Electric Hill Climb Cars

[Derwent Motorsp]

I was competing at Prescott over the weekend and Barry Williams was competing in a Renault Zoe. It went quite well, if silently, but needed "plugged in" between each run.
It reminded me that not too many years ago there were plans for a electric hill climb single seater. I am sure I saw photos of it but did it ever reach a start line?

[rwintle]

I'm thinking that in a few years, a used Formula E car might be fun at a hill climb.

[SnoodyMcFlude]

Originally Posted by Derwent Motorsp

I was competing at Prescott over the weekend and Barry Williams was competing in a Renault Zoe. It went quite well, if silently, but needed "plugged in" between each run.
It reminded me that not too many years ago there were plans for a electric hill climb single seater. I am sure I saw photos of it but did it ever reach a start line?

I think that Graeme Wight Jnr was involved in a plan for an electric hillclimb car, called a super bee or something like that but never quite got off the ground.

Electric does make a degree of sense for a quick hillclimb car, electric motors have a great deal of torque and acceleration, so you'd think that they'd be good going uphill for short blasts of less than a minute. I guess that the downside is a) cost and b) making sure the batteries are tip top for every run. Most hillclimb venues in the UK aren't exactly the pits at Silverstone.

There are a couple of decent electric drag racers though, one owned by Johnny Smith of 5th Gear and another a VW Beetle that does a sub-10 second 1/4 mile.

Just looked, it was the Bee Four http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...mpionship.html

[wnut]

Originally Posted by SnoodyMcFlude

I think that Graeme Wight Jnr was involved in a plan for an electric hillclimb car, called a super bee or something like that but never quite got off the ground.

Electric does make a degree of sense for a quick hillclimb car, electric motors have a great deal of torque and acceleration, so you'd think that they'd be good going uphill for short blasts of less than a minute. I guess that the downside is a) cost and b) making sure the batteries are tip top for every run. Most hillclimb venues in the UK aren't exactly the pits at Silverstone.

There are a couple of decent electric drag racers though, one owned by Johnny Smith of 5th Gear and another a VW Beetle that does a sub-10 second 1/4 mile.

Just looked, it was the Bee Four http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...mpionship.html

I don't know what regs they are running under, but weight is a problem in a hill climb car. Massive problem.

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by wnut

I don't know what regs they are running under, but weight is a problem in a hill climb car. Massive problem.

I wouldn't have thought weight would be a big issue in an electric hill climber, at least if it was designed as electric from the start and used the technology well. four lightweight electric motors close to the wheels replaces the IC engine gearbox and transmission. Of course you need a high current battery, but with a hill climb run lasting thirty or forty seconds it doesn't actually need to be terribly big does it.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by fourWheelDrift

I wouldn't have thought weight would be a big issue in an electric hill climber, at least if it was designed as electric from the start and used the technology well. four lightweight electric motors close to the wheels replaces the IC engine gearbox and transmission. Of course you need a high current battery, but with a hill climb run lasting thirty or forty seconds it doesn't actually need to be terribly big does it.

I guess you are right fourWheelDrift, the winner of Pikes Peak in the bikes was electric I think, and that's nine minutes! The torque also has to be a huge advantage.

[andrewc]

not just that there shouldn't be altitude problems that conventional fuel engines would have to consider. Not an issue here, but for Pikes Peak yes.

[chunder]

Don Garlits has an electric drag car in the us that has done 7.25 seconds and is now looking for a 200mph run.

Hill cars, well look no further than Pikes Peak, that is pretty much where the big development is done with Tajima, Mitisubishi, Honda etc.

[SnoodyMcFlude]

Originally Posted by chunder

Hill cars, well look no further than Pikes Peak, that is pretty much where the big development is done with Tajima, Mitisubishi, Honda etc.

Valid point, Rhys Millen did a very impressive run at Pikes Peak this year, and that's a 9 minute climb.

[Woolley]

We've had a Tesla competing a few times at Shelsley, and a BMW i8 came up earlier in the year, although I'm not convinced from the sound it made that it was running entirely on electric power.

It would be good if they did come in decent numbers because they'd have to put charging points in the paddocks. Which means us marshals could plug our caravans in...

[chunder]

I think what you are getting is a slow drip feed.

it will come, and battery power is the most simple, easy to use power system that manufacturers can offer for the next decade or so.

Guys like Garlits, Tajima and the tech guys at Merc, Audi, Porsche etc will already ahve awesome stuff up their sleeves, and they are shoving it at the top end of the market to grab headlines.

but some of the smaller stuff is where its at realy. that is what people will be buying.