Green is the magic words nowadays where you can see a lot of people doing a lot of things to control their hazard to the nature.Among the favourite solution of global warming is by the use of electric car and hybrid car. This step had been taken a step ahead by building an electric racing car to slowly replace the normal fuel guzzling racing car. I guess the term ‘petrol head‘ wont be around anymore in near future.
Not sure if an electric race car can technically meet all the requirements and specifications of Le Mans racing today, but GreenGT of Switzerland has designed an electric racer to do just that.Doubt aside, this is the GreenGT’s first design study for a Le Mans prototype that could possibly compete in the 2011 24 hour race at Le Mans.
The Le-Mont-sur-Lausanne-based GreenGT team commissioned the young French designer Thomas Clavet of the ISD Valencienne Design School to create this Le Mans prototype.
The electric car is made up of FIA spec carbon chassis with a fiberglass body.Powering the car are 2 water-cooled electric motors each with 100 kW (2 x 100 kW) coupled to a differential gearbox patented by GreenGT.Juices comes from flexcell photovoltaic solar panels and two lithium-ion batteries, each rated with 30kWh of power output.And the whole car weights only 860 kg.
The magical numbers:
Top speed: 275 km/h (171 mph)
0-100 km/h (62mph): Under 4 seconds
Horsepower: 350 to 400
Torque:…
But for the torque, be prepared to hear the number. 2000NM or 1475 ft-lb for such a light car !
GreenGT is also hoping this car will be more than a pioneer on the track, and become a retail-ready road car for the masses. Or at least, the masses who can afford a high-tech, electric supercar.
You know, with Swiss-watch precision being what it is, a Swiss car doesn’t sound like such a bad idea, does it? And the car looks good too.
Let us wait for 2011 to see how the car perform in race situation at LeMans.
One thing for sure there won’t be any thrill as the car won’t ROAR. It will run silent like ghost car whoozing past you. The car will run almost silent as it was battery operated! Grand Stand audience won’t feel anything. Oops..did you see ‘that’ car pass you just now?!
And about fueling or charging in the case of this car; they will not make any pit stop for fuel. So the excitement of seeing pit stop strategy employed by various race team as seen in Formula One races won’t happen. This car will only make the routine stop to change tire or if it is a 24 hours race-change driver.
All race car are the ultimate showcase for a particular car manufacturer prowess with their motoring technology in consumer car. This car was, however, develop solely for race purpose. Hope the technology will be cascade down to build the man-in-the street car.
I just want to rectify a very important thing, this project was made by a team work composed by Baptiste Viry, Julien Sarreméjean and me for the design and Mathieu Bouis and Romuald Lemoine for the 3D modelling.
Thanks to all for your comments.