Building a 13 second capable electric car

[carbonaltima]

What would be the specs needed to build an extremely reliable e car that at the same time can throw down 13 - 14 second quarter miles. I'm sure you guys are familiar with white zombie, he can do 11 second 1/4 miles and has a very powerful efficient setup. Does anyone have their e car geared towards performance aside from efficiency?

[dcb]

I have no EV like that, but the lead zombie has a 2000 amp controller with 360 volts. weighs 2652 lbs, 850 of that in lead.

dual 8" motors with series parallel "shift".

range: 1/4 mile "at least"

[Daox]

You'd need a big motor (or multiple smaller motors), high voltage and a high amperage controller. You'd also need batteries capable of dumping those high amps that you need for neck breaking acceleration.

[RobertSmalls]

He's also built the "Blue Meanie", which has a slightly smaller battery pack, 14s quarter mile time, and about a 40mi range. I'm more impressed by an electric drag car that you could drive to the drag strip than one that has to be trailered.

[carbonaltima]

That's exactly what I'm talking about. It will be a daily driven e car that when it needs to can throw down. What about using lithium ion batteries and a big capacitor that can put down the amps for around 15 seconds. What are some e motors with big potential? Has anyone experimented with a heavy duty capacitor? What are some of the lightest car chasis to use for an e car body? I'm trying to do as much research as possible before i delve into building one.

[dcb]

Originally Posted by carbonaltima

... I'm trying to do as much research as possible before i delve into building one.

Did you have a look at the blue meanie link?

some of the more critical specs for those performance figures:

Motor: 9" series-wound by Advanced DC, model FB-4001
Batteries: 14 Enersys 'Genesis' XE60 12V AGM lead acid, 47 ahr @ C1. Pack weight 693 lbs.
Controller: Zilla Z1K 1000 amp controller by Cafe Electric
System Voltage: 168 Volts
Curb Weight: ~2460 pounds.
Drivetrain: Original 4 speed transmission with shaved flywheel and heavy duty clutch

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by carbonaltima

What are some of the lightest car chasis to use for an e car body?

The 2000 Honda Insight. It's also fairly aero in its stock configuration, but you'll want to make some aeromods, including sealing the engine bay. Aeromods are cheaper than Ah. The Insight has a less expensive cousin, the CRX.

There's also the Geo Metro, which evidently can be cut down to 1200lbs including two electric motors.

Maybe you want something RWD and lightweight? There are lots of older economy cars to choose from, but they are lacking in modern safety considerations, so there are better cars to drive daily. Curb weight, CdA, and payload capacity will be the primary considerations.

[smokeyj]

Cost no object? Go for A123 cells (good luck getting them) They support high discharge and weigh less than lead. Energy is also higher so good for range.

For 13 seconds of discharge you are in the realm of ultracaps. Siemens S+M components used to make them (maybe they do again) also company called Maxwell make some large value caps that support high discharge rates.

[Ryland]

I would go with a rear wheel drive car if you could, otherwise you will be snapping cv joints, I would choose something like a Subaru Justy if you can find one that is not rusted out and is 4 wheel drive.
It seems like most front wheel drive cars are a little tight for space up front, motors the size that you would be looking at tend to get a little long.
From what I've gathered it looks like they are using aircraft starter batteries, not the ideal battery for going any range as they are not a deep cycle battery but they do handle the high discharge you are looking for.

[darcane]

There's a guy that races at my dad's track with an electric Pinto. He drives it to work and back (range is only about 30 miles) and it gets down into the 11's on the drag strip.

Electric Crazyhorse Pinto - DIY Electric Car Forums

Mike Willmon's 1980 Ford Pinto

When you get into drag racing, you need to buy components rated for high amps and they generally aren't cheap... (he breaks down the cost on a post in that forum link above)

Good luck!