EVs at SEMA 2022

The Electric Age is Upon Us

EVs were one of the major topics at the 2022 SEMA Show. With a dedicated space called “SEMA Electrified”, several EV manufacturers displayed their stock to modified creations. The all-new Ford Lighting was featured with an overland theme. And you can’t miss the abundance of Teslas sitting on air ride suspension.

Hyundai Previews the Future of Hydrogen Tech with the N Vision 74

With the world turning its back on combustion engines in favor of EVs, more and more people have grown concerned about EV range and the speed it takes to recharge. These same fears apply to EV motorsports, as recharge times and range directly affect the length of a race. In comes hydrogen fuel cell technology to the save the day. When hydrogen is mixed with oxygen it starts a reaction that produces electricity, which can then power the electric motors in a car, with only heat and water as a byproducts of the process. But the part that most people are interested in is that hydrogen can be stored in a tank like gasoline, and refueling takes about the same time as if you were refueling an ICE vehicle while providing the same range as a fully charged EV. Because of these attributes of hydrogen, Hyundai has been researching and developing hydrogen fuel cell tech, having started back in 2015 with the reveal of the Hyundai 2025 Vision Gran Turismo and the launch of the N brand. Fast forward to today and Hyundai has given us a glimpse of their R&D with jaw-dropping N Vision 74, the prototype used to experiment with the driving and cooling performance of advanced FCEVs.

While the N Vision 74’s brawny and boxy looks make it seem like it could’ve stepped out from a retro 1980’s sci-fi movie, its actually based on Hyundai’s Pony Coupe Concept from 1974. This design was penned by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro and was to be Hyundai’s first production sports car. Prototypes were even built for the Pony Coupe but sadly, it never reached production. The interior of the N Vision 74 also inherits the driver-centric, piston-shaped layout of the Pony concept, blending classic styling with modern touches, to enhance its motorsport functionality.

…Prototypes were even built for the Pony Coupe but sadly, it never reached production...

Hyundai calls the N Vision 74 a “high performance Rolling Lab” and for good reason, as its driven by Hyundai’s most advanced hydrogen fuel cell. All the futuristic-looking air vents and curvy yet rigid body panels aren’t just for show either, they significantly improve aerodynamics and fulfill the prototype’s heat management requirements, which is further improved by a 3 channel cooling system. The N Vision 74 puts power to pavement with two 235 kW motors on each rear wheel, making the prototype a RWD setup. Not only that, Hyundai tested a logic system called e-TVTM (electronic Torque Vectoring by Twin Motors) for improved cornering ability. The advanced hydrogen fuel cell tech allows the N Vision 74 to travel 600 km (about 373 miles) at a top speed of over 250 kph (155 mph), and can be refueled in about 5 minute, blowing EV charging speeds out of the water and rivaling ICE refueling times, perfect for motorsports and everyday applications.

…Prototypes were even built for the Pony Coupe but sadly, it never reached production...

The stunning N Vision 74 previews the near future use of hydrogen fuel cells as a green alternative to EVs. Can the N Vision 74 and other FCEVs compete with electric vehicles? Only time will tell.

A Look at the First Bespoke Pininfarina Battista

July 21, 2021 – One-of-a-kind is a motto Automobili Pininfarina is using to market their new electric hypercar, the Battista, and they mean it. With a new all-encompassing bespoke personalization program, Pininfarina is able to give new clients of the Battista a unique and individually tailored hypercar. More specifically, the company has a total of 128 million combinations which provides opportunities for clients to reflect their own individual tastes. And now, Automobili Pininfarina has released images of their first bespoke Battista, which is a commission inspired by New York City and features industry-first exposed signature carbon bodyworks to compliment its red, white and blue theme.

Starting with the interior, clients can begin by choosing between leather and Alcantara, and then move to other options such as contrast stitching, an Interior Jewellery Pack, and even fine aluminum interior detailing. In the bespoke New York commission, featured inside is black leather upholstery accompanied by Iconica Blu Alcantara with navy color inserts which elegantly showcase the Battista’s interior design and luxurious materials.

Moving to the exterior, 56 exterior paint finishes are available, unless you prefer the exposed carbon fiber bodywork option. Then, additional packages can be selected, such as the Carbon Accent Pack and Furiosa Carbon Accent Pack, with a selection of bespoke paint colors or exposed carbon finishes.

However, the insanely powerful all-electric Pininfarina Battista doesn’t rely solely on its appearance. Automobili Pininfarina claims the Battista will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy. With a motor at each wheel combining for 1,900 horsepower, the Battista can reach 63 mph faster than a Formula 1 car, a staggering sub-two second feat. Better yet, the Battista promises a 310 mile range on its 120 kWh battery.

Pininfarina says just 150 Battista examples will be made, a small number for such an endless amount of customization. Prices look to be upwards of $2 million, a small price to pay fo a car claiming to be the most powerful car coming out of Italy!

Ford F-150 Lightning: Watch the EV Debut

May 19, 2021 – A new electrified truck is here to steal the show, and it’s said to be Ford’s smartest, most innovative truck yet — introducing the Ford F-150 Lightning. No, this isn’t the V-8 powered Lightning street trucks from the ‘90s and early 2000’s, but a new electric pickup from Ford. The all-new F-150 Lightning is set to be revealed tonight at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, and of course live-streamed for the millions of eager consumers to tune in. 

