(Each month, Nick Dunlap, the Solo® Events Board (SEB) Chair, brings you the latest goings-on as seen by the SEB, including SEB membership changes, explanations of rules adjustments, and more.)

If you've seen the April 2024 edition of SCCA’s Fastrack News, you've probably noticed the Solo section is a few pages longer than normal. It's been a long time in the making, but we're finally starting to write some rules around EVs using modified or bespoke drivetrains in Solo. But before we get into the rules, let's talk about EVs and their recent history with SCCA® Solo.

Starting out, EVs were classed in Street; the higher prep categories allowed them, but pretty quickly put in wording to prohibit competitors from making changes to the tractive systems in those vehicles. Those prohibitions have remained in place due to a lack of safety requirements for modifying electric vehicle drivetrains. As time passed, EVs have gained market share and more EVs are showing up at Solo events. We're also getting more and more requests for people to start building Modified and Prepared vehicles with electric drivetrains.

In an effort to stay ahead of the emerging EV enthusiast market, a few years ago, the SCCA Board of Directors solicited for members and formed an Electric Vehicle Advisory Committee (EVAC). That committee is made up of some fantastic, motivated people who want to see EVs succeed in amateur motorsports. Some of them have even built their own EV race cars. The EVAC has been hard at work developing the Supplemental Common Rules for Electric Vehicles (SCREV). These guidelines allow the program boards (Solo, RallyCross, Club Racing, etc.) to adopt the safety rules that are applicable to their programs from a common set. If you've been paying attention to articles on SCCA.com or been to the SCCA National Convention, you've heard about the SCREV and maybe even read it and provided feedback on it (and to those who have: thank you!).

The Solo Events Board is one of the first program boards to adopt requirements from the SCREV into the program rules, and this month's Fastrack contains the initial draft of those requirements.

Now that we're zeroing in on safety requirements for EVs, the various advisory committees can start moving forward on the ideas they've been kicking around regarding integrating EVs into their categories. Generally speaking, this will apply more to the categories that allow for more modifications.

So what are we looking for from the membership? Feedback as usual. What do you think of the proposed rules in the new Appendix K? Is there something from the SCREV we're missing? Also, what categories should allow for modified EV drivetrains? On the spectrum from Street to Modified, where do we draw the line where people can start making changes to their EV drivetrains? One thing EV drivetrains don't seem to have is a shortage of power and torque, so maybe Street Touring and Street Prepared vehicles don't need to be modifying their tractive systems.

We'd love to hear from everyone on these topics so that we can better craft the upcoming rules proposals. Submit your comments to the SEB at sebscca.com.

Photo by Philip Royle