Many names for an event like this! We call it "Eco Rally"
For our upcoming November 29th Rally in Charged Hong Kong | Hong Kong Electric Vehicle Association, we are planning to make the rally into an Eco-Rally.
Different models of EVs, though very dominated by Tesla to say the least. We are still looking for other brands to join.
Despite different efficiencies of different versions of Model S, we need to keep them into one group.
So far, there will be a Tesla Model S group, and a Tesla Roadster group. It would have been awesome to have Leafs, i3s and others join, too. In fact, if I can borrow an i3, I will take that instead of my Tesla. Sorry Tesla Motors - for me, EVs are more important than brands, I don't subscribe to "Thou shall only worship one God" but rather "We need to transition from ICE to EV as fast as possible". Yes, I actually like the i3.
Proposed Rules:
Please feel free to comment with suggestions to improve these rules.
Anyone with experience in Eco Rallies - please chip in with advise!
For our upcoming November 29th Rally in Charged Hong Kong | Hong Kong Electric Vehicle Association, we are planning to make the rally into an Eco-Rally.
Different models of EVs, though very dominated by Tesla to say the least. We are still looking for other brands to join.
Despite different efficiencies of different versions of Model S, we need to keep them into one group.
So far, there will be a Tesla Model S group, and a Tesla Roadster group. It would have been awesome to have Leafs, i3s and others join, too. In fact, if I can borrow an i3, I will take that instead of my Tesla. Sorry Tesla Motors - for me, EVs are more important than brands, I don't subscribe to "Thou shall only worship one God" but rather "We need to transition from ICE to EV as fast as possible". Yes, I actually like the i3.
Proposed Rules:
- Each car will have pictures taken at start and finish, of license plate then of the power usage meter
- Sustained speed may not be lower than speed limit less 15 km/h - unless stuck in traffic, accelerating or other reason to either drive slower or stop. In other words, don't drive 40 km/h in a 70 zone. Dangerous and not the point.
- It is not allowed to draft other vehicles. The distance to the preceding vehicle must be minimum 2 seconds (so the faster you go, the longer the actual distance). What if the car in front of you suddenly brakes hard, do you have to keep the same distance? Safety is most important. Drafting is really when you keep following a vehicle in front closely, to lower the air resistance. Adjusting to traffic is fine, within reason. Slamming the brakes really hard is the last you want to do, so I suggest keeping an even greater braking distance, where possible.
- Use of air condition, sun roof, windows, music and so on - is all up to each driver
- No charging may take place between start and finish
- Traffic conditions, traffic lights and other factors that occur at random are part of the game. No credit or allowance will be given for any such misfortune. In extreme cases, the committee can allow a driver a second attempt. This is not a formal and serious competition, so most likely it will be "tough luck!"
- No other battery or electricity generator may be carried and used in any way: All electricity to power the car and its systems must come from the built in battery of the car. Mobile phones, fans, portable stereos and other equipment not part of the car may be run by standalone batteries. Example: A mobile phone plugged into a “USB battery” is OK. An array of solar panels plugged into the cigar lighter jack, USB or anywhere else on the car, is NOT ok. Although marginal benefit, this is across the line.
- Car settings that can be altered, is up to each contestant. Range mode, ECO PRO+ or whatever they are called for each brand. 3G on or off, with or without sat nav system. Regen setting normal or low, creep or no creep and so on. All the functions available on the car are allowed, as long as the other rules listed here are complied with.
- For the given route, the distance must be within 2 km of the actual route distance. A shorter or a longer route will mean disqualification. It is the responsibility of the driver to follow the given route exactly. Otherwise you could drive to an easy straight stretch to get your Wh/km down
- GPS route logging by smart phone? We could require each car to log the route they are driving, by using certain smartphone apps made for the purpose. For this short route, it might be sufficient to require the driven distance to be within 2 km of the actual route distance (as written in the previous rule)
Please feel free to comment with suggestions to improve these rules.
Anyone with experience in Eco Rallies - please chip in with advise!