Fourteen generations in the making, the F-Series has been a longtime success for Ford, and their newest electrified F-150 is here to solidify it. The F-150 has been the best-selling pickup truck in the United States since 1977, and the highest-selling vehicle overall since 1981. However, the F-150 Lightining will bring stunning innovation, technologies and capabilities to the F-Series. 

With strong competition in the mix, such as the Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer, and more, there are certain performance numbers we expect from the Lightning. Ford says that the F-150 Lightning will be the most powerful F-150 to date, so it will undoubtedly have two motors powering an all-wheel drive system. The fastest F-150 on the market currently has 450 horsepower and can sprint to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, so this will already be a milestone for the Lightning to pass. However, other electric trucks are said to have sub-4 second 0-60 times, so there is a good chance the F-150 Lightning will fit somewhere in that mix. The truck is also said to be able to power your house during an outage, so when it comes to the battery, its definitely going to be big! 

The reveal will take place at 9:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live with 30+ ways to watch, including Ford’s Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and more. 

The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo: An Off-Roadable EV Wagon

March 05, 2021 – Porsche has officially announced the expansion of their all-electric sports car range, and the newest edition is an off-road, shooting brake dream — the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. Many of the Cross Turismos strengths are taken from its sedan counterpart, with focus on performance and an exciting driving experience. Added to the mix is increased ground clearance for off-roadability, along with the much needed extra cargo space.

While the Taycan Cross Turismo will continue with the same front end, which has to be one of the best looking of all EVs, it will feature a longer, flatter roofline compared to its sedan counterpart. Also changed will be the fender extensions, unique rocker panels, front and rear fascia, and a 20 mm higher ride height. 

The Cross Turismo is in no way a rock-crawling off-roader, but it does however come with a Gravel mode, which increases the ride height an additional 10 mm, while also setting the suspension firmness, traction and stability control, and torque management system. All of these functions combined help the Taycan Cross Tursimo to maximize its grip over loose surfaces, including rocks, mud, sand, and gravel. This alone gives the Taycan more versatility over most EVs out there, but the performance doesn’t stop there. Off the gravel and back onto the road, the Taycan Turbo S Cross Tursimo can sprint to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds.

Moving to the interior, the Taycan Cross Turismo has several options available, including Porsche InnoDrive, Head Up Display, 14-way seats with massage functionality, and Bose and Burmester audio systems. 

Four different Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo models will be available at the launch, including the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, Taycan Turbo Cross Tursimo, and Taycan Turbo S Cross Tursimo. All variants of the Cross Turismo will feature an all-wheel drive system powered by dual-motors, a two-speed rear transmission, Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management in conjunction with air suspension, and much more. No EPA-estimated figures for range have been disclosed yet, but out is expected that they will be slightly lower than that of its sedan counterpart.

Pricing for the Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo starts at $92,250, and goes all the way up to $188,950 for the Turbo S model. Porsche also sweetens the deal with three years of free charging through Electrify America. The new Porsche variant will go on sale later this summer. 

McLaren Artura Hybrid Supercar Set To Be Revealed February 16

Feb. 2 – McLaren has been spawning more supercars than we can keep up with, recently the Sabre, and now the all-new McLaren Artura. What seems to be a similar looking platform to recently departed models such as the 570S, is actually a brand new design, and powertrain. The McLaren Artura, due for launch on the 16th of February, is being hyped by McLaren as a platform that will follow the footsteps of some of the greatest cars McLaren has ever made, including the Senna, Speedtail and Elva.

The McLaren Artura will make its debut as an all-new high-performance Hybrid Supercar, housing a twin-turbocharged V6 combined with an electric motor. This powertrain is designed to retain all of the performance benefits from McLaren’s larger V8 engine options, but come with the added advantages of improved torque in the lower rev ranges, and an option of running the Artura on only electric. This option, however, will most likely be for city jaunts as it’s not a full electric vehicle, so the battery will most likely be fairly small.

The McLaren Artura is also going to be built around their new carbon fiber chassis, known as the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA). Because of the batteries for the hybrid system, the carbon fiber chassis is a smart move to offset some of that added weight.

Tune in on February 16th for the official reveal to see just how incredible their new Artura is!

Audi E-Tron GT and RS E-Tron GT Aim for Comfort and Performance

Feb. 10 – With the ever-growing popularity of SUVs in America, it’s a welcoming sight to see the all-new 2022 Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT. Audi announced Tuesday that their new electric vehicle, the e-tron GT, is defined by its duality, a high-performance gran turismo that can be enjoyed through spirited driving, or even just leisurely cruises. To expand on this, Audi Sport has also released its first ever EV in the U.S, the Audi RS e-tron GT, packed full of new tech including an electric propulsion system, air suspension, all-wheel steering, and a two speed transmission. 

Both the Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT are packed with power, both suited with permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM). These motors are ideal because of their ample, instant torque. The e-tron GT produces 235 horsepower from a motor situated in the front, and 429 horsepower from the motor in the rear. The net combined power for these motors is 469 horsepower, but a key feature is their ability to overboots for 2.5 seconds with launch control, shooting that new horsepower number up to 522, with 464 lb-ft of torque. The e-tron GT can launch to 60 in 3.9 seconds, repeatedly, while being able to hit a top-speed of 152 mph. 

