Spectators accustomed to loud blast of exhaust sound from rally car engines were left confused as all the first 12 rally 1 cars from factory teams left the flag-off point of the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre with muted sounds like small toys before coming back to life upon entering Parliament Road.
The muted cars was the effect of the hybrid system, an 87-kilogram plug-in device introduced in the WRC in 2022 on all top-tier Rally 1 cars as part of the Federation Internationale De’I’ Automobile’s (FIA) clean energy and climate action sustainability objective, and the first step for rallying to transition to full clean green energy propulsion in the near future. It helps reduce carbon emissions, and provides a power boost
Alongside hybrid power, Rally1 cars run on 100 percent sustainable fossil-free fuel. With a renewable blend of synthetic and bio-fuel components, the fuel is the first of its kind to be used in an FIA motorsports world championship. The car engines will reject fuel available in petrol stations.
But this hybrid system did not yield the desired result. Instead, it increased the cost of a Rally I car which costs over Sh160 million, and much more in running costs because of the 3.9 kilowatt battery hybrid system.
On November 15, the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) abolished the hybrid plug-in system rule after months of deliberation following recommendation by a Working Group appointed last November. The aim is to attract more manufacturers and make rallying at the top-tier less expensive.
The hybrid plug-in system had been found wanting and had discouraged some manufacturers from joining the WRC.
Currently, only Toyota, Hyundai and semi works M-Sport Ford are the only manufacturer teams in the WRC.
The cost of running hybrid units proposed by the independent supplier of the component, Compact Dynamics, following the introduction of new safety guidelines at Acropolis Rally in Greece in September was the final blow to the hybrid unit era.
By abolishing the hybrid system and other technical requirements, FIA hopes to help manufacturers to reduce the cost of a Rally 1 car from the current Sh160m to Sh43m, allowing them to sell Rally 1 cars, or offer them for part time hire by high end customers. At the moment, manufacturers don’t sell these cars to customers.
The Hyundai i20 of Belgian Thierry Neuville exposes where the hybrid plug in of a Rally 1 car is located after he suffered a crash during the 2024 WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha on March 28, 2024.
Photo credit: Pool
“Rally 1 cars form the pinnacle of the WRC and use higher technology and even more power. Since 2016, top-level rally cars have featured spectacular aerodynamics that added another element to the already extreme performance of the vehicles.
WRC scaled back on aerodynamics a bit in 2022, but power and technology have made quite the jump with the introduction of the new hybrid power unit,” rally driver Azar Anwar observed.
But the current rule change does not affect drivers who compete in the Rally 2 and 3 cars, which cost anything between Sh16 million and Sh27 million to buy and much more to run as there are no changes in technical rules.
Competition or speed will also not be compromised visually as the removal of the plug-in hybrid extra power of 100 brake horsepoer (bhp) will be compensated by removal of the extra 87kg weight.
The cars will thus reverse to the previous maximum power output of 380bhp, but they will be faster because of reduction of power-to-weight distribution. Why the changes and what are the long term implications?
FIA rally director, Yves Matton announced in 2021 that the WMSC had approved German company Compact Dynamics as the sole official supplier of this component for the factory teams which did not have the infrastructure to develop and manufacture their own hybrid components.
Broken section of Thiery Neuville's Hyundai car shows the hybrid component during the 2024 WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha on March 28, 2024.
Photo credit: Pool
Compact Dynamics is a specialist provider of drive systems and Motor Generator Units (MGUs), and has supplied the Mercedes Formula 1 team and Audi’s Formula E programme.
It is also a part of the Shaeffler Group that has a well-established technical partnership with Audi.
FIA had in 2022 said that the hybrid system in Rally 1 cars would be used on road sections like the scene Kenyans witnessed at KICC, and partly on special stages, but at the discretion of the organisers so as to avoid increasing the average speed.
Existing Rally 1 cars carry a small 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine packing 380bhp in fully turbo-charged mode. But the power increases to 514bhp when paired with a hybrid unit from Compact Dynamics.
The company explains in its website that the hybrid unit weighs 87kg and is placed on the rear side of the car. It consists of a 3.9-kilowatt-hour battery coupled to a Motor-Generator Unit (MGU), delivering an additional 100 kilowatts (134 horsepower) and 180 newton metres of torque during acceleration, which propels the car from standstill to 100kph in under three seconds, and a top speed of 201kph.
Rally1 cars are not made for high speeds. Instead, gear ratios and hybrid units are made for acceleration for entering and leaving twisty corners of rally stages without compromising on the speed.
The cars barely exceed 200kph because of road configuration as witnessed in a 193 straight line top speed for 38 seconds Takamoto Katsuta achieved in the 2021 WRC Safari in Soysambu stage which went on to become a Youtube sensation and signature of that year’s Safari with over 14 million views.
This means that, with the engine and hybrid unit combined, Rally1 cars are capable of a maximum power output of more than 514bhp or the power of five to eight ordinary 1500cc salon cars.
The Hybrid plug-in unit, alongside an internal combustion engine (ICE), is composed of 12,000rpm Motor Generator Unit (MGU), inverter control unit, and 3.9kWh battery operating up to 750 volts, Hyundai World Rally Championship team says on its website.
