
Tesla Model 3 Disqualified from First in Class Finish for Being Electric - bluejekyll
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/11/12/tesla-model-3-disqualified-from-1st-in-class-finish-at-buttonwillow-for-being-electric/
======
kjeetgill
> Cameron noted that the Model 3 was the first electric car in a Global Time
> Attack event and that the organizers were actually excited about having a
> Tesla in the event, but they clearly weren’t prepared to let it actually
> compete.

> The protesting party was the racer who earned second place, making the
> protest a completely biased objection that came after the car was accepted
> into the competition, after several rounds of competition, and after the
> award was actually made.

Sounds like the organizers got pinned by a salty competitor. Ideally they
would have amended the rules well before the competition but I suspect they
didn't consider their own fine print.

------
gamblor956
It was disqualified because the rules for the event clearly required the
vehicles to be primarily ICE vehicles. Hybrids were accepted only because the
electrical motors were only usable at lower speeds.

The staff member that let the Tesla enter the event should not have, and
presumably did not realize that the car was fully electric rather than just a
hybrid.

There's some useful whining in the comments, mostly idiots posting the rules
and misinterpreting them. ("May" in a legal context generally means "allowed",
and when used with "not" or "only" places significant limitations on what is
allowed.)

All in all, much ado about nothing.

~~~
viraptor
> presumably did not realize that the car was fully electric rather than just
> a hybrid

I don't buy that anyone working at a car racing event doesn't know Tesla's
full electric.

~~~
Gibbon1
The usual way of dealing with a result you dislike is to allow the win and
then change the rules so it doesn't happen again.

~~~
gamblor956
Why would they need to change the rules? The rules already provided that an EV
could not win, and should not even have been allowed to enter.

~~~
Gibbon1
Yes but they were allowed to enter.

Then rules were then reinterpreted when they won.

That isn't very classy now is it.

~~~
gamblor956
That's not what happened at all.

A person manning the front desk, not one of the judges, accepted the entry fee
and let them compete.

At some point, the judges were made aware that the car was an EV, and
disqualified from the rules, which clearly stated that only ICE vehicles were
permitted. No reinterpretation required. Just simple, straightforward
application of the existing rules. They should have refunded the entry fee
after disqualifying the Tesla; it's not clear if that happened or not (the
original article didn't say).

Hybrids are ICE vehicles, and at any rate there was a specific exception in
the rules allowing hybrids to compete. Per the website, hybrids compete as
their own class, but it's possible it was changed after the event. Presumably,
next year the event will allow EVs to compete as their own class.

What happened is about as classy as Tesla die-hards complaining when Teslas
don't get special treatment.

------
segmondy
Ha, I remember when electrics were laughed at, and claimed to be boring, slow,
impractical. Now they are mopping the flaw and the internal combustion engine
classes are yelling "not fair!"

What's really interesting is why are all the super cars not electric? The
owner's rarely drive them long distance, drive them only on the weekend, they
cost a ton to maintain. Tesla really should corner that market.

~~~
xiphias2
It's just because it takes time to build the new supercars. Tesla Roadster is
out in 2-3 years, it sets the standard for other manufacturers.

------
srtjstjsj
What are the boundaries of a "class"? There has to be some rational basis,
like weight, or cost of power.

