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The Goodwood Festival of Speed has always predominantly been recognised as a combustion engine fueled event, however with the way things are changing with the future of mobility, will EV's appear centre stage alongside Petrol and Diesels? Well electric vehicles certainly figure in the plans for many car manufacturers and with Rolls Royce rumoured to be completely missing out hybrid technology and moving straight into electric mobility, the future looks to be EV.

In recent years the EV has become a big part of Motorsport with the likes of Formula, thanks to companies like Qualcomm and their Halo wireless charging technology, BMW and their modified i8 safety cars as well as recently announcing that BMW are an official manufacturer for the Formula e championship 2018 and 2019 and racing teams such as ABT Audi and Mahindra.

This year you witnessed the heritage of 70 years of Ferrari from their first petrol car to the hybrid La Ferrari. What will be performing in another 70 years on the Goodwood hill climb? Your hard pushed to be hear the sound of a naturally aspirated engine or the chatter of a wastegate, whilst the adrenalin courses through your veins.

However with today's enthusiast it's not all about the sound, there's also the technology, performance and looks, in the future we may have to consider that many new cars won't have that ground shaking rumble. The Festival of Speed have certainly recognised that the ev has a place at Goodwood as have many of the car brands, with the majority exhibing at least one EV, JLR showcased the I Pace Connect and Renault Zoe to name a few and if you wanted to see some of this new tech perform on the hillclimb, you were in luck.

Renualt Zoe EVThe new Renault Zoe donning a smart mat blue wrap went hurtling up the track, followed by a more steady approach by the new electric London cab in it's distinctive camo, the Mahindra formula e car looked like a rocket with it's own unique sound to many these appear like glorified Scalextric cars, with people wondering what's the point, however when you witness one of these zoom up the hill climb, it's quite phenomenal you get a different type of buzz, and the icing on the cake for electric vehicle taking on the Goodwood hillclimb was definitely the Rimac driven by racing driver Archie Hamilton. The electric supercar vehicle famed recently by Richard Hammond when he lost control going round a corner in Switzerland. When Archie floored the Rimac, it spun momentairly then was gone taking on the hill climb like a rocket, it was literally like lightning - we managed to grab a glimpse of the supercar EV as it went under the Goodwood Bridge.

Many people are undecided when it comes to electric vehicles especially when motorsport is involved, we love electric cars and the future of motor racing utilising there technology provide by the likes of Qualcomm, and the brands behind the sport like Audi, Mahindra and BMW and advancements which come with the future of motor racing like the Halo wireless charging capabilities, in fact it takes us back to when we were invited as VIP guests to cover the Formula e preview at Donington Park raceway where we met Graeme Davison, VP of Qualcomm.

That day opened our eyes to the electric car being a major contender in motorsport, and Forumula e. Graeme Davison explained to us the part Qualcomm played in the evolution of electric F1, the new techonologies allowing the sport to add adrenalin to races and allow you to vote for drivers, inturn giving that driver a boost of power with #FanBoost, and the advancement of ev wireless charging Halo, ultimately heading for the goal of creating a giant scalextric track, where formula e cars were recharged whilst racing on a circuit. Meeting World calss racing drivers such as Nelson Piquet Jr, Bruno Correia and Lucas De Grassi who told us all about the sport and how he saw it progressing, and explaining some of his ideas. Its great to meet peole who can see this as part of the future of Motor Racing.

Form now on we think every year EV's will increase in numbers at the Goodwood Festival of Speed - never replacing the combustion engine, more standing alongside it, a future where both technologies are recognised and commended. 

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Northern Group of Motoring Writers NGMW

Northern Group Of Motoring Writers

Annabelle Quirk Vice Chairwoman
Ben D T Quirk Member