IndyCar confirmed on Tuesday that the series will debut its long-awaited hybrid powertrain during the upcoming Mid-Ohio race weekend.
The introduction of the hybrid system has suffered multiple developmental delays, both due to component shortages and design changes that were necessary to make the unit ready for racing.
Through 23,518 miles of testing at various circuits around the country by every team in the series, IndyCar is now ready to commit to a full launch of the system at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course on the weekend of July 5-7.
“The strength of this uncharted partnership between Chevrolet and Honda has pushed this innovative project to the grid in 2024,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said.
“The IndyCar-specific hybrid power unit will bring a new and exciting element to the NTT IndyCar Series with additional energy and overtake options. We cannot wait to see the start of this new era at Mid-Ohio.”
The hybrid components will fit within other parts of the car which were introduced at the start of the year and have been specifically designed to take on the extra pieces.
There will be 20 ultracapacitors mounted inside the bellhousing between the internal combustion engine and the gearbox, with power delivered and regenerated through a Motor Generator Unit attached to the clutch shaft.
Drivers will have the ability to regenerate power automatically through braking or manually through the use of steering wheel paddles.
During testing, both regeneration methods were evaluated, and the series has determined that both options are suitable for use on track.
The hybrid power will be able to be used in conjunction with the existing Push to Pass boost system. The amount of electric energy used will be limited per lap, while a defined total time per race will still limit the Push to Pass system.
Together, the boosted ICE performance and the hybrid components will produce over 800 horsepower, with additional power possible through updates in forthcoming years.
“This is exciting new technology and, like all things new, has presented challenges to us at HRC as we have stepped in with our competitors to help IndyCar make the hybrid system compact enough, powerful enough, light enough and reliable enough to work within the highly-restricted confines of an IndyCar chassis,” said Honda Racing Corporation USA President David Salters.
“We are proud of our associates’ work to develop the supercapacitor pack and control software for the system. We look forward to hybrid tech adding another dimension to the great racing spectacle and entertaining our great Honda and IndyCar racing fans.”
A full field test is scheduled for June 11 at the Milwaukee Mile, which will serve the dual purpose of testing the hybrid units one final time and giving drivers a chance to learn the track, which is back on the scheduled for the first time in nine years.
The Mid-Ohio race weekend gets underway just over seven weeks from now, with the Honda Indy 200 taking place on Sunday, July 7 as the first event to feature the new hybrid system.