Even more impressive power wise is the RS e-tron GT — both e-tron GT’s share the same front motor, but the rear is where the RS has the advantage. At the rear of the RS e-tron GT is a motor capable of 450 horsepower, bringing the RS’ net horsepower to 590, or 637 with overboost. Combined with its total system torque of 612 lb-ft, the RS can jet to 60 in 3.1 seconds, and hit a top speed of 155 mph. 

A unique feature that the Audi e-tron GT’s have that puts them at an advantage over other electric vehicles is their two-speed transmissions. Anything over a single speed transmission almost seems odd now that EV’s are becoming increasingly popular, but Audi may be on to something with this new advancement. The GT’s 1st gear is used for rapid acceleration when needed, while the taller second gear can be used for long stretches of highway driving.

Other key features the Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT will come with standard are a leather-free interior, using Dynamic and Alcantara, a “monoposto” cockpit that angles everything towards the driver, and a full-circumference flat-bottom steering wheel, wrapped in Alcantara. Standard for the RSS e-tron GT is a lightweight, high-strength, five-layer carbon fiber reinforced plastic roof. Another key design detail that Audi wanted to stand out is the strongly chiseled lower doorsill lines that emphasize the battery pack as the car’s powerhouse and foundation. 

The 2022 Audi e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT will arrive in the U.S. this summer, with prices starting at $99,000 for the e-tron GT and $139,900 for the RS e-tron GT.

Audi Returns to Rally Racing

Competing in Dakar 2022 With Electric-Drive Platform

December 10, 2020 – For the first time ever, Audi will be competing in the famous Dakar Rally in 2022 with an innovative prototype vehicle. Utilizing an electric drivetrain powered by a high-voltage battery paired with an efficient energy converter, Audi plans to spearhead a future for the company in cross-country rallying motorsport.

Once a trailblazer in the rally world with their Quattro sub brand, Audi plans to make a triumphant return to the scene bringing a factory team back to the dirt stages. And what better way to start than with one of the most extreme and dangerous rally races out there. Audi plans to use their new electric drive system that charges the high voltage battery while driving. The Dakar Rally’s tough conditions and demand for endurance became the perfect test for the platform. Audi hopes to showcase the durability of their new electric-drive platform and once again become an icon in the rally world and lay the groundwork for developing the platform for production use.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Hits 60 In 3.5 Seconds

December 04, 2020 – Ford has been building high-performance Mustangs for quite some time, but they are taking their 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance model to the next level. Although they have moved the Mustang to an EV platform, they haven’t ditched their roots of building bad to the bone rides that will throw you into the back of your seat. 

The GT Performance may not deliver the same V8 roar we’ve come to love, but it does have something else up its sleeve. Pumping out 358 kilowatts of power, or 480 horsepower, and 634 pound-feet of torque, the GT Performance model can jet to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, making the already quick Mach-E GT even quicker. The Performance model not only delivers that extra power over the base Mach-E GT, but also features enhanced grip and better handling. 

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance also has more in store than just extra power, though. The Performance Edition features several sportier components, including 20-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli summer tires and red-painted Brembo brakes. Also featured is MagneRide damping that helps to improve handling performance. 

To make the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance even more driver focused, the front seats are Ford Performance-sculpted with Performance Gray ActiveX material, while a unique aluminum instrument panel sits right behind the wheel. 

The Elation Freedom EV: A Megawatt of Power

November 25, 2020 – Hypercars are becoming more common these days, with automotive technology evolving and advancing. Bespoke car manufacturers are having to step up their game to compete with the big boys, which is exactly what the newest hypercar from the United States has done, the Elation Freedom EV.

EV Performance

The Elation Freedom is built around three liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous e-motors, together putting out 1 megawatt of energy, or around 1,427 horsepower. If for some reason that amount of power doesn’t tickle your fancy, an optional 4th motor can be included, bringing that horsepower figure up to around 1,903. With all that power, the Elation Freedom is capable of 0-60 times of 1.8 seconds, with an electronically limited 260 mph max speed. The fun doesn’t stop there however, as depending on battery option, the Elation’s range is either 300 or 400 miles, allowing you to put the pedal to the metal for even longer.

Other Specs

When it comes to getting that power to the ground, the engineers at Elation knew an all-wheel drive torque vectoring system would be ideal, especially to elevate that cornering prowess. The car also comes with elector-hydraulic active ride height and damping control, with Formula 1 inspired double wishbone suspension and Ohlins adjustable dampers. The chassis itself, like many of its future competitors, is a carbon fiber monocoque.

Elation Freedom Iconic Collection

Maybe the EV thing isn’t your style, and that’s ok, because Elation has another car just for you. Their Elation Freedom Iconic Collection, as Elation themselves say, is “Built to honor the legacy of Internal Combustion”. That’s right, you can get their Freedom Hypercar with a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10, putting out 750 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. It’s not even close to the power output of Elation’s 4 EV motor configuration, but could the sound of a V10 be worth it? Possibly!

