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Originally Posted by jmatta
For any Formula One fans, this is a big topic this year. KERS (Kinetic Energy Recover System) has been developed for exactly this purpose. As the car slows, energy produced from the braking action (through the transmission) is stored in batteries and released when the driver hits a button on the steering wheel to produce an extra burst of speed.
Renault is reported to be the first to utilize the system come this weekend at the F1 opener in Melbourne...stay tuned (I can't wait for another F1 season).
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I'd be very surprised if there's any real gain in such a system. In order for it to work, there'd have to be a pretty sizable electric motor(s) somewhere in the drivetrain (to act when the driver "hits a button..."). Such a motor would, especially in racing terms, be pretty weighty and the added weight (and subsequent parasitic draw) would probably more than offset any gain.
It would possibly aid in acceleration for short periods only - an advantage in certain circumstances, only if the competition wasn't armed with the same technology, but at the expense of lower fuel mileage.
It'll be interesting to see if it gets fully adopted or retained longterm.
