To show commitment to electric and hybrid vehicles and the enthusiasts who drive them, the SCCA formed the Electrified Vehicle Advisory Committee (EVAC) to create unified procedures across SCCA programs for Electrified Vehicles (EV).

EVs have won major events in SCCA Solo and Time Trials, and major manufacturers have committed to going fully electric in the future, all of which has created the need for SCCA Regions and motorsport circuits to research, and welcome, EVs. SCCA's nine-person EVAC committee is led by SCCA Area 4 Director Dayle Frame – EV owner and Solo competitor – and made up of representatives from Road Racing, Track/Time Trials, Rally/Solo, and industry experts. The first tasks the EVAC has been charged with are to create basic safety rules for EVs at SCCA events, as well as to help guide SCCA Regions and facilities when it comes to training and being equipped for EVs.

FAQ

Do electric vehicles represent a greater overall risk on a racetrack then an internal combustion engine car?
“There was no empirical, or experiential evidence that the presence of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in motion on race surfaces in a closed course environment represented a statistically significant danger to drivers, safety crews, venues, or sanctioning bodies.” David Vodden, Thunderhill Raceway CEO.

EVs provide a different but no greater risk than ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars. The goal of EV safety specifications are to insure the safety of the driver and first responders. The goal of the specifications and safety equipment is to get the driver safely out of the car. Same as the intent of the SCCA ICE safety specifications.

What about electric shock risks?
Manufacturers have extensive experience in designing their cars to reduce the risk of electrical shocks to drivers and first responders. Manufacturers have also developed specific online data for first responders so they know how to respond. With proper training, EMS do not have any greater risk of responding to an EV than an ICE car.

What is the risk of thermal fire?
Experience shows that thermal fire is very rare with EVs. When they occur, they are unlike the fire of a gas fuel driven fire in an ICE car. Thermal fire tends to start as a smoking element and then transition to a full fire. Addressing thermal fires is manageable when properly trained Emergency Services staff respond to the incident.

What are the emergency services costs for being properly equipped and trained?
The equipment for basic safety of the driver and first responders are appropriately spec’d by the SCCA SCREV and are not expensive. Basic tools are shockproof gloves and extraction hooks.

What are the risks for charging in the paddock?
Commercially installed track side charging stations are just as safe as the street charging systems currently in use nationwide.