This is connected from the MGU to all four wheels via the propeller shaft to maximise acceleration performance
“The unit regenerates energy under braking, and the battery can also be plugged into an external power supply to be recharged during service breaks which take about 30 minutes and can drive up to 20 km in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode.
The battery is also charged when the accelerator is off or the brake is pressed in what is known as regenerative braking,” Toyota Gazoo Racing says on its website:
The regulation changes also cover the car’s chassis, which is now formed by a space frame design that offers increased safety protection for the driver and co-driver compared to the previous body shells, says Toyota on its GR Yaris R1 model.
“On the outside, some of the aerodynamic features seen on World Rally Cars between 2017 and 2021 have been prohibited to control costs. Still, elements such as side skirts and large rear wings remain to provide stability, while air ducts can be used to cool parts including the hybrid unit.
“There has also been a simplification of the regulation on the cars’ transmissions. The cars remain four-wheel drive but now have five-speed gearboxes with a mechanical shift and no longer feature an active centre differential. The suspension is also now more straightforward with a reduced amount of damper travel permitted.“
For the 2024 car, the engine was updated to further improve response at low speeds, and the torque curve has been improved.
Former national rally champion Azar Anwar says: “Rally 1 is the pinnacle of the WRC and is packed with technology and even more power than its predecessor. Since 2016, top-level rally cars have featured spectacular aerodynamics that added another element to the already extreme performance of the vehicles.
They scaled back quite a bit on the aero part in 2022, but power and technology have made quite the jump with the introduction of the new hybrid power uni which pushed maximum power output to 514 Break Horse Power.”
FIA has categorised rally cars into five categories starting with Rally 1 at the top followed by Rally 2 and Rally 3 in AWD configuration. There is also Rally 2 and 3 in 2WD drive.
Rally 2. Known previous as R5 (Cost: Sh27m)
This is the category of the Skoda Fabia of Africa champion Karan Patel or the Ford Fiesta Jasmeet Chana drives in the national championship.
1,150 cars have been sold by the seven manufacturers that have been involved since the creation of this Group, Rally2 (ex R5) represents the pinnacle for customer competitors who can’t access the R1 which is reserved for manufacturer teams.
The engine, which must be derived from one used in a series production car, is also modified to achieve a power output of around 290 hp.
The four-wheel drive transmission lacks a central differential. Given the high level of performance, safety is reinforced.
Therefore, the doors have to be fitted with at least 60 litres of high-density foam, which absorbs the energy in case of a lateral impact. Power is capped at 290bhp.
Group NR4 over 2,000 cm (Cost Ksh1.5M to 6M)
These are various versions of Mitsubishi Lancer and Subaru Impreza that can be entered into the FIA regional rallies, up to 8 years after the end of their theoretical homologation period.
They do not score points in the World Rally Championship but are eligible to compete in the national championships.
These hand-me-down second hand cars aged 20 years and above cost between Ksh1.5M to 6M depending on the year of manufacture and spare parts.
Those made before the turn of the century can now compete in FIA recognised historic events. Power is capped at 300bhp.
Homologated from 2021, these accessible and more affordable cars will allow all drivers to have fun at the wheel of a four-wheel drive car.
These are the cars the FIA Rallystar Programme drivers McRae Kimathi, Hamza Anwar and Jeremiah Wahome used in the 2021-23 Junior World Championship and Africa Championship. They have a maximum power output of 260bhp
These are 2wheel drive cars for beginners but set to be very competitive following the return of Lancia in rallying after more than three decades absence.
What is the cost of developing a Rally 1 car?
The basic model like a Hyundai i20 cost Ksh3 million Euros and can be found in every super market parking space but the competition Rally1 version is over 160M. Why?
A few years ago the Red Bull Magazine broke down the cost of making a Rally 1 car prototype on a baseline of Ksh900 million divided in three phases of conception, design and manufacturing with each team having at least 10 functional cars for the full season.
Consequently, the manufacturers proceed to produce competition units as broken down below
Body framework: Strengthened and optimised over 200 man hours: €50,000 (Ksh6.9M
Transmission and Drivetrain custom-made by external suppliers: €80,000 (Ksh11.04M)
Engine, strictly regulated. Only fine-tuning will optimise performance: €200,000 (Ksh27M)
Chassis, custom-made and subject to constant redesign: €120,000 (Ksh16.5M)
Tyres and wheel rims, different set required for every surface: €5000 per set (Ksh690,,000)
Body kit, aerodynamics are increasingly important for this generation of WRC cars: €30000 (Ksh4.1M)
Interior fittings, steering wheel, seats, seatbelts, fire extinguisher: €14000 (Ksh1.93M)
Electronics, special cable harness and control units: €70,000 (ksh9.60M))
Brakes, custom-made according to surface: €16000 (Ksh2.20M)
Man-hours, assembly, paintwork, calibration, etc: €100,000 (Ksh13.8M)
But sources say a current Rally1 car can go up to €120, 000,000 (KSh160 M)
