With my beaming interest in motorsports racing, I am a purist in a sense that I don’t believe that an electric vehicle can compete on the track with a gas-powered one. And although my sentiment hasn’t been challenged till now, Drayson Racing’s latest land speed record highlights the fact that electric-powered vehicles will push the envelope much sooner than expected.
Drayson Racing has been ambitious in its approach while working on the Lola B12/69 EV. The LMP which was initially powered by a 5.5 liter bio-fueled engine is now complemented by an electric drive train that produces zero emissions. During the latest test run at RAF ELvington Base in Yorkshire, this EV managed to attain a top speed of 204mph smashing the previous record of 175mph set by Battery Box General Electric in 1974. Note that this figure is a mean of the total number of test runs but on an isolated basis, it managed a top whack of 211mph! What’s even more mind boggling is the acceleration it is capable of: 0-60mph in 3 seconds and 0-100mph in a mere 5.1 seconds!
The company has been working rigorously on establishing R&D for electric drive trains and wireless charging, two areas which are closely related to electric vehicles. This approach of theirs is aided by their mantra that motorsports is a medium to bridge the gap between research and commercial feasibility. And with advancements of this breakneck scale, the future of Electric Vehicles looks surprisingly velocious!
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