Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

E-Dragsters Go for Gas-Powered Records
Associated Press ^ | Sunday July 29, 2:10 pm ET | Aaron Clark

Posted on 07/30/2007 1:30:10 PM PDT by GBA

With Barely a Sound, Electric Dragsters Aim for Gas-Powered Records

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Straddling a 619-pound motorcycle, Scotty Pollacheck tucks in his knees and lowers his head as he waits for the green light. When he revs the engine, there's no roar. The bike moves so fast that within seconds all that's visible is a faint red taillight melting in the distance.

Pollacheck crosses the quarter-mile marker doing 156 mph; he's traveled 1,320 feet in 8.22 seconds, faster than any of the gas-powered cars, trucks or motorcycles that have raced in the drag sprints on this weekend at Portland International Raceway.

It's particularly impressive given Pollacheck is riding a vehicle that uses no gasoline and is powered entirely by lithium-ion batteries.

(Excerpt) Read more at in.us.biz.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: autoshop; electricpower; energy; racing; transportation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 last
To: Sensei Ern

Most reasonable thing I’ve heard all day. :)


61 posted on 07/30/2007 8:03:58 PM PDT by Constantine XIII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: mamelukesabre
Today’s pro-stock cars shifts gears around 9500 to 10,000 rpm. And a top fuel hemi runs around 5,800 to 6,500 Rpm, direct drive forward reverse transmission.

Drag bike turns about 12000 rpm.

62 posted on 07/30/2007 8:52:01 PM PDT by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat

That low for a hemi?

Ok, why are you posting this to me now?


63 posted on 07/30/2007 9:10:08 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: xcamel
lemme see here... 1000 hp = 745.699871582 Kw for 8.2 seconds, that’s a hell of a lot more tan “nine cents”

You're right. 745kw for 8.2 seconds = 1.7kwhr = all of 17 cents.

64 posted on 07/31/2007 4:57:40 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: DungeonMaster
Certainly doesn’t stop it from having an extreme “Cool Factor”
65 posted on 07/31/2007 5:08:45 AM PDT by xcamel ("It's Talk Thompson Time!" >> irc://irc.freenode.net/fredthompson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: xcamel

So do you still think there will be 87 tons of CO2 from a coal fired power plant involved?


66 posted on 07/31/2007 5:10:03 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: xcamel

Speaking of cool factor I got to test drive a 2006 Harley Nighttrain last night. It was very interesting but I like my Sportster better in a lot of ways.


67 posted on 07/31/2007 5:11:04 AM PDT by DungeonMaster (Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: GBA
The only problem I see with electrics and racing is that they'll have to use synthetic sound.
Fast, quiet bikes or dragsters won't do it for the attention deficit crowd.
This could make for some unbearable "disco" type experimentation / fusion.
68 posted on 07/31/2007 5:16:54 AM PDT by Ramcat (Thank You American Veterans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DungeonMaster
I really didn't think I needed the /sarc tag for that one...
69 posted on 07/31/2007 5:46:50 AM PDT by xcamel ("It's Talk Thompson Time!" >> irc://irc.freenode.net/fredthompson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: DungeonMaster

Been there, done the “harley thing”
I’ll keep my K1200 LT, thanks.


70 posted on 07/31/2007 5:48:16 AM PDT by xcamel ("It's Talk Thompson Time!" >> irc://irc.freenode.net/fredthompson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: SteveMcKing; NormsRevenge; dixiechick2000; doug from upland; ShadowAce; HAL9000; Uncledave; ...

“The battery industry is behind this. It’s time that government went after big batteries and their windfall profits.”


It’s a conspiracy all right.

Big Battery + Bonneville Assault Flats = Speed and that rhymes with Tweed and that means Trouble.


(I want one!)


71 posted on 07/31/2007 6:08:43 AM PDT by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat
"Cannot have one with out there other."

Are you saying you cannot have a motor turn a wheel if there is not a tire on it? Because, that is silly.

Or are you trying to refute that his post is about energy transfer from the motor to the wheel (as I read it) and is really about energy transfer from the motor to the ground, as you seem to think it is?

72 posted on 07/31/2007 11:04:42 PM PDT by Jonx6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Jonx6
is really about energy transfer from the motor to the ground, as you seem to think it is?

Has to be energy transfer to ground, other wise why would there be any appreciable work force. Sure would never worry about breaking something due to force if the thing is setting on a jack stand.

73 posted on 08/01/2007 8:54:02 AM PDT by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: GBA
The KillaCycle runs on 990 lithium-ion battery cells that feed two direct current motors, generating 350 horsepower.

At about $20 a pop for the common variety, this is almost $20,000 worth of batteries. Hope they don't have to replace them very often.

Manufacturing this many batteries requires significant power and pollutes quite a bit of land as well.

Not a green solution.

74 posted on 08/01/2007 9:27:23 AM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Centurion2000
But how many miles will it go on a single charge?

A little over a quarter mile?

75 posted on 08/01/2007 9:32:02 AM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, but DemocRATs believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: org.whodat
"Has to be energy transfer to ground, other wise why would there be any appreciable work force. Sure would never worry about breaking something due to force if the thing is setting on a jack stand."

While that is true, it is not the focus of the post you were trying to belittle.
The focus of his post was the energy transfer from the motor to the wheel.

76 posted on 08/01/2007 12:13:57 PM PDT by Jonx6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-76 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson