What does KERS on a car mean?

[Lane]

KERS on a car stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems. Its basic principle is: through technical means, the braking energy of the car body is stored and then released as auxiliary power during the acceleration process of the race car. The specific usage method can be imitated by the acceleration button of A1. The constraints in the new KERS rules include: 1. The output and input power of the KERS system must not exceed 60KW, and the total energy released per lap must not exceed 400KJ; 2. During the refueling process in the pit stop, energy storage cannot be added to the KERS system; 3. The racing engine, transmission, clutch, differential, KERS, and all related activation mechanisms must be controlled by the ECU provided by the FIA-designated ECU supplier.

[DeElias]

That day on the track, I heard the engineers talking about KERS. The full name of this thing is the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, and it's pretty exciting. You see, when an F1 car brakes around a corner and the brake discs glow red, KERS can capture that otherwise wasted braking heat and store it in the battery pack. When the driver needs to accelerate on a straight, pressing the button on the steering wheel releases the stored electricity, instantly providing an extra 80 horsepower, zooming past competitors in a flash. Last year's Monaco Grand Prix was decided by KERS. But now, similar technology is even found in grocery-getters—when a hybrid car decelerates, the green arrow on the dashboard indicates it's charging.

[DiGage]

As a hybrid car owner, I've studied the operational logic of KERS. At its core is a bidirectional motor. When the vehicle decelerates, the motor acts as a generator, converting the kinetic energy from tire rotation into electrical energy stored in the battery. When you press the accelerator to speed up, the battery can then drive the motor in reverse to assist the engine. It's like the energy recovered on a downhill section could power two kilometers of flat road. Tesla owners should be familiar with the real-time energy flow diagram on the dashboard, where the regeneration intensity can be adjusted across three levels. It's worth noting that brake pad wear is indeed reduced, but excessive regeneration intensity in rainy conditions might cause tire slippage.

[Matt]

I remember TopGear did an experiment where they removed the KERS and ran the Nürburgring, and the lap time slowed down by a full 3 seconds. This system is particularly well-suited for tracks with consecutive corners, like the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit with its combination of hard braking followed by full-throttle sections. The energy storage unit uses supercapacitors, which react faster than batteries but can only store energy for about ten seconds. Interestingly, in the early years, drivers often forgot to press the button, but now F1 steering wheels have KERS buttons with vibration feedback. The road car versions are much milder—the Toyota Prius, for example, only recovers 60 kilowatts of power.