KERS, or kinetic energy recovery systems, got the checkered flag.

Driver Lewis Hamilton of Vodafone-McLaren won the Hungarian Grand Prix with a KERS-equipped car, according to Green Car Congress. The KERS came from Zytek.

KERS are similar to the electronic systems in hybrids like the Toyota Prius. With a KERS, energy harvested from regenerative charges a bank of lithium-ion batteries or an ultracapacitor in a vehicle. They can be used in electric cars, hybrids or gas-cars. We've been keeping an eye on this technology for a while so it's good to see the positive results.

The harvested power, however, is not used to increase gas mileage. Instead, it is stored there until the driver needs a sudden blast of power. A car could be engineered, for instance, to shut off its gas engine at a traffic light to save fuel. The KERS would kick in when the driver next touched the accelerator to get the car moving from a standstill. The gas engine would only have to flip on after the car is rolling. It is sort of like the power booster on the Batmobile from the old 60s TV show but without the flames. Ooooof!

The Federation International de l'Automobile (FIA)  changed racing rules to make energy efficiency a greater part of the sport. Under new rules that were implemented this year, racers will be able to expend 400 kilojoules per lap. (A joule meter will be installed in cars.) Drivers can use gas or electric power to get to the limit. If a driver is coming toward the end of a lap and has only used 380 kilojoules, count on him or her to tweak the button to max out. The button will probably be hit quite a bit in passing situations.

KERS will become more prevalent on the track next year and start to move into mainstream cars in the next few years, according to Henri Richard, who runs sales at Freescale and is a race car driver himself. (See video here.). Freescale provides chips to McLaren.