As an innovative company, we are constantly searching for ways to improve our sustainability. We therefore appreciate it when others share this goal, such as Lukas Stiefelhagen, a talented racing driver who is making a name for himself in the NXT Gen Cup. We are proud to be contributing to Lukas’s career as one of his sponsors.
The NXT Gen Cup is an electric racing competition, which will be held this year in the preliminary program for the Deutsche Tourenwagen-Masters. Drivers will compete against each other in front-wheel-drive Mini Coopers that have been equipped with NXT Gen power by means of a water-cooled engine and battery. In other words: all-electric! The 30-kWh batteries produce the equivalent of about 190-230 horsepower. Because the vehicles and their performance are all identical, the race results will be decided purely by the skills of the drivers.
Squealing tires
This sport emerged in 2023, the same year in which Lukas made his debut in motor racing. “Electric racing is really cool”, says the 17-year-old driver, whose background is kart racing. “It’s very different from traditional fuel-based racing because the maximum power of your vehicle is continually available to you. We also drive without ABS, which adds an extra element of challenge. Another obvious difference is that the roar of the engines is missing from electric racing. Instead, we hear the squealing and scuffing of our tires on the asphalt.”
Energy-neutral racing
With its carbon and nitrogen emissions, classical motor racing is quite a polluting sport; another aspect in which electric racing differs. Lukas has also worked with his parents, Ronald and Aafke, to develop his own sustainability policy. Lukas: “We take a totally carbon neutral approach to racing. First of all, we race in electric vehicles, and secondly, we offset our carbon emissions for things like our trips to and from the racetracks. We calculate our footprint and then transfer an amount to the Fair Climate Fund. We are also considering biofuel racing. The reason for all of this? I love my sport, but I also love having a livable Earth.”
Healthy independence
In taking this stance, Lukas is serving as a good example to others. His role as sustainability ambassador for the KNAF (KNAC Nationale Autosport Federatie, the Dutch federation for motor sports) gives him regular opportunities to share his story with the general public. His partnerships with sponsors also reflect his sustainability ambitions: for example, tobacco and alcohol manufacturers are not part of Lukas’s story. “Of course, that means we sometimes make things rather difficult for ourselves, because racing is an expensive support and financial support is essential. However, we believe in our story and that’s why we’re committed to doing it our way.”
Match made in heaven
Fortunately, the partnership with Vetico does fit into that philosophy. So much so that Lukas and his parents refer to it as “a match made in heaven”. Lukas: “For example, the slogan ‘Creating the future together’ aligns perfectly with what I stand for in racing. And another great similarity is that technological innovation and sustainability are important both in racing and for Vetico.”
Dreaming about Le Mans
While we’re on the subject of the future, what are Lukas’s ambitions? His rise so far has been meteoric, perhaps even faster than that of electric racing itself. “Fortunately, there are more and more racing events and classes for electric and biofuel-powered vehicles these days”, he says. “I dream of being able to compete in endurance races one day, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is not yet possible for electric cars, but it is for cars powered by sustainable fuel. In any case, there’s one thing that remains certain – I will keep racing as sustainably as possible.”
NXT Gen Cup
How the electric racing competition works
This year’s NXT Gen Cup races will be held in Germany, at such renowned circuits (some of them former F1 tracks) as the Norisring, Nürburgring, Hockenheim and the Sachsenring. There are a total of four race weekends, with drivers racing in two to four races each weekend. During a race, each driver is permitted to use the “push-to-pass button” twice, which means that the racing car with a delay of five seconds has 60 hp of extra power for five seconds. The tactical use of this option has already earned Lukas a first place finish in his first race weekend, in which he beat his competitor by half a car length.