Will the Tesla Cybertruck Keep Up Off-Road?

Elon Musk created a stir when he announced the launch of his latest vehicle; the Tesla Cybertruck. The fully electric powered vehicle has a bed out back, and can be had with up to three motors on an all-wheel drive platform. Its unique shape comes from the physical limitations encountered while forming the body panels. The 1/8th inch thick 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin cannot be stamped like conventional car bodies; only bent in straight lines.

The Tesla truck concept has some definite potential for off road travel. The electric motors create incredible torque, and smooth power delivery to the wheels. The towing capacity is as high as 14 thousand pounds, and it has a range of 500 miles on the triple motored configuration. The location of the batteries, low in the chassis, keeps the center of gravity down where you want it when on side hills, or steep inclines. The water fording capabilities could be astounding. With the ability to deliver enough electric power to run tools, it would be an incredible asset to search, and rescue operations, and for remote building sites. The question is if it’s a capable off roader, or a scissor lift with a sexy body on it? The vehicle weight is estimated by some to be around 10 thousand pounds. With an advertised ground clearance of 16 inches, it looks to be capable of going off road, but it seems more suited for the overflow lot at the golf course than racing in the Baja 1000 as touted.

It would be amazing if the engineers at Tesla could do some Nye Frank, outer space, no holds barred type of breakthrough design work on the Cybertruck, and to be fair, maybe that’s in the works. At first glance though, it looks just like your typical soccer Mom SUV.\

…it seems more suited for the overflow lot at the golf course than racing in the Baja 1000 as touted.

The flat bottom of the Cybertruck is perfect for rock crawling, how about a more off road capable option with portal axles, and larger tires? The instant torque would require beefy components, but just think of the slow crawl speeds it could maintain. I wouldn’t worry about the break over angle with the long wheel base as much with such a flat belly pan underneath.

Regenerative braking already exists; how about regenerative suspension cycling? If they are racing it in the Baja 1000, the San Felipe section alone should be more than capable of topping off the batteries with power to spare. The air ride suspension sounds interesting, but one drawback to air is that it expands when it gets hot. Air shocks become pogo sticks when subjected to rough terrain at speed; is the same true for the air ride suspension on the Cybertruck?

A PTO option seems simple to incorporate into one of the electric motors so that winching would be possible. You have to consider a recovery at some point, and with the estimated weight, you would need a crane to get it out if you ran into trouble. That brings up another shortcoming, the lack of recovery points, and the inability to mount much of anything to the truck.

The question is if [the Cybertruck is] a capable off roader, or a scissor lift with a sexy body on it?

Where is the spare tire, or tires? The LED lights in the front look sleek, but how effective would they be once you got off the pavement? Here’s an idea, why not have some strategically placed nutserts on the body so that modular components could be fitted like lights, cargo racks, or additional gear? We saw the awkward introduction to the unbreakable, breakable windows; do they roll down? What do you do at the drive through?

It’s easy to be critical of a new design; especially a concept like the Cybertruck, but I would think that the same man that is able to put rockets into space could build something that pushes the envelope, and takes more advantage of existing off road technology. Let’s hope they continue to refine the design into something truly innovative.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Prototype: Seven Motors and 1400 HP

July 21, 2020 – If you’ve been dying to get your hands on the new Mustang Mach-E, then you’re going to fall in love all over again with Ford’s new prototype, the All-Electric Mustang Mach-E 1400. Along with RTR Vehicles, Ford set out to show just how powerful electric cars can become, and of course, how much fun you can have with said power. The prototype Mach-E produces a whopping 1,400 peak horsepower, and at 160 mph, creates a staggering 2,300 pounds of downforce.

Just about every automotive enthusiast has a solid understanding of the performance an electric vehicle is capable of. Take for example the Tesla P100D, or the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. The Tesla produces 600 hp and an incredible 713 lb-ft of torque, rocketing to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo S produces 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque, getting to 60 in just 2.6 seconds. You almost wonder just how much more power you could get out of an electric vehicle, or even if you’d need it.

But, Ford wanted to prove that there is way more juice left to squeeze from these electric motors, and that’s exactly what they set out to do.

The Ford Mach-E produces its power with seven motors, and when paired with an incredible amount of downforce, shows just how capable it is at the track, dragstrip and gymkhana course. With three motors attached to the front differential and four connected to the rear, Ford had to figure out how they’d even control that much power. A single driveshaft connects the motors to the differentials, and a huge amount of adjustability allows the Mach-E 1400 to be perfectly set-up to do everything from drifting to racing on the track.

The reason this should get any enthusiast excited is because Ford is learning more and more from these prototype vehicles, pushing the limits of EV power. Every technological advancement they make with these prototypes will soon be hitting their production vehicles. Are we saying Ford will soon be producing a 1400-hp Mach-E for the public, no, but could something be released that easily takes out a GT500, who knows, but we’d like to think so!

The Palatov D2 EV

Electrifying From Pikes Peak to Bonneville

Bonneville Speed Week 2019 will go down in the annals of land speed racing as one of the most miserable weeks ever. Rain the night before the event turned the salt into a mushy sponge that was almost impossible to race on, almost unless you went over to the mile-long rookie course where there were a lot less competitors and a lot firmer course.

