Queensland racetrack bans electric cars
The race track operators have made an official statement explaining the decision: “After careful consideration and investigation, Willowbank Raceway has decided that we can no longer allow road-registered Fully Electric Vehicles to race or test at Willowbank Raceway,” the statement read. “We have been reviewing the regulations from Motorsport Australia, NEDRA, as well as the emergency response procedures for specific vehicles and after information provided by these departments, we have determined that the risks associated with racing and testing Electric Vehicles are too high.”
The race track operators also listed a series of issues that they consider decisive for the ban: “The possibility of toxic and flammable gases being released after a collision, doors not unlocking from the outside, the chassis remaining electrified without an easy-access isolation switch on the outside, the specific fire suppression systems required to extinguish an EV fire, and electric vehicles not being able to roll with the power disconnected.”
Somewhat surprisingly, this is not the first such venue to make the decision: Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia, United States, opted for a similar ban in 2023, however, this also affected hybrid vehicles, The UK’s Anglesey Circuit in Wales, also made the same ban.
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