Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

General BVS related area
User avatar
EV_dub
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:31 pm
Location: Dorset/Devon

Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby EV_dub » Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:14 am

I contacted the HSA recently about electric vehicles competing in hill climbs. To my suprise this was their response:

"I really don't have much info on what the MSA's view on electric cars in competition is. I suspect it is still too early and off their radar. Reading Autosport they don't seem to have got their act together with LPG powered cars and they have been around for quite a while.
As far as we are concerned I can't see any events we go to providing for electric cars in the near future other than demonstrations"

I have now contacted the MSA for their input.

Has anybody on here been involved electric motor sport? or heard of electric vehicles competing in hill climbing?

Dave
1993 Veedub Golf, 156v, 1200A, 150ah's

User avatar
MaryRCrumpton
Site Staff
Posts: 640
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:07 am
Location: Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Greater Manchester
Contact:

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby MaryRCrumpton » Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:46 pm

There is quite a bit of EV motorsport / competitions about.

We have our BVS Electrathon in September (see elsewhere on the forum - the Events Section).

And then there is the TTXGP series... http://www.ttxgp.com

And the Santa Pod event in April/May next year.

Keep an eye out on the events listing in the society magazine.

Mary.
BVS North-West Coordinator, based in Manchester.
Contact via Text/Phone on 07751 696 055

User avatar
retepsnikrep
Posts: 1387
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 4:50 pm
Location: North Yorkshire England
Contact:

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby retepsnikrep » Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:48 am

Many years ago (20+) I entered a local autotest with my electric hillman imp. It had a old 60v milk float motor running at about 100V and a stepped contactor controller at that point which i hacked to allow higher voltage steps. It launched itself from a standing start and i seem to remember i finished about middle of the field. :oops:
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.

User avatar
EV_dub
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:31 pm
Location: Dorset/Devon

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby EV_dub » Sun Sep 05, 2010 7:27 pm

Yea theres a few events about, but it would be good to run along with the oil burners.

I made Santa Pod this year and intend to be there again.

I got a copy of the Competitors and officials yearbook (the blue book) from the MSA which is full of useful info about most types of motor sport.

I get the impression regarding hill climbs with an electric car, that you should be able to take part but wont fit into a particular category so wouldnt gain points/awards.

I am still awaiting a reply from the MSA.
1993 Veedub Golf, 156v, 1200A, 150ah's

andylaurence
Posts: 108
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:45 pm
Location: Bristol
Contact:

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby andylaurence » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:14 am

The Blue Book doesn't specifically ban electric cars but it does say that there are extra regulations that you need to contact the MSA for. When I spoke to the championship coordinator of the British Sprint Championship, he said that they'd worry about regulations for an electric car when one was actually built. You could certainly enter a car, but you'd be in Sports Libre or Racing Cars, depending on what car you converted, and I've no idea which engine capacity you'd end up in. Technically, you'd be <1800cc Sports Libre or <600cc Racing Cars, but they'd probably make a special rule to put you in a higher class if you turned up with 700bhp of electric power!

I'm looking at turning my ADR into a hybrid in the future with the addition of a few motors and a few cells. It's pretty quick now, so an extra 100bhp should do nicely!
Image
Above figures include track days and the odd competition.

User avatar
timpootle
Posts: 1362
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:13 pm
Location: Chorlton-cum-Hardy, UK

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby timpootle » Wed Sep 08, 2010 9:57 am

http://www.teslamotors.com/blog3/?p=180
Tesla competing at Goodwood

"Earlier this year, the UK’s motorsport governing body, the Motor Sport Association, assessed the performance and safety criteria for electric vehicles competing in UK Motorsport. Finally, motor racing clubs could create competing classes for EVs."
Tim Crumpton

User avatar
floydster
Site Staff
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:36 pm
Location: Central Scotland
Contact:

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby floydster » Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:52 pm

You could possibly enter as road going (if it is road legal). I haven't raced for a few years but I seem to remember that that road going cars had to be filled with pump fuel. So is mains electricity classed as pumped fuel? Maybe you could argue that you don't need fuel, depends on how the rules are interpreted.