We spent a couple days running there getting one of our young team members licensed all the way up to his 175 mph ‘A’ license. While we waited in line I couldn’t help but notice a rad little grey sports car with the familiar name Palatov Motorsport across the rear fender. I knew the name from my time in Portland, OR, building the World of Speed museum as Palatov is based in Portland.

Dennis Palatov (DP), a life-long car guy who sketched cars as a kid and began his career in the computer industry, founded the company in 2008. He quit his regular job as a chief technology officer for a California computer company in 1997 and moved north to Portland. This was not an idle move, DP knew that Portland had its own, city-owned racetrack, Portland International Raceway; just minutes north of downtown, where he wanted to pursue track driving.

From his numerous blogs, you can see that DP progressed through a number of cars and projects from an M-series BMW to a Megabusa-powered Westfield kit car to an 430 hp V-8 Ariel Atom described by Road & Track magazine as, “A British-built exoskeleton sports car” and, eventually a Lotus Elise S190 that obviously served to inspire him.

As he journeyed the road less traveled (not many of us can build our own cars) Dennis honed his skills designing and building a number of wildly different track cars. It didn’t take long for DP to realize the dream of building his own car not surprisingly named dp1.

Dp1 was actually started in 2002 with some simple sketches of a Hayabusa-powered, four-wheel drive single seater weighing just 800 lbs. He also consulted with fellow Portland engineer Lee Stohr who is well known in SCCA D Sports racing circles. With what they felt was a viable project DP moved forward and finally had a car up and running in September 2006. Yes, it takes that long and on November 1, 2008, with seed money from Karl Asseily, Palatov Motorsport LLC was formed in a 4,000 sq ft building. Their primary goal was to develop and sell track cars.

It was soon after the formation of the company that DP shifted away from the ‘infernal’ combustion engine and at the end of 2008 announced a new electric vehicle (EV) program dp1/e. Initially, the dp1/e was fitted with a 24 Odyssey PC680 lead-acid batteries and a 100KW RMS controller from Cascadia Motion.

Cascadia Motion is a combination of AMRacing and Rinehart Motion Systems that provides electric prolusion systems for a wide range of vehicles including professional motorsports and motorcycles. They have supplied Drayson, Lola Cars, Peugeot, Nissan and several F1 teams.

After a huge learning curve and many hours of track testing it was decided in 2012 to try the annual Pikes Peak hill climb in Colorado Springs, CA, with their Hayabusa-powered DP4PPS. Well, guess what, with David Donner driving Palatov won the Unlimited Class and placed fifth overall (out of 160 competitors) with a time of 10:04.652 which was only 18 seconds off the new overall record. That was a fantastic result for a first-time effort especially when they found out that they were running on only half an engine.

Palatov returned to the ‘Mountain’ in 2015, ’16 and ’17 and again in 2019 with their latest vehicle the D2EV driven by six times Pikes Peak champ Greg Tracy. In fact, they had not one but two cars the second D2 driven by David Meyer. One problem they encountered was figuring out how they would charge the car at their rental house base. They inspected the house’s wiring, identified the kitchen-stove circuit as the best option and went to Home Depot to get the right plugs, cable and adapter. They had power.

“Our goal with the electric D2 has all along been to do Pikes Peak at the end of June and then Bonneville at the start of August. We knew it was ambitious…”Dennis

Actually, D2EV has 1,000KW of power, which is exactly 10x what the 2008 car had and was totally new with experimental suspension. It weighed in at 3,500 lbs, 1,000 lbs heavier than they’d ever boxed before, nevertheless, on a clean paved surface with racing slicks it accelerates 0-120 mph in 5.1 sec and only takes 500 feet to do so. Despite the advances, the car was pretty much untested when it was time to head east to Colorado and the Mountain is not the best place to test. In order to make it work shocks had to be overnighted back and forth to Penske for re-valving and new softer A7 tires were overnighted by Hoosier.

Things quickly improved but DP was still not happy. Despite the setbacks, Tracy ended with a time of 9:55 minutes, which was good enough for second place in Unlimited and a ninth overall. By the time David was lined up in the second car it had started to rain and he smartly elected not to run. This was not the result DP was hoping for but for a brand new, experimental electric race car it was an amazing achievement.

From the dizzying heights of Pikes Peak the team’s next target was the Bonneville Salt Flats and a totally different environment. As DP said, “Our goal with the electric D2 has all along been to do Pikes Peak at the end of June and then Bonneville at the start of August. We knew it was ambitious and that changes would be required to the car in between events. Didn’t realize just how ambitious and the full extent of the changes at the time, but that’s the case for all memorable endeavors.”

This was not the result DP was hoping for but for a brand new, experimental electric race car it was an amazing achievement.

Like the Mountain, the Flats are a very difficult place to race even more so this year due to the rain and the abysmal track conditions. To make matters worse, the team only had a month to completely reconfigure the car, DP saying, “If we change the gearing in the diffs to 3:1 (from 5:1), the car will be capable of theoretical top speed of 265mph. We have the power to do it, 1,300 hp is about what it would take. Aero stability is the big unknown. We know we’ll have to keep the wings but can set them flat to reduce drag while still providing some down force.

