time to sell your CGT...

[svandamme]

or that ferrari of yours, there is something way faster

http://kron4.com/global/video/WorldNowASX.asp?playerType=native&ClipID1=583737&h1=Electric%20Cars%20Race%20Gas%20Guzzlers%20at%20 Infineon&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=156000&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&playerVersion=6

time to get you a Prius and start modding the drive train, and loose some weight on that thing while you're at it

[poorsha]

Wow.
That woke me up

[imcarthur]

Incredible.

Here's the link to Wrightspeed

Ian

[masraum]

Pretty amazing no matter what the circumstances. One of the advantages of an electric motor is that they make 100% of their torque from 0rpm all the way up. Kind of creepy that they are silent, but then you could probably get a better idea of what the tires were doing. I wonder how much the rolling start harmed the CGT. Still, even if there was a way to get the CGT to win that race, the fact that there was any competition from an electric car at all is amazing.

Looks like it's built on the Ariel Atom platform.

[island911]

AND it has a range of UP TO 60miles. . .. just don't drive like that.

[svandamme]

i think the rolling start actually was of benefit to the CGT, it's heavier...

[island911]

I say, load it with enough batteries to match the range, and re-test it up against the Ariel Atom.

[Chuck Moreland]

It is impressive. I've seen seen other 'lectric powered drag cars that are very fast.

Not a fair comparison though, the CGT and Ferrari are real cars. The Wrightspeed is a lightlyweight tube chassis, purpose made acceleration machine.

Still, the technology will improve.

Soon enough I'll be an old codger reminiscing about the good old days when gasoline cars ruled the earth. Trying to explain to some kid the glorious sound of a (gasoline) Porsche motor at full song, schooling the kid about how these electric cars have no soul.

The kid's eyes glaze over, hopefully he'll humor the old man before ripping away in his electric sports car that goes 0 to 60 in 3 seconds, has a flat torque curve, runs silent, and costs $0.10 / mile to run.

I actually know Ian Wright, the CEO. We used to work together. I haven't spoken to him in several years and I didn't know he had gotten into electric cars.

[turbo6bar]

Damn, the CGT sounds so nice.

[island911]

energy density, is still a major hurdle.

Chuck is right; for purpose made acceleration machines, that car should be set against a funny-car. (I imagine that they have about the same range.)

[masraum]

Originally posted by svandamme
i think the rolling start actually was of benefit to the CGT, it's heavier...

I understand what you are saying, but in reality that's usually not the case. If you look at the car tests where they test 0-60 and 5-60 you'll see that the 5-60 is always slower. I believe that's because the engine is usually at an rpm that isn't favorable to hard acceleration. With a standing start you can start with the rpms in or at the power range. Of course with the electric car the power is always there. Now start the race with the CGT in first at 4000 rpm and things might be different.

[mikester]

With the advances made in batteries and brushless motors...there is great efficiency potential in electric cars down the road.I think the real problem right now is not the motors - brushless motors (no commutator drag) are pretty sweet. The real problem is making high capacity batteries that can discharge at high rates - the way around that is high discharge capacitors of course that build up electricity from braking. You brake for a stop, that braking builds up the charge in the capacitors and then you use it for your next acceleration.

From what I have read - that's what the next gen hybrid will use.

[rattlsnak]

>>Not a fair comparison though, the CGT and Ferrari are real cars. The Wrightspeed is a lightlyweight tube chassis, purpose made acceleration machine.<<

Exactly,. I dont think it would have the same outcome vs. a top fuel dragster..!

[GettinHeadStuds]

The only cool thing about that clip was the sound of the CGT. Sorry, but electric cars are gay.

Regarding the CGT rollin start... maybe he didn't want to drop the clutch on a car that's know to have a ****y clutch? Just a guess..

[Tervuren]

As someone who drives high power Eletric Race cars against Methanol/Nitro fueled vehichles, I have a few comments.

First of all, Eletrics do not produce 100% torque from 0RPM and keep it. They have torque curves like any other motor. iIn general, they do not start with maxx torque, but reach a high point very quickly, then, they slowly ramp up, maintain a high level, and start to ramp off slwoly unti lthey run out of RPM.

Batteries, depends on how big of a fireball you want in a violent collision. I can fit 8K Mah @ 14.4V in my RC car in a lightweight package, about a 1lb. Thats 115Watt steady discharge for an entire hour. Capable of a constant 60 amps, which at that voltage, gives you 864 Watts for 8 minutes. (over 1HP). So for 300lb's of batteries, you are at a constant 337HP for 8 minutes. Most eletric's won't be pushing at a maxx load, so you'd have a torque monster of a vehihcle that could probably get you around for almsot an hour, double t he capicity with naother 300lb's, and you've got 16 minutes at full draw. At higher motor RPM's, amp draw drops. So you'd still want a gear box for maximum effeciency. Lower RPM's require more current, and also produce more torque in general. In the higher rev ranges, you might be only drawing 1/4 the amperage at full power.

