Aston Martin Is Looking Into Green Tech

In the automotive world, most of today’s technologies were invented (or perfected) on racetracks. Direct injection, turbocharging and hybrid drivetrains were all installed in race cars by manufacturers to see if they could survive 6, 12 or even 24 hours of full-throttle abuse. This allowed them to collect data in real-time about the equipment.

Aston Martin is known for its V12 engines and stylish sport coupes, but the English manufacturer has a long and storied racing history. With the recent surge of electricity (pun intended) in the racing world, they decided to try out a new technology that might make the jump to their road cars.

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At last weekend’s race in Sao Paulo, a Vantage GTE started the race with two solar panels on its roof. They came from one of their sponsors (Hanergy). While they are not used with a hybrid system yet, they power some of the car’s auxiliary systems, like the A/C, which is normally driven by the engine and rob it of a few horsepower.

This formula seems to be working, since the #97 Vantage won in its class at its first race. Starting in 2015, Aston Martin hopes to have all its race cars equipped with these solar panels.