“With only 9 days to go until we are scheduled to leave for Utah, tech inspectors stop by. The list of what they want changed is daunting, neither of them seems to think we can get it done.” Racing is racing but the requirements and disciplines of hill climbing are totally different from the needs and rules of 300 mph land speed racing.

Bonneville is an old school, gasoline-fueled playing field where electric race cars are classed by weight: E1: Under 1,099 lbs, E2: 1,100-2,200 lbs, and E3: 2,201 lbs and over. The 3,500 lb D2EV would fall into 3E where the current record is 314.958 mph set in 2004 by Roger Schroer driving the Ohio State University’s Buckeye Bullet.

Tech inspection of the D2EV at Bonneville took some time, as this was a new car to the inspectors; nevertheless, compliance was achieved if only by the judicial use of some old license plates to block an interior hole. Eventually, Tracy, who has raced motorcycles at Bonneville to a speed of 210 mph, got to make a rookie pass over the one-mile course with a speed of 159 mph. Despite a rough and wet track he made two more passes at 167 and 174 mph. The next day Tracy ran a staggering 196.960 mph.

Unfortunately Speed week was cancelled the next day and the Palatov team had to pack up and head home to Portland. Despite some disappointments, Palatov and his associates and sponsors had had a fantastic year racing the ends of the spectrum from the dizzying heights of Pikes Peak to the squishy, salty flats of Bonneville and in both places proved the capability and versatility of Dennis Palatov’s electric race car. For more information visit Palatov.com

Is the Future of Automotive Fully Charged?

Electric VS. Internal Combustion Engine Debate

I have seen the future, and it is electric. This might not sound like good news for the tuner scene, old-school hot rodders, and racers, but it actually is (though not for the reasons you might think). To see how I have reached this conclusion, it’s necessary to understand what hurdles electric cars have yet to overcome, and how they require a fundamental change in the way we think about getting from point A to point B.

Companies like Tesla and Toyota have proven that pure-electric vehicles don’t have to be boring, slow, or impractical, and nobody can really argue with the results that General Motors has already achieved with the eCOPO purpose-built electric-powered drag race Camaro. But we’re still a long way from seeing the end of internal combustion, despite what lawmakers in certain states believe. Once you look past the mechanical differences between electric and fossil fuel power for personal transportation, the main issues come down to power storage and infrastructure.

Density Matters

When the Horseless Carriage first began its conquest of the world’s roads, nobody knew what a car was “supposed to” be, and different ideas flourished. As the 20th century began, it wasn’t clear what technology would prevail, and both internal combustion and electric cars found eager (though mostly rich) buyers. In short order, though, piston-engine cars proved to be more practical, and one of the main reasons was that the best battery technology of the time was the lead-acid wet cell, which only offered very limited range.

Of course, we still use lead-acid batteries today to start our cars and to power things like forklifts and golf carts, because the batteries are relatively inexpensive, offer a decent service life, can deliver very high power output for short periods, and are tolerant of a good deal of abuse without failing in horribly dangerous ways. But the amount of energy that can be stored per pound of lead-acid battery is pretty miserable when compared with even very inefficient internal combustion engines, which puts a hard limit on its practicality for personal transportation. A typical 12-volt car battery has an energy density of about 30-40 Watt-hours per kilogram. Gasoline, on the other hand, has an energy density of over 12,000 Watt-hours per kilo. To put it in more relatable units, a 15-gallon fuel tank holds about the same potential energy as more than 700 average 40-pound car batteries.

Obviously, driving around in a car that has a 14-ton battery pack isn’t really a practical option to get the same amount of available energy as a gas-powered car, and fortunately battery technology with far higher energy density has been developed, with commercially available lithium-ion batteries offering as much as 200 Watt-hours per kilo. But even at a five-fold increase in energy density, you still end up needing a battery pack that weighs 5,700 pounds to contain the same energy as less than 100 pounds of filled gas tank. This is the heart of the problem for electric vehicles – barring some scientific breakthrough that improves battery power density by an order of magnitude, the amount of total energy available in a reasonable electric vehicle chassis is always going to be far below that provided by an internal combustion drivetrain.

Companies like Tesla have proven that pure-electric vehicles don’t have to be boring, slow, or impractical…

The current gold standard for practical electric cars is the Tesla Model 3. It’s available in “standard” and “long range” versions with Li-Ion battery packs assembled from a large number of individual, commercially-available cells in capacities ranging from 50 to 75 kilowatt-hours. Estimated range on the EPA drive cycle for the Model 3 varies accordingly, from about 250 miles to about 320 between fully charged and fully discharged, which is an astonishing accomplishment considering how little energy the battery packs contain, compared to a tank full of gas. The quoted mass for the Model 3 long range pack is 480 kg, or about 1,060 pounds – more than a quarter of the total curb weight of the vehicle.

Tesla manages to achieve decent range by keeping the non-battery mass of the vehicle as low as possible, and by employing regenerative braking to recapture a portion of the energy spent getting the car moving to help stop it. It also helps that electric motors are very efficient in terms of converting input energy into useful work compared to internal combustion engines, which rarely operate in the narrow range of engine speed and load that is most effective in turning gasoline into motion. On the flip side, though, an ICE-powered vehicle won’t lose a significant portion of its potential range as the result of brief, aggressive application of the right-hand pedal, but this will absolutely murder the miles-to-empty on an electric vehicle.

