Hybrids tackle Le Mans 24-hour race and win

By Derek Fung | June 22, 2012 | 1

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Derek Fung

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Derek loves nothing more than punching a remote location into a GPS, queuing up some music and heading out on a long drive, so it's a good thing he's in charge of CNET Australia's Car Tech channel.

For this year's 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans, both Audi and Toyota entered hybrid cars.

(Credit: Chris Brown/Toyota)

Unlike road-going hybrids, the hybrid systems here aren't primarily for fuel efficiency. Rather, they're built for delivering extra power out of corners.
(Credit: Chris Brown/Toyota)

The Audi R18 e-tron hybrid mates a 3.7-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine with energy captured from braking. This energy is stored in a set of high-speed flywheels that spin quicker as more charge is supplied to them. When required, these flywheels discharge their stored energy to wheels, and slow down.

Audi entered two diesel hybrids in the 2012 Le Mans race. The car above is one of two lightweight non-hybrid entries branded Ultra.
(Credit: Chris Brown/Toyota)

Due to the withdrawal of Peugeot from the race, Toyota entered the race a year early with its TS030 hybrid racer. This hybrid, though, differs quite significantly from both the Prius and the Audi R18.
(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)

For a start, it's powered by 3.4-litre V8 petrol engine. An electric motor across the back wheels captures braking energy, and stores it in a series of super capacitors.
(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)

According to Pascal Vasselon, Toyota Motorsport's technical director, super capacitors were chosen, because they currently have a much higher charge density compared to lithium-ion batteries, allowing the TS030's hybrid system to weigh less and store more charge. They have a working life of around 8000km.
(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)

According to regulations, the hybrid system is only allowed to distribute its stored power at speeds of over 120km/h, and it must do so automatically — so you can't push a button to help you overtake. Drivers can, however, choose a different system mapping from their steering wheel to switch to a more economical hybrid setting.
(Credit: Derek Fung/CNET Australia)

Despite briefly taking the lead, the Toyota team's two entries were involved with crashes that ultimately led to their withdrawal from the race. At this corner, Mulsanne, one particularly nasty incident saw the team's second car clipped by a privateer Ferrari, and sent flipping through the air into a crash barrier — the car's speed prior to the collision was 307km/h.
(Credit: Chris Brown/Toyota)

With no other serious competition to deal with, Audi's cars took out first, second and third positions.

Derek Fung travelled to France as a guest of Toyota Australia.