If it was me I'd take the car along to a MSA scruitineer prior to entering have a chat and go over the car.

Floydster
I know I'm in my own world - it's OK, they know me here.

andylaurence
Posts: 108
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:45 pm
Location: Bristol
Contact:

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby andylaurence » Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:01 am

floydster wrote:You could possibly enter as road going (if it is road legal). I haven't raced for a few years but I seem to remember that that road going cars had to be filled with pump fuel. So is mains electricity classed as pumped fuel? Maybe you could argue that you don't need fuel, depends on how the rules are interpreted.

If it was me I'd take the car along to a MSA scruitineer prior to entering have a chat and go over the car.

Floydster

You definitely could not enter a converted electric car into production as the original engine must remain in the original location. Class C may be possible, although it's more likely you'd end up in Class D (Sports Libre), which makes a conversion an unlikely winner. The only way to really make a competitive electric car would be to convert a pre-existing race car. Anything else will not be competitive in the class it would be placed into. Convert a Radical (or similar) or a single seater would be my suggestion. You can pick up an old Formula Vauxhall Junior or a Jedi for a few grand, convert it and race in the appropriate class.
Image

Above figures include track days and the odd competition.

User avatar
booboo
Posts: 429
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 8:08 am
Location: Creepy Crawley,West Sussex
Contact:

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby booboo » Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:33 am

We built a special C5 (and called it "Challenger") to tackle Test Hill at Brooklands Museum;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPzWE6Myw8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGMqoaJ-E-I

...much to our surprise , the "Challenger" c5 was the first ever electric vehicle to achieve it ! The Museum even awarded us a cert5ificate for doing so :D . I understand that an electric motorcycle as since managed it as well. If you fancy testing your own electric vehicle out on Test Hill at Brooklands, it might be worth giving them a call.

With the BVS electrathon and the Santa Pod AER events, it looks as though the number of events catering for electric vehicles is slowly building.
London to Brighton on a Sinclair C5 - 6/5/07 - what a trip !
Ford Explorer 4.0 v6 petrol for everyday abuse - thank God for LPG
Sinclair C5's (Plus "c5alive.co.uk" ) as a hobby

User avatar
floydster
Site Staff
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:36 pm
Location: Central Scotland
Contact:

Re: Electric Hill climbing/motorsport

Postby floydster » Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:55 pm

andylaurence wrote:
floydster wrote:You could possibly enter as road going (if it is road legal). I haven't raced for a few years but I seem to remember that that road going cars had to be filled with pump fuel. So is mains electricity classed as pumped fuel? Maybe you could argue that you don't need fuel, depends on how the rules are interpreted.

If it was me I'd take the car along to a MSA scruitineer prior to entering have a chat and go over the car.

Floydster

You definitely could not enter a converted electric car into production as the original engine must remain in the original location. Class C may be possible, although it's more likely you'd end up in Class D (Sports Libre), which makes a conversion an unlikely winner. The only way to really make a competitive electric car would be to convert a pre-existing race car. Anything else will not be competitive in the class it would be placed into. Convert a Radical (or similar) or a single seater would be my suggestion. You can pick up an old Formula Vauxhall Junior or a Jedi for a few grand, convert it and race in the appropriate class.


You're right, sort of. I was getting confused with engine mods are free. However, I raced mod-prod with a road legal car. the blue book stated (back then) that engine mods were free as long as the engine fitted was by the original manufacturer. My engine is definately not the original type, I competed in many speed events and I'm planning to do a few next year with the same setup.

Anyway, this still doesn't answer the question. I'd still take the car along to a well know scruitineer for a chat and good going over.

Floydster
I know I'm in my own world - it's OK, they know me here.


Return to “General”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 32 guests