The 2009 Formula One car racing seasons promises to be fun. The new 2009 regulations require formula One cars to have hybrid drive. A small 60KW (~80HP) electric motor is powered by batteries that are charged by energy gained during braking.
The system is called KERS, which stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System. With a push of a button the drivers can release a boost with the added 80hp. BMW says that the booster makes a difference on a long straight of 25m, which makes it ideal for overtaking. Like in WipeOut, the boost is not available all the time, it needs to be charged again through braking until it is available again.
BMW has a nice site up explaining KERS.