Racing Real

Helping consumers understand the benefits of advanced vehicle technologies is an important aspect of market adoption. "Green Racing" is one way of demonstrating the benefits of renewable fuels and vehicle tech that allows cars to consume less petroleum and emit less greenhouse gases. "Green" race cars are now running in prestigious races hosted by the American Le Mans Series and other race venues to demonstrate that cars can still be fast while being "green."

The Green Racing Simulator Trailer exhibits travels to venues all over the U.S.

The Challenge

To help consumers understand the benefits of "green racing"--eco-friendly fuels, regenerative braking, and advanced vehicle technologies and fuels. To influence their vehicle buying decisions and adoption of new technologies that will reduce petroleum consumption in the U.S.

The Solution

Argonne researcher Danny Bocci developed a green racing simulation to help consumers experience what it's like to drive a race car running on alternative, eco-friendly fuels like E85 (a flex fuel mixture of 85% denatured fuel ethanol and 15% gasoline), using advanced vehicle technologies. The simulator is based on the game Gran Tourismo 5 for the Playstation 3® gaming console, with additional computers that monitor the race car's speed, regenerative braking and boost (a method by which energy from braking is stored for later use), a "Hybrid Energy" gauge to show the amount of energy stored and available, and additional gauges to display the amount of nonrenewable petroleum that is being consumed.

Using real race engine data, the simulator also calculates the amount of petroleum fuel consumed for both E85 and race fuel, and uses the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge criteria (a race to consume the least fuel while optimizing performance) to calculate "green" scores for driving based on how much petroleum the driver saves using the hybrid system.

The Results

The simulator has visited national races such as the American Le Mans' "Green Challenge." By driving the simulated race car, consumers are able to experience for themselves that advanced vehicle technologies and fuels will not keep them from what they value in a car: speed and performance.

The Green Racing Simulator is now being installed in a traveling trailer exhibit that will debut at green races throughout the U.S. this year.

"This simulation is a great way to teach folks about sustainable racing in a way they'll remember. Hopefully, this experience will be a takeaway that will influence their transportation decisions in the future," says Danny Bocci.

More

• Poster: Simulator Makes Green Racing Real (pdf)
• Green Racing at Argonne

September 2011