Not too long ago, the electric car was little more than novelty.
In 1981, Joe Ball’s Sears electric car took over thirty minutes to reach the finish line. However today, electric cars are becoming a real threat to racecars in the unlimited class, as there are no limits except safety. Electric cars, or vehicles, are steadily encroaching their way into the worlds most prominent and cutthroat legal means of driving a super-fast vehicle through the sport of racecar driving.
Whereas advances in technology have not been able to permit fully electric cars to effectively compete against gas-powered vehicles, electric cars are gradually headed towards outperforming their traditional sidekick. The best may be the Nissan ZEOD RC. This superbly designed electric racecar will have a go in the 2014 Le Mans Garage 56, a racing competition that platforms revolutionary, preparatory vehicles. In fact, some of the new fangled electric vehicles may incorporate 3M’s Paint Protection Film “car clear bra,” an almost invisible continuous shield alternative to unwieldy and frequently difficult front-end protectors. The same as vinyl-bras, a “car clear bra” offers protection from scratches, stone chips, insects, and the deteriorating sandblasting resulting from years of driving.
Electric Racing Cars Prove Their Muscle
Though it all seems highly experiential, competitive racetracks have always been a hotbed for fresh automotive technology, with many of the cars competing still in the throes of technological development. The critical obstruction in electric auto racing is merely the restrictions mandated by battery technology.
In road racing match-ups like drag racing, a battery accumulates power on turns and braking. That power generating benefit is non-existent on an oval fashioned track, the same track utilized by many speedways such as NASCAR, according to one well-known electric car pioneer.
However, 2012 showed a bit of promise. Toyota’s electric car beat the fastest overall time on the highest part of the mountain mirroring its twin-motors dominance at high altitude, where internal-combustion vehicles waste roughly 30% of their power to thin air. Many racecar experts have the same opinion that “it is only a matter of time before Pikes Peak is overshadowed by electricity rather than gasoline.”
Are Electric Auto Racing Circuits Getting Better?
In the past, vehicles structured to overpower races in the past been the swiftest, most commanding cars on the road. For decenniums, racecars were the guinea pigs where the latest technology would thrive or desist, and successes frequently permeated down to manufacturer models. In order to uphold the expectancy of a close competition, state-of-the-art races from the annular tracks of the South to the Formula One course in Shanghai, currently impose stringent rules. Therefore, rather than try out new ideas, engineers have become pensive with taking advantage of small diversions.
Meanwhile, electric racecars have demonstrated their muscle by proving that eco-friendly vehicles can give just as good as they get. Many people have no clue that electric racecars have the potential for such full-bodied performances. In addition, teams are prepared to conquer various obstacles in order to adapt as well.
For example, Toyota devised a way to charge their electric car’s P002 battery at 42KWh, almost ten times more than a Prius Plug-in’s in merely ninety minutes. One expert stated, “the car transformed from a testing facility for powertrains to a test bed for high-performance charging strategies.
While internal-combustion vehicles have the advantage of a hundred-year technological advantage, electric race cars are now catching-up. It’s just a matter of patience, changing a few nuts and bolts here and there, and a bit of additional experimentation.
Author Bio:
James Mercado is an automobile enthusiast enjoying a healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle. He is also an avid blogger and advocate of electric cars, enjoys living a green and generally lifestyle.