All-Tesla racing series approved but details need to be worked out
An all-Tesla racing series has been given the green light by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the worldwide motorsports governing body responsible for Formula One and other racing series.
Two years after its formation was announced, the Electric Production Car Series (EPCS) is one step closer to pitting productionbased battery-powered vehicles from major manufacturers against each other on a racetrack, reports The Verge.
With high-performance, highvolume electric car offerings being a little thin on the ground, the EPCS will launch with a field of race-prepped 800-horsepower Tesla Model S P100Ds on major circuits, starting later this year.
Before it can begin its debut season, however, it needs to sign more teams — it now has only one — and more talent, and co-ordinate a schedule. Rival electric racing league Formula E is putting pressure on the upstart EPCS to get its act together, since it will launch an “I-Pace eTrophy ” this year featuring the all-new Jaguar I-Pace SUV, as a support series for its prototype all-electric racing series, now in its fourth season.
Technical glitches are another thorn in the side of the EPCS: the Model S sedan race cars it plans to run can’t last more than a few laps at a time because the factory battery-management software keeps shutting down the overheating batteries, unaware they ’re driving a race car and not a road car.
Tesla has yet to officially endorse the series and won’t let the EPCS modify the code in its cars, though the racing series says it’s having conversations with the automaker.