Energy recovery from Formula 1 exhausts will be adapted to everyday cars. One more technological transfer, after the turbo, energy recovery under braking or the hybrid engine.
Formula 1 is a marketing and technological showcase. But sometimes, his innovations descend on Mr Toutlemonde's cars. This will be the case for energy recovery systems from exhausts.
It is a system that drastically reduces consumption and gives more power at low revs. Clearly, as soon as you accelerate, it reacts immediately for a more pleasant drive.
It has been used on Formula 1 cars since 2014, since we imposed drastic restrictions on consumption. Their engines have become very small, limited to 1.6 liters, the capacity of a small city car. And yet, when combined with electric motors and energy recovery systems, we get incredible performances, with very low consumption.
It is these technologies that Mercedes and Renault will transfer to passenger cars.
Will it be for sports cars and high-end models?
Not only. Obviously, this will allow sportswomen to avoid the penalties with smaller engines, which consume less, while remaining as flexible as the big ones. But it will also be used on trucks, buses or coaches, all these big engines that pollute a lot.
It should also transform Mr Toutlemonde's hybrid car. For a long time, it had two engines: a small electric one at low speed and a gasoline which took over. With Formula 1 technologies, there will only be one engine where the electric power assists gasoline permanently to optimize its performance. This is starting to happen on the Clio 5, for example. Because everyone wants to reduce consumption. But not everyone can go 100% electric yet.