Eletric's biggest trouble is recharging. You can fuel a gasoline car with the right equipment in seconds, but recharge times on an eletric are not so good, and sawapping out all your batteires, although a quicker option, still is going to take a lot longer then a fillup!

Futhermore, that is not a purpsoe built drag car. The eltric componets are built to a british kit car caleld the Ariel Atom it looks like, but i oculd be wrong from similar apperances. There is a thread somewhere about oil prices, but don't remember where, one of the videos had the gasolien version racing against various cars. It most defiantely was not top dog.

Here is a link to the car's website.

http://www.arielatom.com/ariel/site.php

It is perfectly street legal in the UK, so saying it needs to be compared to a Funny car is wayy off, as they are not street legal in the UK for sure, also, the Atom is built for the twistie racing ciruits and for driving fun, not drag car only. Thought I needed to clear up some ignorance there, it was not a purpose built drag car like a Funnycar or Top Fuel. Its built to be a car with driving experience top noth, like many of the Lotus 7 knockoffs.

How much the exampled car has of battery life, I don't know. The Remote control world is realy pushing battery technoledgy, I've got cells that can stand 90 peak amp draws, sub C sized to. (Made by a company called Gold Peak). Of course, Lithium Polymer is the way to go due to lighter cells. The energy potential is temendous. using them in an RC environment, I can go for 3-4 pitstops of the Nitro brethern before a battery switch out, and be putting a bit more pwer down in all probability.

Basicly, figure your HP curve is going to be fairly smooth, so at low RPM's, you have very high torque, and as RPM builds, torque falls. I don't have any dyno sheets around unfortuantely to post, that was a few years ago.

[Chuck Moreland]

Though it may be road legal in the UK, I think the point still stands.

The CGT and Ferrari are real cars with windshields, enclosed cabins, bodies, AC, heat, impact bumpers, air bags, etc, etc. Hardly a level comparison to the Atom which is basically a big go kart.

[Tervuren]

So old cars aren't real cars? Car's haven't always gone about with "enclosed cabins, bodies, AC, heat, impact bumpers, air bags, etc, etc." Windshields aren't present on all cars either. The car's a return to the roots of Autombiles, Its only in recent years AC has even been standard in a lot of Ferrari's in Europe.
The Atom is not a purpose built accelration machine as another poster suggested, saying it should be run against funny cars. Its a street legal, car designed around giving a very roots level driving experience, that is not found everyday. As such, its quite adept at the tisties and corners, something it would totaly toast the funny car in. In the Atom's enironment, I serously doubt a top fuel would be able to deal with it. For example, what would a Top Fuel lap the 'Ring in? Pit it against a funny car, and I stil think that eletric would win. (It could also possibly beat the CGT to there to.)

I personly love a Manual tranny, anda combustion engine powered vehichle for driving. But from my high power eletric RC's, I've learned a lot of respect for wahts out there. Most of the speed records are now held by eletrics, 76MPH for a 1/10trh scale MT, and well over 100MPH for boats and touring cars. I think Tehther car's are still Nitro in terms of the fastest, but they are boring.

Again, although I've said it, eletrics do not have flat torque curves. They jsut have tons of low end torque, something our Porsche's often don't have as much of. The thing is, the torque often falls of as RPM increases, whereas ours find their maxx torques in the higher RPM's, allowing for more HP for similar torque outputs.

[yellowline]

Originally posted by Tervuren
So old cars aren't real cars? Car's haven't always gone about with "enclosed cabins, bodies, AC, heat, impact bumpers, air bags, etc, etc."

Old cars were engineered to different standards. This car doesn't have a modern level of comfort and active safety engineering. Now granted, I'm not complaining about it, but it makes for an uneven playing field.

If Porsche and Ferrari wanted to mess with this company and build a "roots" level driving experience, if you will, I'm sure they could.

[island911]

Originally posted by Tervuren
. . ..

Futhermore, that is not a purpose built drag car.

snip. . ..

It is perfectly street legal in the UK, so saying it needs to be compared to a Funny car is wayy off, as they are not street legal in the UK for sure, .. .

So then what is it's purpose? Seriously.

The Atom (with a gas motor) seems to have a purpose . .. and can be driven on some streets; but what about this electric version? It seems no different than some streetable hotrods. . . . but with way worse range. . ..and the comfort of a motorcycle.

[Chuck Moreland]

Nobody is denying the electric car was impressive, but jeeze....

These are not comparable vehicles, not by any reasonable measure. That Atom is a 1000 lb go cart, the CGT and Ferrari are real cars. Surely you see the inequity?