We’ve been using Tesla as our example here because to be honest, it’s the only pure electric mass-produced vehicle most enthusiasts would even consider owning. Nissan, GM, Fiat, and many others have offered their own all-electric models, but they tend to occupy the part of the market that is only concerned with efficiency. Nevertheless, they also have practical unrecharged ranges that are a fraction of comparably-sized gas-powered cars. Chemistry and physics both dictate just how much electric power can be stored on-board a practical car, and barring huge breakthroughs in battery technology, this will continue to be a primary challenge for the future of all-electric transportation.

Power to the People

The second major hurdle electric cars have to clear is the infrastructure required to recharge them. Utilities have built out their generation, transmission, and distribution networks without the additional load from car recharging in mind, and ‘time of use’ becomes a major issue. Electric power consumption from residential consumers peaks in the late afternoon and early evening, drops down overnight, then rises again during the day, while industrial demand is primarily concentrated during working hours. The grid is designed to cope with peak demand (hopefully – your experience may vary if you’re in California during the summer months) so the good news is that during off-peak times, there’s a considerable amount of additional capacity available for battery recharging. The bad news is that ‘green’ power doesn’t operate on a convenient schedule – wind happens when it happens, and solar output is dependent on time of day, the season, and weather.

The traditional approach to planning generation capacity is to have the ‘baseline’ load taken care of by relatively inexpensive, large-scale fossil fuel power plants that run constantly but can’t react quickly to changes in demand, supplemented by smaller plants that are less efficient and cost more per kilowatt-hour but that can be quickly brought on-line or shut down as needed. Nuclear power once promised ‘electricity too cheap to meter,’ but as we all know, the technology wasn’t exactly ready for prime time in terms of safety. Improvements to reactor designs have made proposed future nuclear plants safer for people and the environment than any other electric power source, including wind and solar if the complete life-cycle of the system from mining raw materials to decommissioning are considered, but the stigma attached is simply too great for massive new nuclear projects to be viable from a public acceptance standpoint.

So, the challenge is, “how do you charge all these electric cars without building a bunch of new fossil fuel plants or doubling the capacity of the transmission and distribution grid?” Big solar generation plants are one possible solution that takes advantage of the economies of scale offered by centralizing power production, but as was previously mentioned, solar doesn’t run on a convenient timetable. That means that, just like electric cars themselves, power storage becomes an issue. Battery storage on a massive scale appropriate for a power grid would be absurdly expensive and/or take up a huge amount of space, but “pumped storage” is one potential option.

The idea behind pumped storage is a lot like keeping a grandfather clock ticking by pulling weights up to the top, then letting them run the mechanism by slowly dropping down on their chains. During the day, solar energy is used to run pumps that fill a man-made reservoir on top of a hill, then when power is needed and the sun isn’t shining, the pumps run backwards as turbines to generate power by letting the water flow back down into the lower reservoir. Overall, the process isn’t very efficient, with the majority of the power supplied by the solar generation lost to friction, resistance and heat, but it has the advantage of being both very cheap compared to batteries and very easy to scale up, simply by digging bigger reservoirs.

…solar doesn’t run on a convenient timetable. That means that, just like electric cars themselves, power storage becomes an issue.

In the end, though, electric cars themselves may be the solution to the generation and storage problems they pose. Thanks in large part to government grants and tax credits to offset costs and outright building code requirements to include photovoltaic panels in new construction, businesses and homes are adding solar generation to their roofs at an increasing rate. In some sunbelt states, so much excess capacity is being added during daylight hours that electric utilities are now faced with having more power than they need being fed into the grid. More electric cars on the road would mean more batteries on wheels, parked during the day and ready to soak up that solar-generated electricity from a distributed network of roof-top solar panels at work and at home, but it will require a significant shift in the way we think about keeping our personal vehicles “topped up.”

Think “Phones” not “Cars”

We’re used to the idea that cars can be driven until the needle is on “E” and then quickly brought up to their full range capacity in just a few minutes at the pump. You can even see this in the way Tesla markets their vehicles, highlighting that the Model 3 can get up to 75 miles of additional range in just five minutes at one of their “Supercharger” stations, though normal charging to full battery capacity takes hours – 30 to 44 miles of range per hour on the typical home charger. Rapid charging is also inefficient and very hard on batteries, which last a lot longer when they’re charged and discharged at slower rates.

Without realizing it, though, Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC, and all the other phone manufacturers have been training the rest of us for a smooth transition into future electric car ownership…

But almost all of us carry around a battery powered device that has the same kind of charging quirks as a Tesla; smart phones like being slowly charged and discharged, and their batteries last longest when they never drop below 20% charge or rise above 80%. If you’re the kind of person who is perpetually at 10 percent charge on your iPhone, you are probably going to face the same kind of challenge keeping an electric car powered up. Without realizing it, though, Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC, and all the other phone manufacturers have been training the rest of us for a smooth transition into future electric car ownership, where we will apply the same methods of keeping our car battery charged – keep it plugged in whenever you’re not using it, and never pass up an opportunity to throw it on the charger for a few minutes.

