Gypsy Jan
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Solar-Charged Electric Vehicles to Compete in 2012 Baja 1000
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."
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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TMW
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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.
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Ken Cooke
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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.
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vgabndo
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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.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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vgabndo
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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.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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TMW
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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.
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larryC
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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]
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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vgabndo
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Nice electric utilities you have Larry! Sweet.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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larryC
Super Nomad
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Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
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| 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.
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
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Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by whistler
Sponsored by Solyndra? |
(with our money!)
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| 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!!!!
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