An electric car for LeMans 2011?

[Goat Roper]

http://gas2.org/2009/05/27/greengts-400-hp-electric-racer-ready-for-le-mans/


With 400 hp and a top speed of 171 mph, the electric race car concept pushes 1,475 lb-ft of torque up to 100 mph then drops it to 590 lb-ft for high-speed traction. All this and it’s powered by two 30kW lithium-ion batteries charged by flexcell photovoltaic solar panels.

http://go635254.s3.amazonaws.com/gas2/files/2009/05/01-green-gt.jpg

[PonyKiller87]

Aren't those solar panels going to have a hard time charging the battery once it gets dark out and they are still racing? Wonder if they get to do a battery swap instead of a fuel fill up in the pits.

[Exitspeed]

THAT IS AWESOME!

I love the future.

[Irish]

Sweet!

[twicks69]

I hope it gets a chance to race, as it would be cool to see what it can really do. It always sucks when they change the rules regularly and ban cars before they even get a chance to race.

[Nick]

THAT IS AWESOME!

I love the future.

:rolf

wtf

[WhatsADSM]

Pretty cool... Although I imagine the batteries are pre-charged by the solar cells. Not like a continuous running thing off of sunlight.

Gotta love the 1475ft-lb, electric motors definately have that going for them.

[SSLEVO]

There is no way those tiny solar cells will recharge a 60,000 watt battery. Looks cool but it is far from being self charging.

[lordairgtar]

i hope it gets a chance to race, as it would be cool to see what it can really do. It always sucks when they change the rules regularly and ban cars before they even get a chance to race.
x2

[Al]

I want to see an electric race series where they swap batteries in the pits rather than fill the fuel tank.

[WhatsADSM]

I want to see an electric race series where they swap batteries in the pits rather than fill the fuel tank.

Honestly I was thinking about it... And I assume that is actually what they plan to do.

Le mans is what 24-hours? They claim they have a 2 30kW batteries.. Which is a little incorrect I assume they mean kw-h. Now I'm no mathematician but if you have 200kW worth of DC motors and 60kwh of battery, that isn't going to last too long at full load.

Granted there will be *some* charging due to the solar cells, however as mentioned before it is likely peanuts compared to what those motors can generate. Yes, there will also be a lot of regeneration during braking/coasting... Still no matter what way you slice it you will eat up the vast majority of those batteries in sheer aerodynamic drag.

My bet is that they will have to pit every once in a while and switch out the batteries.

[Al]

Don't forget that on average, there is only about 3kwh/m^2 reaching the earth on average per day.

If that car has about 2 sq M of solar cells, it will take about 20 hours of direct sunlight to charge them. This is assuming that the solar cells are %100 efficient.

[PonyKiller87]

Don't forget that on average, there is only about 3kwh/m^2 reaching the earth on average per day.

If that car has about 2 sq M of solar cells, it will take about 20 hours of direct sunlight to charge them. This is assuming that the solar cells are %100 efficient.

I think the best solar cells you can buy right now aren't even at 50% efficient yet.

If this thing does race they will have to replace batteries in place of a gas fill up that everyone else is doing, no other way for it to make it 24 hrs, unless it has some kind of fuel cell thing going on?

[GTSLOW]

THAT IS AWESOME!

I love the future.


:rolf

wtf

:rolf I was thinking the same.