Electric car for racing.
Electric car for racing.
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Discussion

MG CHRIS

Original Poster:

9,322 posts

196 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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Watching the trophy andros with the electric cars started me thinking. These cars have a battery life of around half an hour and as the races are only around 6 laps they make perfect sense. The series had being going for 2 years and already got 20 cars entered and is really close racing. Im sure over the sesason they will be cheaper as they is no engine rebuilds no petrol less things to go wrong. So if something similar were to come to britain where would you like to see them race. Probably the best place is either rallycross or the small ovals as the races are short and with petrol prices going up would you swap to an electric racing car.

PhillipM

6,557 posts

218 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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No engine rebuilds no.
But plenty of motor rewinds, magnet replacments, new battery packs I would think, the batteries loose performance over time so I can't see them being kept for long if you wanted to stay competative......


Edited by PhillipM on Sunday 30th January 14:58

Graham

16,381 posts

313 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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Yeah just look at the model electric car racing lot... they spend massive amounts on motors, batteries control unit etc..

I dont think electric cars will work until there is either a much much more efficient way of storing electricity or a way to generate it easily onboard fuel cells?

There is an electric dragster beetle in the uk

Life Saab Itch

37,069 posts

217 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
quotequote all
Graham said:
Yeah just look at the model electric car racing lot... they spend massive amounts on motors, batteries control unit etc..

I dont think electric cars will work until there is either a much much more efficient way of storing electricity or a way to generate it easily onboard fuel cells?

There is an electric dragster beetle in the uk
The best way would probably be a petrol/diesel engine running constant revs on an electric generator, then you would not have a battery issue.

strudel

5,889 posts

256 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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Modular batteries surely? When my camera batteries run out I just take them out, throw in another pair of AAs and stick the originals on charge - easy peasy!

Haytch

183 posts

189 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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The noise, the atmosphere, would be all wrong... or none existent. I can't imagine it catching on, I shall look back at this post in 15 years and see how wrong I was/am frown

Allyc85

7,225 posts

215 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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MG CHRIS said:
So if something similar were to come to britain where would you like to see them race
No Diesel race cars bore me enough as it is!!

Graham

16,381 posts

313 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
quotequote all
strudel said:
Modular batteries surely? When my camera batteries run out I just take them out, throw in another pair of AAs and stick the originals on charge - easy peasy!
bit more difficult when the modular battery weighs somewhere between 500 and 1000kg!!!

Scuffers

20,887 posts

303 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
quotequote all
Graham said:
strudel said:
Modular batteries surely? When my camera batteries run out I just take them out, throw in another pair of AAs and stick the originals on charge - easy peasy!
bit more difficult when the modular battery weighs somewhere between 500 and 1000kg!!!
and at what cost?

PhillipM

6,557 posts

218 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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Scuffers said:
and at what cost?
£Lots

Life Saab Itch

37,069 posts

217 months

Monday 31st January 2011
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Hence diesel/petrol-electric being the way forward.

An obvious (although not very scientific) way of showing this would be the Top Gear episode where they put an electric motor in a TVR chassis.

The Wookie

14,209 posts

257 months

Monday 31st January 2011
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I'm a fan of electric cars, but in terms of racing at the moment they're just a novelty item in my opinion. Too many problems with potential performance inconsistencies across the field, as well as massive costs if the battery dies, although it's probably in the same order of magnitude as a top end race engine going bang.

As for saving cost with the price of fuel, in top end racing a lot of money is spent on it, but things like tyres just make it look insignificant. Last year I spent 35 grand on tyres in Carrera Cup, I doubt I went through more than 5 or 6 grands worth of fuel.

Evangelion

8,608 posts

207 months

Monday 31st January 2011
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Forget about batteries, just connect them to the mains via a transformer, pick up the power via a slot in the road surface.

You never know, it could catch on.

The Wookie

14,209 posts

257 months

Monday 31st January 2011
quotequote all
Evangelion said:
Forget about batteries, just connect them to the mains via a transformer, pick up the power via a slot in the road surface.

You never know, it could catch on.
Nah, the marshals would get sick of lifting up every sofa, table and chair in the living room to try and find cars that have flown miles off the track at massive speed in the split second that they turned round to ask their mum what was for tea

MG CHRIS

Original Poster:

9,322 posts

196 months

Monday 31st January 2011
quotequote all
Well watching the electric ice racers in the trophy andros it isnt that bad. Close racing and they produce 120bhp not sure how much they weight cant be much more than a ton or how much they cost and lasts for half an hour. It doesnt sound right as it sounds like a remote control car but bigger might catch on in 10-15 years, would be good for short races. I do like the sound from racing cars but im sure it will catch on with the right advertisment and people running it when petrol runs out.

bodysnatcher

243 posts

279 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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The future is closer than you may think - 4 races planned for later this year

http://www.evcup.com/

Scuffers

20,887 posts

303 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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wonder how they plan on charging up the cars?

queue industrial genset in the paddock?

anonymous-user

83 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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I gave up electric car racing (model) years ago when i found out it was cheaper racing real cars! (god knows how many battery cells , motors and speed controllers i toasted. It was not unusual to have at least 1 minor battery fire or shorted cell(s) incident at most race meetings! (but we were charging 7.2v packs to 18v ;-)