Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

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Kevin Sharpe
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Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby Kevin Sharpe » Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:21 am

I would like to propose a 'race' from Land's End to John o'Groats for EV's this time next year. I suggest a handicap system which allows different EV's to compete so that we can include everything from bikes to cars to road legal wheelchairs. Maybe something based on battery capacity would provide a workable handicap system? I'm no expert here so need your input on this...

I'm prepared to focus the efforts of the "Charge Points Everywhere" project to ensure that we have access to 13A+32A charge points every 25 miles or so. If the BVS is interested then maybe they can take over the organisation of the event and in return attract national recognition for the society.

What do you think?
Kevin Sharpe - Founder and Patron for UK registered charity Zero Carbon World. Founder and Chairman Mainpine Group. http://about.me/kevinsharpe

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ChrisB
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby ChrisB » Mon Oct 18, 2010 4:59 pm

Sounds interesting, although personally I'd prefer it more in the summer months sheerly due to the chance the weather will be kinder to bikers and batteries especially in the north, nothing worse than being cold on a bike, that and batteries always perform better in the warmer weather 8)

Sounds very interesting.

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

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retepsnikrep
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby retepsnikrep » Tue Oct 19, 2010 1:08 am

I like the idea but competitions on public roads are a legal minefield and almost immediate invalidation of your insurance.

A lands end to john o groats 'run' sounds better :wink: but care will have to be taken on what aspects formed the competitive part.

Best mpg/power usage?

Perhaps a simple social run may be best along the lines of a treasure hunt?
Treasure being charging points along the way.
Regards Peter

Two MK1 Honda Insight's. One running 20ah A123 Lithium pack. One 8ah BetterBattery Nimh pack.
One HCH1 Civic Hybrid running 60ah A123 Lithium pack.

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Kevin Sharpe
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby Kevin Sharpe » Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:06 pm

Nemesis is taking on the challenge http://audioboo.fm/boos/208068-nemesis-noise-boo
Kevin Sharpe - Founder and Patron for UK registered charity Zero Carbon World. Founder and Chairman Mainpine Group. http://about.me/kevinsharpe

ex925
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby ex925 » Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:29 am

Excellent!
I liked the "Tron" sound of the Nemesis
I like the idea of a LeJoG electric
Your EVents - guys have been working on a smaller rehearsal EVent idea for 2011
We aim to see if the BVS could run a legitimate non-speed-competitive EVent on the Highway
More soonest
Ed

cedric.lynch
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby cedric.lynch » Sun Nov 07, 2010 3:10 pm

I would be delighted to enter this as long as it doesn't clash with the TTXGP races.

I think the competitive element should be a measurement of the amount of power used for recharging, divided by the number of people the vehicle is carrying during the run (in the case of a goods-carrying vehicle, 70kg of ballast to be regarded as equivalent to one person; ballast to be payload and not extra batteries).

I think that with lithium batteries it is technically possible to make a vehicle that will do the whole distance on a single charge.

Cedric Lynch.

rustybkts
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby rustybkts » Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:53 am

cedric.lynch wrote: I think that with lithium batteries it is technically possible to make a vehicle that will do the whole distance on a single charge.

Cedric Lynch.


Hi Cedric,

I have a vision of you in your bike with cells packed around you and over your head with a space your shape in the middle! :lol:

I would be up for it although not in the Elise as the cells have been well punished and I suspect are of poor quality.
There is another car in the build which will be rolling in the spring which will be much neater and has even been planned as the Elise was thrown together in the last stages.

I will stress though that I do not have the government funds that Dale Vince was allegedly given (£400,000) in the Sunday Telegraph report this week. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greene ... payer.html
You could buy two or three houses and still build his car for the sum he has reportedly spent on it.

Would be nice to get a "Technology grant" like that and I will be contacting that Quango today. :twisted:

Nice to meet Kevin and the others "in the flesh" at last this weekend. I think we all had fun and the weather was on its best behaviour.
EV Lotus Elise with 30/67Kw Siemens ex Ford Ranger motor
Sinclair C5 twin battery
2 x Zike bikes
Electric Ride On Mower (Lynch Power!)
Bosch beard trimmer

ex925
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby ex925 » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:49 am

Terrific challenge that Cedric has subtly slipped into the discussion
If Cedric thinks it can be done, it almost certainly will
I wonder what new advances will enable this
LeJog on 1 charge.............
No matter how specialised the resultant machine, just think.......
Such a level of efficiency will supercharge development of all EVs
Thus hastening the end of Oil Wars
Cedric for Nobel Peace Prize
All the best
Ed

ex925
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby ex925 » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:52 am

OK, just a manic moment.................
Cedric DIDN'T say "Roadgoing" vehicle
Maybe he means a dirigible with solar topside
With the prevailing winds............

8) Cedric?

:mrgreen: Ed

Deker
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Re: Land's End to John o'Groats EV Challenge

Postby Deker » Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:48 am

cedric.lynch wrote:I would be delighted to enter this as long as it doesn't clash with the TTXGP races.

(in the case of a goods-carrying vehicle, 70kg of ballast to be regarded as equivalent to one person; ballast to be ). See below I think that with lithium batteries it is technically possible to make a vehicle that will do the whole distance on a single charge.

Cedric Lynch.

Ballast to be a 70kg inertia flywheel that is spun up to silly thousands of revs by means as a braking device,
which is then engaged to drive the vehicle when moving off from a stop, or when ascending a steep hill :)

Deker :roll:


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