“Charge your batteries”!
The sun shone bright. Not a cloud in sight. As the well shaved, uniform clad, just-around-the-corner motorcycle team entered the pit with their decent yet bullish machine; they were welcomed by gangs of skull toned, and blood dripping tattooed Harley Davidson bikers. Each one with their leather jackets, beer bottles, greying beards and gruff look. The only difference which seemed most evident was the difference in their machines.
Each Harley a gas guzzling heavyweight, + 750 cc engine, emitting hazardous fumes into the environment meant for highway cruising, here for a motorcycle drag race!
On the other hand the KillaCycle, apparently here to set a world record.
The looks glanced; comments passed in thin air were rather encouraging for the A123 team.
The first round was the time trial. The current record set, for the fastest electric vehicle was at 8.0801 seconds for a quarter mile. Bill Dube and his team ready their racer, Scotty Pollacheck to set a new world record. As Scotty settles on, he burns the tyres to let a fresh layer of tyre skin meet the surface.
“Charge your batteries”!
The bike is at the chequered strip, the team overlooks with rays of hope, the signal beams red, only seconds away, and there he goes, zooming through like a comet, already inching towards the quarter mile mark. He has made it through the first, only seconds before the official count shines on the gleaming board, and there it is a phenomenon 8.30 seconds!!
A123 are jumping with joy, dancing around in victory, happiness struck, the just-around-the-corner guys. Only to secure their victory, must they race a second time; a rule by the officials. Once again, after a quick bike check, is Scotty back on the grid, to set the world record for the quickest electric vehicle.
The lights go green and the Black and Orange KillaCycle makes its way to the pit stop. Once again, the team awaits its figures. There it is on the bulb screen, 8.22 seconds for a quarter mile! A world record!!
So, what is it behind the bike, which makes it what it is known for? The bike is charged by a power box of 990 lithium-ion iron phosphate battery cells, which takes a mere 5 minutes to charge. Compared to a cordless drill, its known as a “Giant Cordless Drill” with 350 horse power, 4 times the speed of an average bike. Weighing at 280 kilograms, this bike is a stunner. Apparently 8 of the 990 coils put in the battery cell is enough to start a normal passenger car!
Considering, the availability of such high end battery technology, why are there not as many electric vehicles on the road? The answer lies in basic economics. Such technology is not yet commercialized or popularised in the market. Once there is further circulation and supply on the basis of successful experimentation, the prices would come down, and then the average cost of a basic electric vehicle (around 12,500 dollars) should be 10,000 dollars and less.
And then only months ago were the news of yet another self record re-created at 7.890 seconds accounting at 174 miles an hour, by the KillaCycle team for the world’s quickest electric vehicle of any kind in a quarter mile set.
The sun shone bright. Not a cloud in sight. As the well shaved, uniform clad, just-around-the-corner motorcycle team entered the pit with their decent yet bullish machine; they were welcomed by gangs of skull toned, and blood dripping tattooed Harley Davidson bikers. Each one with their leather jackets, beer bottles, greying beards and gruff look. The only difference which seemed most evident was the difference in their machines.
Each Harley a gas guzzling heavyweight, + 750 cc engine, emitting hazardous fumes into the environment meant for highway cruising, here for a motorcycle drag race!
On the other hand the KillaCycle, apparently here to set a world record.
The looks glanced; comments passed in thin air were rather encouraging for the A123 team.
The first round was the time trial. The current record set, for the fastest electric vehicle was at 8.0801 seconds for a quarter mile. Bill Dube and his team ready their racer, Scotty Pollacheck to set a new world record. As Scotty settles on, he burns the tyres to let a fresh layer of tyre skin meet the surface.
“Charge your batteries”!
The bike is at the chequered strip, the team overlooks with rays of hope, the signal beams red, only seconds away, and there he goes, zooming through like a comet, already inching towards the quarter mile mark. He has made it through the first, only seconds before the official count shines on the gleaming board, and there it is a phenomenon 8.30 seconds!!
A123 are jumping with joy, dancing around in victory, happiness struck, the just-around-the-corner guys. Only to secure their victory, must they race a second time; a rule by the officials. Once again, after a quick bike check, is Scotty back on the grid, to set the world record for the quickest electric vehicle.
The lights go green and the Black and Orange KillaCycle makes its way to the pit stop. Once again, the team awaits its figures. There it is on the bulb screen, 8.22 seconds for a quarter mile! A world record!!
So, what is it behind the bike, which makes it what it is known for? The bike is charged by a power box of 990 lithium-ion iron phosphate battery cells, which takes a mere 5 minutes to charge. Compared to a cordless drill, its known as a “Giant Cordless Drill” with 350 horse power, 4 times the speed of an average bike. Weighing at 280 kilograms, this bike is a stunner. Apparently 8 of the 990 coils put in the battery cell is enough to start a normal passenger car!
Considering, the availability of such high end battery technology, why are there not as many electric vehicles on the road? The answer lies in basic economics. Such technology is not yet commercialized or popularised in the market. Once there is further circulation and supply on the basis of successful experimentation, the prices would come down, and then the average cost of a basic electric vehicle (around 12,500 dollars) should be 10,000 dollars and less.
And then only months ago were the news of yet another self record re-created at 7.890 seconds accounting at 174 miles an hour, by the KillaCycle team for the world’s quickest electric vehicle of any kind in a quarter mile set.
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1 comment:
Wow! this is a great achievement! Congrats! i wish i could have been a part of it! Keep the good work up!!
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