zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Don't Drink Generator Fuel
Don't Drink Generator Fuel-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:24

Formula E as a series tries so hard to be green, they even thought about where they source their power. Instead of hooking up to a power grid that may be fueled by coal or other less-than-savory sources of energy, they bring in generators that run off glycerol. But I don’t recommend it.

Aquafuel, who has been the power supplier for Formula E’s cars since the championship started in 2014, uses a modified Cummins generator to power the Formula E cars. Originally, it’s good for generating 1.2 megawatts, but due to the lower caloric value of glycerol, it only produces about 850 kilowatts in its current eco-friendly form. Regardless, that’s still a ton of energy. Big cables lead from the generator pit over to each garage, where the cars charge up their batteries and later put that power to use on track.

Additionally, Aquafuel’s representative says the glycerol is responsibly sourced as a byproduct of biodiesel production. While it isn’t technically food grade, that is more for reasons handling than anything else. There are warnings with the giant glycerol tubs that are shipped in that advise that you can drown in the sweet stuff, for example.

When Damon Lavrinc tasted Formula E’s glycerol fuel a couple years ago, his rousing of “I drank some and wasn’t bent over a toilet afterwards” sounded fine enough. Yeah, buddy. Get me some of that.

Let me tell you right now that no, it wasn’t a good taste. It was syrupy in texture and had a sweet tinge to it, but also had kind of a weirdly acrid note that wasn’t good.

Formula E made cocktails with food-grade glycerol once. I, too, might recommend diluting the glycerol with something else that doesn’t taste like straight glycerol. (For what it’s worth, I can’t do fake sweeteners, either. “Diet” or “Zero” anything is right out. Yuck.)

Even if the generator fuel is technically edible, I don’t recommend drinking it. You really shouldn’t drink glycerol that’s been in the generator already, either.

Aquafuel still has to use about 100 liters of diesel per race weekend (which encompasses Wednesday through Saturday for Formula E) in its generators, as they won’t start and stop on glycerol alone. To start, the generator runs for about 10 minutes on diesel before switching to glycerol. Around 8:00 p.m. on every day, they run diesel through the system for the last five minutes before shutting them off, largely to clean the injectors. Of course, because diesel is the biggest no-no in automotive anything right now, they’re currently researching ways to run it entirely on glycerol alone.

It’s been about an hour, and I still have that taste in my mouth. It’s still gross. Trust me on this: do not drink generator fuel.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
May 22, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
May 22, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
May 22, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
May 22, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
May 22, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
May 22, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved