Skip to Content

kers


Zytek developed the Mercedes F1 KERS system

It turns out that when the time came for the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One team to develop a hybrid drive KERS for this year's car, it did not do the job in-house. Instead, it went to a specialist with perhaps more experience than anyone in developing such systems, Zytek. The UK engineering firm developed the hybrid powertrain for the first modern race car of the type, the Panoz Q9, a decade ago. We checked with Corsa Motorsports team owner, Steve Pruitt, at this weekends ALMS race at Mid-Ohio and asked if there was any relationship ... Read more →

McLaren gets first ever victory for a KERS-equipped race car Sam Abuelsamid

2009 has not been a good season for the McLaren team and defending world driving champion Lewis Hamilton. Nonetheless, the team – along with Ferrari – are the only ones still persevering ...

Williams will likely never race flywheel KERS, may have commercial application Sam Abuelsamid

The Williams Formula One team developed one of the most unusual approaches to a hybrid KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) but it looks increasingly unlikely that the system will ever be used in ...

McLaren looking for hybrid powertrain engineer Jeremy Korzeniewski

McLaren has put up a job posting for a Senior Engineer for Powertrain Hybrid Technology on its official website, which may offer a few clues as to where the automaker may be heading in the near ...

BMW likely to use KERS hybrid on next generation M5 Sam Abuelsamid

The crew at BWM's M division are all about performance and extracting all of it that they can from run-of-the-mill bimmers. However, they are not immune to the realities of the modern world and the ...

BMW gives up on KERS for the remainder of the 2009 F1 season 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

After using its KERS hybrid system on and off through the first half of the 2009 Formula One season, the BMW-Sauber team has decided enough is enough. The team will shelve the system through the remainder of the year while it focuses on aerodynamic development. In spite of the utter lack of success ...

McLaren team splits use of KERS to determine effectiveness 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

In case you haven't been paying attention, Formula 1 as we know it appears ready to come completely apart at the seams with the front-running teams launching a separate series that could potentially run concurrently with what's left of today's F1. With all of that going on, it's easy to forget that ...

Formula One teams alliance votes to ban KERS in 2010 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) voted this past weekend to push for a ban on kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) in 2010. While it wasn't a unanimous vote, a majority of the eight teams remaining in the group voted in favor of the ban. The Williams and Force India teams were recently ...

Honda may introduce 2 new hybrid sports cars in the near future 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Following the introduction of the second generation Insight, Honda has recommitted itself to developing hybrid drive vehicles. We now have the Civic and Insight in North America and Japan will soon have a Fit hybrid as well. Honda has also confirmed that a production version of the CR-Z concept ...

Only four cars to run KERS at Monaco Grand Prix 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The ongoing debate among Formula one teams over whether to run kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) continues as those teams head to the streets of Monaco this weekend. While as many as eight cars have used the new hybrid systems at races earlier this year, only four are expected to use it this ...

Mercedes-Benz with KERS? Don't hold your breath 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Of the 10 teams competing in this year's Formula 1 championship, McLaren-Mercedes is the only one that's equipped both of its cars with a kinetic energy recovery system for every single race so far this season. Whether the 60 kW power boost has helped or not is up for debate, but it's at least ...

Renault still using KERS this weekend, wants it banned for 2010 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

The Formula One circus has landed in Bahrain this weekend and the controversies surrounding kinetic energy recovery systems are continuing. Four of ten teams are apparently using KERS this week including BMW, Ferrari, McLaren and Renault. Renault team boss Flavio Briatore remains unconvinced of the ...

SAE 2009: Torotrak mechanical flywheel KERS, likely coming to next Jaguar XJ 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Adding an electric motor and battery to a vehicle is just one of many ways to create a hybrid. We've seen hydraulic hybrids being tested in a variety of commercial vehicle applications. Torotrak has an altogether different mechanical system based on flywheels. The Torotrak system first came to our ...

Three races in, Formula One teams already abandoning KERS 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Apparently, hybrid drive systems aren't catching on in Formula 1 this year. The new 2009 rules allowed, but did not require the addition of hybrid systems called KERS or kinetic energy recovery systems. Over the course of the 2008 season, teams spent time developing and testing KERS with varying ...

McLaren aims for "eco-friendly" supercar in 2011 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

The soon to be independent McLaren Automotive plans to launch what it calls an "eco-friendly" supercar in two years. McLaren Group CEO Ron Dennis announced on Thursday that the company was being restructured and the road car division would be spun off later this year as an separate company as it ...

What is regenerative braking? 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ah, fire. One of humanity's oldest ways to generate energy. Technically, you could generate energy by burning brake pads, as seen in the picture above (thanks, Flickr!), but automotive engineers have managed to come up with a way to use brakes to generate energy without going up in flames. The ...

KERS has mixed results in Formula One debut 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

Today's 2009 Formula One season opener in Australia marked the debut of kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) in the sport. Unfortunately, this first use of the new hybrid drive systems had mixed results. Only seven of the twenty cars on the grid were running with KERS and, in qualifying, the top ...

Confirmed: Ferrari going hybrid 8 months ago on Autoblog Green

One of the stated reasons that automakers send prototype race cars around tracks at high rates of speed is to further the development of new technology for their road-going automobiles. There's no higher form of automotive motorsport than Formula 1, so it stands to reason that fuel-saving ...

As Formula 1 prepares to launch KERS, safety concerns mount 8 months ago on Autoblog Green

The opening of the 2009 Formula one season is only a month away in Melbourne, Austraiia and, for the first time, teams will be able to compete with KERS hybrid drive systems aboard. It's not clear yet how many of the teams are actually ready to run their systems, but there is one big concern: ...

