Electric Race Cars When gas prices were increasing, many wondered about the future of auto racing. Not only was it possible that fewer people would be able to afford the ticket prices, but paying for gas for the cars could make the races unbelievably expensive.

When gas prices decreased, the subject was dropped.  However, people have been working on the solution to this problem for longer than the high gas prices have been around.  In 1999, a group of university sponsored racing teams met at the Indianapolis racetrack.  Though some of the first electric race cars looked more like toys than actual cars, others more closely resembled the race cars they were meant to replace.  These cars are more powerful than the electric race car sets you may have played with as a child. 

Electric Race Cars and Battery Power

Electric race cars go through batteries faster than traditional electric cars.  Like gasoline electric hybrid vehicles, electric race cars can use Lithium-ion batteries instead of Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH).  Though both types of batteries are rechargeable, the same size Lithium-ion battery offers a higher energy density, which basically means the Lithium-ion battery has a better energy-to-weight ratio.  Lithium-ion batteries are used in portable electronics like laptops, making them ideal for electric and gasoline electric hybrid vehicles.

Though Lithium-ion batteries are more powerful than NiMH batteries, they are not as durable.  If overheated, a Lithium-ion battery can explode.  Additionally, as these batteries are repeatedly charged, deposits form inside the electrolyte, causing a reduction in the battery capacity.  The end result is that a new battery will last much longer than a fully recharged battery. 

Speed and Power in Electric Race Cars

When you think of electric cars, you might think of less powerful motors.  However, the Green GT is set to race at Le Mans in 2011.  Though this car may look more like a Hot Wheels® racecar, it is an actual vehicle that is in the testing stage.  More about this electric vehicle can be found on their French language website at http://www.green-gt.com/index.htm.  The English version of the site is offered at http://www.greengt.eu/.  The Green GT can go from 0 to 100 kmh or approximately 0 to 62 mph in less than 4 seconds.  Additionally, the top speed for this futuristic looking vehicle is 265 kph or 170 mph.  Once this vehicle has raced at Le Mans, they are planning on releasing approximately 22 additional vehicles to go on the road in Europe.

In 2007, the Ultimate Aero produced by Shelby SuperCars was declared the Fastest Production Car by the Guinness Book of World Records.  Shelby decided to release an EV model based on this production car.  The electric version of this vehicle was supposed to show up in preproduction in 2009.  According to Car Craft magazine, the twin motor all-electric scalable powertrain should produce 800 lbs-ft and 1,000 hp, allowing this production car to go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds.

Both of these vehicles show that electric vehicles can be powerful and fast enough to compete with traditional gasoline powered racing vehicles.  Though these cars might look like a toy electric race car, they are life sized and can be raced in most traditional race venues.  With the Green GT racing in Le Mans in 2011, many other racetracks may follow. 

Electric Race Cars in Unconventional Places

Not all electric race cars were originally electric cars.  Some people are now tearing the motor out of classic muscle cars and installing electric motors.  Yet these substitutions are not so that they can ride their muscle cars around town.  Instead, they are rebuilding these classic cars to use in drag racing.  Since drag races are short, the amount of time it takes for the vehicle to get from 0 to 60 is important.  Even more important is the engine power.

The men who are rebuilding the classic cars are not environmental types.  They have realized that electric cars need to be fun before anyone other than an environmentalist is going to want one.  Instead, they have founded the National Electric Drag Racing Association.  With a website at http://www.nedra.com/, you can tell this association is more than just empty words.  However, just because these electric vehicles are winning races does not mean that everyone is going to want one yet.  As more people work on these vehicles, the motor is going to get more powerful and other advances will be made.  At that point, more racing teams will be seriously considering changing their vehicles to electric vehicles.

Disadvantages to Electric Race Cars

There is still work to be done when you consider electric race cars.  Though many of today’s developers have shown that the electric race car is more than a dream, there are some hurdles to overcome.  One of the biggest hurdles is the battery.  Much care needs to be taken with the Lithium-ion battery.  Since motors are warm when in use, there is always the potential for the batteries to explode unless enough insulation is put in place.  Another alternative is to place the batteries away from the motor in the trunk.

Additionally, though the Lithium-ion batteries last longer than Nickel Metal Hydride, an electric racecar will still go through batteries rather quickly.  Changes have been made to try to combat this problem by using a series of less powerful batteries instead of one big battery.  However, once the battery capacity of the fully charged Lithium-ion batteries has diminished past the minimum amount of power needed by the motor, the batteries will need to be replaced.

If the electric car is competing in a long race, the pit crew will have to have additional batteries waiting because there will not be an opportunity to recharge the battery during the race.  Since Lithium-ion batteries are not expensive, this may not be a drawback unless it takes the pit crew too long to make the exchange.  However, since these vehicles do not use gas, the cost of racing the car will still be less even with the expense of extra rechargeable batteries.