The Electric Lola Runs!
We first looked at Lord Paul Drayson’s All-Electric Lola B12/69EV back in February. Now it’s a reality and has some pretty interesting features indeed.
Firstly, note that the car is 100% electric. It’s not a Hybrid, like the Toyota TS030 that ran at Le Mans a few weeks ago. Nor the Audi. Both those hybrids are running under rules that forbid the use of electric power under 120kph, which means that the can’t be used to help get out of slow corners or in slippery conditions.
This Lola ran last week at Goodwood and did so directly after the Toyota Hybrid. Both silently cruised up to the line, but where as the Toyota took off under petrol power, the Lola did so by electric motors. How’s 0-100mph in 5.0 sec (160kph)? 850bhp. 1000kg, of which 300kg is made up of Li-ion battery cells. Impressive stuff. Using the latest battery technology from A123 systems, the same people who pioneered KERS for Mercedes Benz F1, the car ran all weekend on one charge! The method of charging is also rather nifty. Like a toothbrush, it charges via induction, in this case a mat, that the car drives onto. I’m sure you can see the implications for domestic use coming up and home integration.
Also, from Multimatic, of Canada, are regenerative dampers, which put power back into the system. I’ve been to Multimatic’s operation in Thetford, England – they have a six poster rig, with one of the clueyest guys on the planet interpreting the data. All very top secret stuff. But how so? Because back in my Panoz days, Multimatic tested their Dynamic brand dampers on our LMP1 car. And International Pauly went on the work there too.
For the record, Paul Drayson is the ex-UK Science Minister!
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