VIDEO: Red Bull Racing preview of its new KERS-equipped F1 car 8 months ago on Autoblog Green

Up to this point, most Formula One race teams have maintained their usual veil of secrecy on what's inside their new cars. The Red Bull team has produced an interesting computer generated animation video that gives a little peak inside the new RB5 car that they are running for 2009. The most ...

KTM used KERS system on 125 GP bike last year 9 months ago on Autoblog Green

Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM seems to have beaten Formula 1 teams to the hybrid punch. Last year, at the 125 Grand Prix race in Valencia, Spain, KTM rider Tommy Koyama's race bike was fitted with a kinetic energy recovery system, better known as KERS. Apparently, KERS only added about 3 ...

Ferrari tested at least three different KERS configurations in F1 car 9 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ferrari reportedly tested at least three different kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) configurations on its Formula One cars during 2008 and was dissatisfied with all of them. The most unusual setup involved mounting the batteries in the nose of the car. From a weight distribution standpoint, ...

Renault and Williams debating KERS implementation 9 months ago on Autoblog Green

Formula 1's Kinetic Energy Recovery System, otherwise known as KERS, is causing quite a stir among the teams that are preparing to compete in the 2009 season. BMW is said to have led the push to implement these hybrid systems on schedule this year, and rumor has it that many of the other teams are ...

FIA president Max Mosley wants electric hybrids banned in favor of mechanical KERS 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

Starting with the 2009 season. Formula One teams are allowed to use kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) to boost performance. Over the course of the 2008 season, most of the teams started testing a few different systems with varying degrees of success. Many of these hybrid systems proved ...

Ferrari denies working with Peugeot on KERS development 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

Click the Peugeot 908 HY for high-res images Last September, Peugeot announced that it had built a experimental hybrid version of its 908 HDi Le Mans prototype coupe using kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) similar to those currently being developed by Formula One teams. The 908 HY uses an ...

BMW to Ferrari re: KERS: Sorry 'bout your lack of competitiveness 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

It must take guts to call out Ferrari, considering that the Italian marque has been a dominant force in both road-going supercars and in race-ready hardware. In fact, Ferrari managed to take home the coveted Constructors' Championship last year, ably defeating BMW, which finished in third position ...

Ferrari Formula 1 KERS system more expensive than estimated 10 months ago on Autoblog Green

All of the teams in Formula One have spent a significant portion of 2008 developing and testing the new Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) that will debut in 2009. Among the teams there is a mix of two basic types of systems, a mechanical flywheel-based system and electrical battery-based ...

New green supercar to come from BMW 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Green supercar. is is an oxymoron? A contradiction in terms? Not so, according to BMW, which is currently working on just such a machine. Still in its early stages, the Bavarian vehicle is not expected to hit the market until 2012 or so and will reportedly be based on the M1 Homage concept that the ...

Honda Formula 1 team making progress in testing of KERS system 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Formula One teams are continuing to develop their KERS hybrid drive systems in preparation for a 2009 season launch. This week, the Honda F1 team wrapped up its 2008 testing allotment at the Jerez track in Spain with a day of running the kinetic energy recovery system. Test driver Alex Wurz seemed ...

BMW tries to explain what went wrong with KERS in testing 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Apparently, the problems that BMW Sauber had with its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) are completely correctable. The racing team also believes that its mechanics and drivers were never in any real danger despite the high voltage system carried by the Formula 1 car. It seems that there was ...

F1 engineer believes that KERS safety issues can be fixed before 2009 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

In recent weeks there have been several safety related incidents during the development and testing of the new kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) that will be rolled out in Formula 1 in 2009. Teams are working along two different development paths with some pursuing a mechanical flywheel based ...

KERS Formula 1 hybrid system will not be delayed 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System will indeed be affixed to the powertrains of Formula 1 cars in 2009. The issue of whether the hybrid system should be delayed was recently brought up, with Renault calling a meeting of all the teams together to discuss the problem. It seems that BMW, Honda and ...

VIDEO: The risk of high voltage hybrid batteries, BMW mechanic gets a shock 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

One of the primary safety concerns with hybrid and electric cars (aside from thermal runaway of the batteries of course) is the potential for shocks with a high voltage battery on board. Formula One teams are currently developing kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) which provide hybrid drive ...

BMW considering KERS for M Division? 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Although BMW's Formula 1 team has had its fair share of troubles getting the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to work properly, those minor setbacks may not be enough to stop the Bavarian automaker from using a similar system for its line of high performance M Division vehicles. The ...

Hybrid pioneer Toyota may not have F1 hybrid ready in time for 2009 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Toyota may have lead the way to mass-market hybrid vehicles with its Prius, but that institutional knowledge is apparently not helping it on the Formula One circuit. While Toyota reportedly spends more money on its F1 program than any other team (and perhaps several small countries) it has yet to ...

Formula One to phase in Kinetic Energy Recovery System from 2009-2013 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

FIA President Max Mosely has sent a letter to Formula One teams outlining the plans for phasing in hybrid systems in the sport. Beginning in 2009, the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) will be integrated into the transmissions of F1 cars. The KERS is a mechanical system that captures kinetic ...


Featured Galleries

  • 1 Liter Racing League
  • Suzuki Alto in Global Green Challenge
  • Proterra Electric Bus
  • Local Motors Rally Fighter
  • 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe
  • Audi Avatar
  • Global Green Challenge Tesla Roadster goes 313 miles
  • Meyers Motors NMG
  • Cozmo NEV
  • Tokyo 2009: Suzuki Swift PHEV
  • Tokyo 2009: Suzuki SX4-FCV
  • Honda mobility devices

Categories

Autoblog

Daily Finance

Download Squad

Engadget

Joystiq

Autoblog Spanish

Switched.com

FanHouse

Asylum