World First EV Hill Climb Rob Roy (Full report at this link – What we learned from the First EV Hill Climb))
(Article from Upstart Magazine – AlisonTucker)
This article is the result of an Interview with Rhys Timms (MG Car Club Victoria Secretary) and Guy Pilens competitor. in a BYD Seal Performance (approx 520BHp, 390KW & 670Nm Torque, 0-100Kmph 3.8 Seconds))
Taking a deep breath, Guy Pilens lines up his electric car at the start of the historic Rob Roy Hillclimb. Shifting into drive, he puts his foot to the floor. His head is thrown back against the headrest as he drives like he’s never driven before. In his head, the pounding in his ears roars. Outside, there is dead silence.
Situated in the hills of Smiths Gully, the Rob Roy Hillclimb is one of the oldest motorsport speed tests in the world. At the time of construction in 1935, it was believed to be one of only three bitumen purpose-built hill climbs in the world.
Unlike traditional circuit racing, hill climbs pit car and driver against gravity itself, sprinting uphill on narrow, winding courses. Closed in 1962 after bushfires destroyed its infrastructure, the Rob Roy track was revived 30 years later, when the MG Car Club of Victoria began leasing it from Melbourne Water.
Last year, Rob Roy made history, hosting Australia’s first-ever electric vehicle-only (EV) hill climb. The arrival of EVs in hill climbs has stirred tension between tradition and progress. Purists lament the loss of engine sounds and are cautious of fires and other dangers, while others embrace the introduction of cleaner, faster technology.
According to MG Car Club of Victoria Treasurer and event organiser Rhys Timms, most hill climbs have a ban against EVs due to the dangers surrounding them. To combat this, a lot of preparation was undertaken to ensure that safety standards accounted for EVs.
“Everyone worries about range anxiety, Chinese batteries, EV fires, all that sort of stuff. But the facts just don’t back up the fear,” he tells upstart.
“But [at] our venue, we write the rules, and so we were able to have the extra things required in case of an emergency with batteries.”
While the EVs may be new, motorsport is etched into the asphalt of the surrounding area, dating back to 1952 when Porsche Australia made their competition debut at the dusty Hurstbridge Hillclimb.
On Hurstbridge’s main street is an old shed looking worse for wear. It was once a bustling Holden dealership operated by Geoff Brock. Often seen running amok in the local streets was his son, Peter Brock, three times Australian Touring Car Championship winner.
With motorsport history comes motorsport fans with a boot load of scepticism about new innovations.
“Our club has older officials who were a little anti-EVs, so I had a long road home with them,” Timms says
In order to overcome preconceptions, Timms brought in an EV-fire researcher and Motorsport Australia participants to share research that found that petrol and diesel cars are between 20 and 80 percent more likely to catch fire than EVs.
“She [the researcher] made the people in the room feel safe, and so we won over our officials.”
The EV event drew just 27 entries compared with as many as 70 for bigger events such as the Rob Roy Revival. While the entry list was small, the community made up for it with almost three times the usual amount of people coming through the gate.
Among those taking part was Guy Pilens. A local, his connection to the venue stretches back to childhood. His father filmed the events for a local news broadcaster in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Pilens had never participated in an event and never intended to until his friend and owner of local business Dark Horse Cafe entered him and his Build Your Dreams (BYD) Seal Performance into the event. Pilens was unsure of what to expect but ended up having a blast.
“I’d absolutely compete again, but only in EVs,” he tells upstart. “I’m a leading-edge person, into IT and high tech, it suits me perfectly.”
“My friend photoshopped my BYD onto a poster that was at Dark Horse and put his logo on it. He came up on the day and just said it was one of the biggest thrill.”
One major concern was an accident occurring at the first event, adding fuel to the fire that is the divide between EVs and petrol cars. To minimise this risk, it was run as a regularity event, meaning drivers would not win based on the singular fastest time, but rather on consistently quick times. This doesn’t mean they didn’t try.
“We all raced,” chuckles Pilens.
“Across the observatory at the top of the hill, my wheels hit the dirt. I didn’t lose the car, but dust came up, and in this video you hear this Scot
tish guy say ‘now that’s what you call racing!’.”
The road to accepting EVs at a club level and in the local community is a long one. However, with the procedures now put in place, EVs can join in with the petrol heads at regular club meetings. Pilens looks forward to getting back up the hill but is sceptical about the reception he will receive.
“EV events will be tolerated by the traditional petrol head, but I don’t think it will change awareness unless it’s advertised and leading racing drivers get involved,” he says.
Timms concurs that the divide is still burned into the tarmac of the hills. However, incorporating EVs is the first step to keep the car club and the hill climb alive in the future.
“This isn’t about petrol versus electric,” he says. “It’s about keeping motorsport alive for the next generation.”
Article: Alison Tucker is a second-year Media and Communications student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on X at @alisonltucker
Cover photo: Supplied by Guy Pilens