The Future of High Performance

With these factors in mind, what does the future of “enthusiast” cars look like? Well, it’s a sure bet that for normal transportation needs, electric vehicles are going to take over the market despite their drawbacks. Fossil fuels are a finite resource, and whether ‘peak oil’ happens in ten years, or fifty, or a hundred and fifty, it will happen. There is no foreseeable end to the availability of fuel for internal combustion engines, though – even if the last drop of crude oil was pumped from the ground tomorrow, it’s still possible to synthesize gasoline and diesel from other sources, albeit in a very expensive way. For applications where the energy density of liquid fuels is important, like commercial aircraft, long-haul trucking, or military vehicles, there’s simply no viable electric alternative on the horizon, either.

The good news is that as more of the mundane duties of personal transportation are taken over by electric vehicles, demand for gasoline will drop, stretching out the availability of relatively inexpensive fuel. It’s likely that in the near future, the most popular form of car will be a plug-in hybrid like the ones available today that derives most of its day to day range from electric power drawn from the grid, with a small ICE power plant to act as a range-extender for trips that exceed the storage capacity of the on-board battery. Another option will be pure-electric vehicles that are designed with the ability to connect to a small trailer equipped with a generator and fuel tank; for daily driving you’ll rely on normal battery power, but if you want to go on a road trip to take the family to see your cousins three states away, you’ll be able to rent the range-extender tag-along so you can keep driving for as long as your bladder will allow. Either option will require the continued existence of an infrastructure to keep them fueled.

New internal-combustion-only cars will become rare, limited to niche markets and buyers with deep pockets, but with the proliferation of clean, primarily solar-powered electric cars taking the pressure off of fossil fuel consumption and limiting the ecological impact of personal vehicles, there will be room for hobbyists and racers to maintain, build, and drive cars with combustion engines, and do it guilt-free.

Changes to the way we get from point A to point B day to day are inevitable; while the timeline is up for debate, the switch to electric cars is going to happen. Fortunately, it’s not necessarily a disaster for car enthusiasts. It will just take some adjustment, and some sound public policy that acknowledges the fact that gearheads want a better future too, and can keep their passion alive while still achieving that goal.

The Nikola Badger Brings Competition to the Electric Pickup Market

Feb 14, 2020 – An electric vehicle manufacturer by the name of Nikola Corp has unveiled their offering to the electric pickup truck market on. It’s difficult not to see this as an answer to the buzz that revolved around Tesla’s Cybertruck.

Despite their shared namesake (Is there a shortage of electricity pioneers to name corporations after?), the Badger presents a different angle to consumers than the Tesla truck. Nikola stated that, “The electric pickup is designed to handle what a construction company could throw at it and is engineered to outperform all electric pickup trucks on the market in both continuous towing, HP and range.” This, along with a 15 kilowatt power outlet to use for tools which is, “enough power to assist a construction site for approximately 12 hours without a generator.”, suggests that they’re gearing it more towards the working individual.

Performance wise, Nikola points out that their electric pickup truck can perform launches from 0-100 mph and go up to a 40% grade with minimal loss in performance. This is done through their unique software that mixes the power of batteries and fuel-cell. Thats right, this truck can operate both on electric batteries AND hydrogen fuel cell. How that works? Not quite sure. (We’ll probably make an article about it later) But through this technology, the Badger is capable of delivering up to 600 miles of range, 906hp peak output and 980 ft lb of torque.

The Badger is being developed with the help of Heavy D, star of the reality tv show, “Diesel Brothers”, who will be building and testing the truck. It’s clear that Nikola is really trying to develop an all electric pickup truck for the average consumer as one of their goals was to diversify their offerings in order to lower the Badger’s cost. The Nikola Badger is set to be officially unveiled at Nikola World.

GMC Teases Their New All-Electric Hummer

Jan 30, 2020 – In a press release today, GM announced that the next generation of the Hummer is here and contrary to its predecessor’s image of unmatched dead dinosaur consumption; all-electric. The new electric Hummer EV will be teased this Sunday during Superbowl LIV in an ad airing during the second quarter. The 30 second spot will focus on how quiet the truck will be despite its staggering performance capabilities. And the numbers? Staggering for sure. GMC anticipates that the new electric Hummer will produce 1000 hp and a jaw-dropping 11,500 lb-ft of torque making it go from 0-60 in 3 seconds. That’s a pretty sharp contrast from the old image of a Hummer.

Unfortunately there are no images of the new truck except for this teaser of the front grill. From this we can see a clean and moderately futuristic design while still retaining similar design notes of its predecessor. The Hummer name is front and center with a tiny “EV” badge next to it to remind you that this isn’t the same beast you knew before. If this new Hummer retains the hulking size and weight of the H1 or H2, it’ll really say something about how far we’ve come with electric vehicle technology.

GMC also has a series of teaser videos available on their Youtube channel boasting the Hummer’s capabilities. They’re short, but you can definitely tell their aim is to highlight how quiet and powerful this new “all-electric super truck” will be.

Detroit will be the birthplace of this truck as GMC has also announced that they will retain production of their new electric vehicle products in the US. The future of automotive production in the US looks bright and undoubtedly electrified. The Hummer EV is slated to be revealed on May 20, 2020.