Forget horsepower, cows are all you need to win rally races

12 October 2009

COW-POWER may be about to overtake horsepower in the cutting-edge world of motor racing.

In a bid to move British motorsport into tomorrow’s world, experts from a specialist engineering firm in Lancashire hope to become the first team to use gas from fermented cow slurry to power a Honda rally car to victory.

The company, Oaktec, has already developed petrol/electric hybrid engines for Honda which recycle energy to boost car performance and reduce exhaust emissions. Paul Andrews, from Oaktec, said cow-powered rally cars would be the next generation.

Speaking to Farmers Guardian at the European Bioenergy Expo and Conference in Stoneleigh Park last week, he said: “We want to move motorsport forward in a sustainable way and this could really change the future.”

Developing the technology through motorsport could also provide green solutions throughout the transport world, said Mr Andrews.

“The advantage of motorsport is that you use the technology at its limits and very quickly find out what works, what doesn’t work and how to get the best out of the fuel.

“We see motorsport as a great way of developing technologies that can be used over a wide range of transport,” he said.

Oaktec are currently seeking partnership agreements with farmers and producers to provide gas fuel from anaerobic digesters.

“This could be huge for farmers,” said Mr Andrews.

But before the industry gets carried away, he warned the technology would only take-off if it had support from major car manufacturers.

“We would need the infrastructure to do it. We would need an acceptance of the fuel – which this project with the Honda rally car aims to do; we need car manufactures to adapt to the fuel; and we need to be able to go to a filling station to fill up with AD gas,” said Mr Andrews.

The first step is not far off – all being well, Oaktec expect the Honda Civic Hybrid, powered by AD gas, to be competing on national rally circuits within the next 12 months.