18 May 2009 - 12:00
Electric circuit
Diesel has dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the last three years, but could the future of the endurance race be electric?
Racing outfit GreenGT thinks so. The Swiss firm has unveiled this design study that, they say, previews an all-electric Le Mans entrant in 2011.
Based around a carbon fire chassis and fibreglass body, the GreenGT car is powered by a pair of electric motors putting some 450bhp and, more significantly, a simply monstrous 1,475lb ft of torque to the rear wheels.
In a car weighing just 860kg, that's good for a 0-60mph time of around four seconds - the problem, we suspect, will be getting all that torque down onto the track effectively - and a top speed of around 170mph.
Batteries will be the big issue, though. Powerpacks that can store enough energy to supply that sheer amount of power for dozens of laps simply don't exist at the moment - at least, none that weigh less than several tonnes. The answer, surely, is replacing battery packs at pitstops, but nonetheless, we're still a long way off.
But GreenGT is convinced that the technology will develop within the next couple of years. It promises to have a pair of electric cars at Le Mans in 2011, followed by a curiously precise 22 road-going models within three years.
We'll see. We'll see...
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That is very awesome. And completely unrealistic. The hydrogen-powered LM car I designed for my DT coursework is about as likely to appear in 2011 as this. And at least mine does 260mph. Supposedly. And howcome they've copied the mirrors from the GTbyCITROEN?
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Hang on, doesn't it take HOURS to recharge batteries? It takes 3 hours just to recharge my bloody laptop for example. Either the bodywork is made of the world's best solar panels, or they're looking at one hell of a pitstop each race...
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What if they stored multiple, charged batteries in the pits and then made some ingenious battery-swapping system? That could keep them in business. And, they could have battery tech that the public isn't aware of yet... but I'm no conspiracy theorist so I'll leave it to the true lot of 'em.
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Wouldn't changing the batteries like changing the engine? No way. Another bunch of threehuggers that obviously are full of sh*t. The thought of standing at the Hunaudiéres and a car passes that makes a "brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" sound makes me want to vomit all over the place.
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i doubt it'll be there by 2011 by it looks awesome!!!
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I'm in love with that car. Put that design on the road and stick a real engine in it.
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i agree with laughinggas. Forget those stupid hydrogen and solar panel engine crap. We are wasting billions of dollars and years on designs that cant go more than 200 miles. and then theres the time it takes to recharge it. I'd say about....... 7 days. Yeah try and win Le Mans in 7 days, sure that will work
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Ohh for gods sake. Environmental tree huggers should go and bother someone else, and leave motor racing to the normal people.
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An alternative to laughniggas' commendable idea is to put a Caparo engine in it, fit sticky racing tyres and start a one-make series for them! It could be called Formula Win! Or, put a Caparo engine in it, fit semi-racing tyres and make an SportExige-esque trackday/weekend car for the super-rich! OR, they could put a Caparo engine in it and put it in Gran Turismo 5 so we can all have a go. Whatever happens, I think this should have a Caparo engine in it. Small cc, massive bhp, without forced induction. And nice 'n' racy!!
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*laughinggas. (I can't read, it seems)
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i hope jeremy doesn't see this or he might be sick
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This is gorgeos.I llike it damn.
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This is gorgeos.I llike it damn.
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HYDROGEN!!! hahaha if they can get backed by Honda, and recieve some of the awesome hydrogen technology they have that could easily rocket hydrogen fuel cells to the front of all alternative fuels.
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that's good, but we'll see. i reckon this car has made ugliness an asset though
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At least these are the right kind of treehugger, then. Treehugging at 200mph is alright by me. Face it, guys. Petrol has had it, sadly. These guys at least want to go racing. But I just had a vision. All tracks were inlaid with small metal rails and drivers sat in the pits, looking at screens and holding some sort of control thingy in one hand. What's that word? Scalectrix?
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Unrealistic promisses, perhaps. However, 10 years ago, if someone would have told me I could own a big LCD or plasma TV within 10 years, I would have laughed. The mobile phone was just within reach, satnav still needed to be invented for the average consumer and a 32Gb memory stick .... the 32Mb stick had still to be invented. Affordable and good quality digital cameras? Broadband internet at home? We will see what the world looks like in 5 or 10 years from now. Electric cars surely are present by then with performances you possibly can not think of today.
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I agree with ElectricFuture people need to encourage these forward thinking types looking for the next technological step. Of course their claims are ambitious but that is the only way forward. For the rest of you yeah you stick to your horse and cart while the rest of us watch the future happening with delight.
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^ I'm all for future stuff, but an electric LM car in the next TWO years? It's not happening.
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*Not a competitive one, anyway.
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kick ass looks, I would like my blender to look like that
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it looks a bit stupid but when i c it the first word that comes to my mind is (fast). btw, how dd they manage to get all that torque from an electric engine, the tesla has about 300 (i think) and how the hell are they gonna get all that torque on the road in a car weighing less than 1 tonne. impossible
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I hate it when this kind of thing happens... the proper prototype cars such as Audi and Peugeot will no doubt have some kind of further limit placed on their performance; to give the impression that these stupid eco cars are just as good.
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its not a bad looker but the only problem is that its electric. whats the point of having a car if you cant hear what noise the engine makes. oh wait it doesnt have an engine it has BATTERIES screw that!!!!! :)
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A little over optimistic if you ask me, and unless the electricity is generated through a renewable source it will be about as green as a bullet proof 600SL running on five star.
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hey, the enzo successor was going to look like that
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Blayney commented on this article
18 May 2009
That torque gets cut down at higher speeds to aid traction. Also it has solar panels to help recharge the batteries. Of course, that's only during the day ;)
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