Electric Car Drag Racing: Video and Poll: Would You Attend?

cars ^ | 9/4/2009 | cars

[LukeL]

Would probably be like the snail races on SpongeBob

[SJSAMPLE]

I’ve seen a battery-powered Honda Accord blow away a Ferrari Testarossa.

You wouldn’t believe how fast an electric car, optimized for the 1/4 mile, will accelerate.

But, alas, no noise.
And that’s the best part of drag racing, IMHO.

[Pistolshot]

Probably have to recharge it halfway down the track.

[theFIRMbss]

AC Propulsion's tzero roadster is a reason to not give up on the electric vehicle. The tzero does 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to the company, and it does it on only 200 horsepower because of its light weight and torque. The San Dimas, Calif.-based company says the tzero (pronounced "tee-zero," not "chair-o") has compared favorably in acceleration tests to Corvettes, Porsche 911s--and even a Ferrari F355, which it claims to have "out-accelerated...by eight car lengths" in one-eighth-mile drag races. If for nothing else, the tzero's $220,000 sticker price puts it in exotic-car territory. The World's Fastest Electric Car

[GonzoGOP]

Actually an electric has more torque at starting than an internal combustion engine. With separate motors on all axles and computer traction control the pop off the line would be spectacular. You would need to use fuel cells rather than batteries as the latter are very heavy and you can't get all the stored power out quickly.

I'll miss the ground shaking roar of a big 8 cylinder nitro burning engine, But if it can rip down the track fast enough to make my neck snap, then heck ya I'll go watch.

[B Knotts]

No...the best part is getting a face full of nitro and leaving the track peppered with rubber.

[KarlInOhio]

On a quarter mile track you wouldn't even need a battery. You could either use an extension cord or slot car type wires on the track.

[mnehring]

Absolutely. Built right, electric cars can be firecrackers off the line. More efficient, no gears. Drag racing may be a good venue for them because they don’t have a lot of range.

[longtermmemmory]

imagine if the prize money and endorsements are there, using GOLD wire instead of copper to get better conductance!

[Pearls Before Swine]

Would I check it out? Yeah... if they were fast.

[CharlesWayneCT]

In terms of performance, they would be unmatched.

However, it wouldn’t be the same sport. Because, as you note, they don’t have transmissions, which is a big part of the challenge of a drag race — being able to shift correctly.

And they have traction assistance that eliminates another of the major challenges — getting off the line without spinning out.

And they have no noise, which is a big part of the fan experience.

It would truly be like running little electric slot cars. Boring.

[Brookhaven]

I would attend a lawnmower race, I guess I could attend this.

[SC DOC]

Electric Datsun

[garyhope]

It might depend on who’s driving and what she’s wearing,.....

[Buckeye McFrog]

Due to the high torque generated by electric motors, you can get an electric car up to a very impressive speed in a short-distance test like a drag race. The problem comes when you run out of juice 45 minutes into your L.A. commute....

[FastCoyote]

[On a quarter mile track you wouldn’t even need a battery. You could either use an extension cord or slot car type wires on the track.]

What you’d really do is wind up a super flywheel or some super capacitors and get your pop that way. A few megawatts ought to do.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Might as well watch wheelchair races......

[Jmouse007]

It’s cost may be in “exotic car territory” but it looks like crap.

[GonzoGOP]

What could be even more fun would be electric rock crawling. Like the crazy people who take Jeeps and Hummers up vertical rock walls. Only with super lite weight vehicles with almost impossible torque and adhesion. The back flips would make up for the lack of noise. Then again a car bouncing down the side of a cliff is probably fairly noisy on its own.