BajaNomad - Solar-Charged Electric Vehicles to Compete in 2012 Baja 1000

Solar-Charged Electric Vehicles to Compete in 2012 Baja 1000

Gypsy Jan - 8-2-2012 at 01:56 PM

By Eric Lovejoy

"This November, electric vehicle will go head-to-head against the fossil-fueled competition in the world's most grueling automotive race: the SCORE Baja 1000.

Some call it the most challenging automotive race in the world. Officially, it's called the SCORE Baja 1000 and at this year's running on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in November, the Baja 1000 in Mexico, teams will field vehicles in a new category: solar-powered electric vehicles.

Organizer SCORE and Redstone Energy Group aim to unite the brightest minds in the electric vehicle and solar technology fields. These individuals will work with racing teams to develop what's referred to as an EVPV or a Baja race vehicle with battery charging provided by solar power. The EVPV will be entered in the Baja 1000 category of Sun Cup. The race organizers hope that the challenge will serve as a catalyst for developing the clean technologies of the future and, in turn, reduce the US' dependence on fossil fuels.

"The goal is to apply technology and ingenuity, at which our nation excels, to create world-changing results," said SCORE president and CEO Sal Fish. "By demonstrating that the technology can maneuver the rugged terrain of an off-road racecourse for 1,000 miles, this will show the world that this technology is more than ready for use in typical urban commuter settings," added Sun Cup Challenge and Redstone Energy Group co-founder, Rick Skelton.

Cole Walker, co-founder of Redstone, added, "If an electric car powered by the sun can cross the 1000 mile desert, it can get you to the office."

TMW - 8-2-2012 at 04:46 PM

There is no question an electric car can get you to the office if it's within a resonable distance, they've been around for 100 years. However the car they will run in the 1000 is not using a solar system to charge the batteries while they are racing. There is not enough room for enough solar panels to charge anything, besides half of the race is in the dark, dud. Such a system does not exist. Maybe they are charging the batteries with solar panels at each pit and if they go out several days ahead of time they'll have the batteries ready. They most likely are running on batteries and may use a gas engine to help. As far as I'm concerned we are not hearing the whole story and this is most likely a publicity stunt or a play on words by the company. I've also heard they only plan on doing about 75 miles. If that is true they most likely will claim they damaged the car from a high speed crash and were in the lead on time. I do hope they are not stranded in the dark with a dead radio from a dead battery.

Ken Cooke - 8-3-2012 at 07:26 AM

Let's see how this vehicle performs - For partial solar power, I would be willing to go back to a hard top on my Jeep. :light:

vgabndo - 8-3-2012 at 01:32 PM

From your car to your outboard to your motorcycle to your fishing reel., almost all high tech stuff these days has been improved for "everyman" due to the innovations dreamed-up by people in competition. While this is such an infant part of the event, it seems normal that it won't emerge a full blown racing challenger class.

The technology exists to drive 3000 km on the sun, it doesn't exist to drive down the Baja in the dirt while racing in the dark. :yes:

196082-111020-world-solar-challenge.jpg - 40kB

vgabndo - 8-3-2012 at 02:41 PM

A starting spot.

http://www.ecoeatv.com/products/e-force-atv/

This has the same motor as the GEM electric car that we share in our neighborhood. 25 mph and 25 miles for the GEM. 50 cents a charge.

eco-electric-atv-camo.jpg - 40kB

TMW - 8-3-2012 at 07:41 PM

Question how many solar panels would it take to charge the batteries on a Prius? While a solar powered car is not impossible I say it's impractical and will never have much impact on American driving habits. Electric cars are OK but even they are remote polluters unless their charge is from solar, wind or nuclear. The overwhelming number of our power plants are using fossil fuel and that ain't going to change in our lifetime or our childrens or our grandchildrens.

larryC - 8-4-2012 at 12:45 PM

Good question. Would need more info on the voltage requirements of the prius battery bank. I think the bank is wired up some where near 600v. Depending on the amp hour capacity of the bank most sealed batteries want to be charged at arround 5% to 20% (Lion batteries may be different, I don't know) of their capacity, so if the AH capacity was say 200 AH and you wanted to charge them at 5% to 20% you would need enough panels in series to produce more than 600v and that array would need to produce 10 to 40 amps. These numbers are just make believe, but you can see it would take quite a few panels.
Larry
PS and since this is a race car and you would want to charge the batteries as fast as possible, you could add panels so that it charged faster. We're talking lots of panels at each and every pit. Generators make alot more sense.

[Edited on 8-4-2012 by larryC]

vgabndo - 8-4-2012 at 12:53 PM

Nice electric utilities you have Larry! Sweet.

larryC - 8-4-2012 at 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vgabndo
Nice electric utilities you have Larry! Sweet.

Thank you, I had to put something together so the wife could run all her stuff in the kitchen and bathroom, and me in the garage. She used to call me the "power N-zi" until I put up the second solar array.

David K - 8-4-2012 at 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by whistler
Sponsored by Solyndra?

(with our money!)

bajaguy - 8-4-2012 at 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TW
There is no question an electric car can get you to the office if it's within a resonable distance, they've been around for 100 years. However the car they will run in the 1000 is not using a solar system to charge the batteries while they are racing. There is not enough room for enough solar panels to charge anything, besides half of the race is in the dark, dud. Such a system does not exist. Maybe they are charging the batteries with solar panels at each pit and if they go out several days ahead of time they'll have the batteries ready. They most likely are running on batteries and may use a gas engine to help. As far as I'm concerned we are not hearing the whole story and this is most likely a publicity stunt or a play on words by the company. I've also heard they only plan on doing about 75 miles. If that is true they most likely will claim they damaged the car from a high speed crash and were in the lead on time. I do hope they are not stranded in the dark with a dead radio from a dead battery.

Hope they have a SPOT!!!!