Electric GT reveals lightweight renewable natural fibre composite body panels and tease “secret weapon” LED display

Electric GT has announced its unique partnership with Bcomp – manufacturers of high-performance lightweight composite materials to replace some traditional carbon fibre panels in the Electric GT racing car.

Swiss company Bcomp has developed a proprietary high-performance lightweight material for the automotive industry, producing high-performance, cost-efficient materials that can replace or reinforce carbon fibre and other engineering materials, and cut up to 40% weight with maintained performance.

Its powerRibs®- and ampliTex® reinforcement fabrics have first been used within Bcomp’s initial Sports & Leisure markets, and can typically be found in products such as skis, snowboards, surfboards, canoes and guitars. In addition, the company has collaborated with the European Space Agency ESA on the development of lightweight space applications for several years.

Working with Electric GT, Bcomp has also teased a revolutionary LED system within the natural fibres which can create a display for live data and telemetry on the outer body of the racing car.

Bcomp revealed the new technology at the Electric GT headquarters at Circuit Pau-Arnos, where EGT’s sustainable credentials are put into action from the ground up, creating an incubator for technology and clean energy.

The special panels will be put into action at the first ever public test of the Electric GT racing car at the inaugural Day of Light at Pau E-Circuit on November 18.

Electric GT CEO Mark Gemmell said: “Not only do Bcomp’s revolutionary natural fibre panels give us increased performance in terms of damping and stiffness, Bcomp have also assisted us in achieving a 20% weight saving compared to the road-going production version of this car. That is quite staggering.

“In addition to the performance characteristics these materials offer, we are also working with Bcomp to develop our secret weapon –  bespoke LED arrays within the fibre composite panels, so that the cars will have the capability to display key information to the watching crowd and viewers at home.

“From race numbers to race telemetry, energy levels and even biometric feedback from the drivers, the possibilities are endless and this is just the start of how we bring fans to the heart of the racing action.”

Christian Fischer, CEO at Bcomp said: “At Bcomp, we’re really excited about the global shift towards clean, sustainable mobility. Our goal is to contribute with our lightweight, high-performance renewable materials, and EGT offers the perfect platform to show to the world how the future mobility will look.

“When you meet like-minded people, things can go really fast. Just like us, Electric GT wants to explore the new opportunities of technology and push boundaries, which is how the idea of integrating LED arrays into our translucent body panels was born.”

“From our first contact with Mark and his colleagues at Electric GT, it was clear that both teams wanted to create something entirely new and different, that would completely change the game plan for racing. We cannot wait to see where this partnership takes us.”

The Electric GT Championship is the new zero-emissions motorsport category promoting sustainable mobility

The Electric GT Championship will commence in 2018. Electric GT events will also include the Electric GT eKarting Series and the Electric GT eSports Series: a ground-breaking innovative new virtual racing platform.

The main Electric GT race will see 20 international drivers, racing for 10 professional teams in identical all-electric Tesla Model S EGT P100D machines, running on bespoke Pirelli tyres and equipped with the latest OMP safety equipment and Alcon brakes. Rounds will consist of a 20-minute practice session, a 60-minute qualifying heat, a day race (60km) and a dusk race (60km).

Each round of the Electric GT Championship will be a weekend-long festival of technology and innovation for sustainability, in and around the circuits. Fans will be able to stream races via Periscope, Twitch and YouTube, as well as interact directly with the teams using social media platforms.