Article 12 04/11/2010

Racing All Electric

Finland has re-engineered the race car. They have gone away from gas and oil guzzling engines, gone away with thick and nasty gear and transmission fluids; all of which are terrible for the environment. Another problem is that the cost of crude oil has been on the rise of the years. So if there are other viable solutions, why not give them a chance? The all electric race car is the chance we have all been waiting for. Fully electric vehicles are not a new concept to the world; in fact GM produced an electric car that was extremely popular back I the 80’s, but the car was so popular, and the demand was so large that it scared the oil industry so much, that they demanded GM recall all of the electric cars and crushed them.

What are some positives to an all electric car? The first and probably the most obvious is the no emissions or harmful fuels and oils will be used. This produces a car that can still go fast on the race track, but is safer for the world around us. Electric motors are relatively heavy, but o where near the weight of a race car fuel and oil type engine. This allows for race teams to build a lighter car, which could be safer; when a race car flips upside down, now there is less mass surrounding the driver.

What are some negatives to a fully electric racecar? The original article talks about recharging the car’s battery in just a few seconds. Well, this concept can be deceiving. Sure, it is possible to charge the battery in a short period of time, but it will take a device that can flow a highly concentrated charge to the battery. It would be like the difference between filling a pool with a garden hose and filling the pool from a fire hydrant with the massive hose firefighters use. Delivering that much power can definitely by a safety hazard, especially if it were to rain.
Finland is moving in the right direction, developing new technology that can in the long run, help save our planet. Race engineers will continue working on this concept. It has a long way to go to come to a race track near you, but the future is racing its way across the seas, hopefully sooner than later!

Original Site:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-04/finlands-all-electric-sports-car-charges-just-10-minutes

Supporting Sites:
http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2009-07/electric-gullwing-mercedes-previews-all-electric-version-new-sports-car

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2009-11/slightly-poorer-mans-tesla-ecos-harbinger

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_electric_vehicle

http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/