1st electric off-road car will participate in the Dakar rally raid 2012

[BetaFlasher]

Hi everyone!

First of all, I’m new here and this will be my first post :)
Secondly, I have pretty exciting news for EV fans! Read further ;)

First electric off-road car called “OSCar eO” is being built at the moment and is going to participate in the Dakar rally raid 2012 to win it.
This is the first time when electric off-road car is going to participate in the Dakar rally raid and, in my opinion, is worth attention.

Citation from “OSCar eO” website:
“Designed and built with the unique eO drive-train technology in Latvia by a long-time race driver and engineer Andris Dambis from OSC. An evolution of the famously durable OSCar O3.

16 modules of powerful and durable battery packs from Winston Battery with combined voltage of 614 V and total energy of 61 kWh.
Two powerful permanent magnet electric motors (with support for regenerative braking) of combined power of 180 kW nominal and 315 kW peak. Nominal torque 500 Nm, peak torque 800 Nm. Top speed of 140 km/h.

Electricity generating shock absorbers developed by Donerre in cooperation with OSC.”

Images:
http://www.sponsume.com/sites/default/files/projects/didzis-eglitis-1736/gallery/1954072cg55zk.jpg
Powerful electric engine which will run the car:
http://www.sponsume.com/sites/default/files/projects/didzis-eglitis-1736/gallery/img2168.jpg
28 boxes with 660 batteries. "OSCar eO" will have 172 onboard.
http://www.sponsume.com/sites/default/files/projects/didzis-eglitis-1736/gallery/screen-shot-2011-04-16-220105.png

Here’s a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GmEBcmpzks&feature=channel_video_title

LIVE video from their workshop to follow how the car is being built: OSCar eO (http://oscareo.lv/#live)

- BetaFlasher

[Mark]

Excellent. There has been some debate on this forum recently about the merits of electric vehicles for everyday use.

Assuming you aren't just here to advertise and leave could you let us know your thoughts on this?

[BetaFlasher]

This is the first electric off-road car which is going to participate in Dakar rally raid 2012. In my opinion, this car is worth attention because none has ever done it before. There even aren't any electric off-road cars. Why can't I share this information with you?
This thread can make discussion and I can provide you information.

[Mark]

Please do, it's very interesting :D

[BetaFlasher]

Then why my first post is removed?

[Mark]

It just needed approving because of the amount of links. Done now.

[BetaFlasher]

Thank you!

[Eki]

Does it have batteries or does it use an extension cord? If yes, what's its range

[Captain VXR]

Good luck, it wont be easy, and please keep us informed :)

[Daniel]

This can only end badly!

[Robinho]

very interesting project, will be intrigued how they can make it work over the range required to compete in the Dakar, not sure what the daily mileages are, but at full throttle this will limit the batteries. Will they have a lot of spares to swap out or some way of charging on the move. Even the logisitics of charging the thing overnight given where they are racing will be challenging. I would have though circuit driving would take up electric sooner than off roading, but there isn't much where they could compete outside of one make events, although I expect Le Mans will be having increasing hybrid/electric entries

[Daniel]

very interesting project, will be intrigued how they can make it work over the range required to compete in the Dakar, not sure what the daily mileages are, but at full throttle this will limit the batteries. Will they have a lot of spares to swap out or some way of charging on the move. Even the logisitics of charging the thing overnight given where they are racing will be challenging. I would have though circuit driving would take up electric sooner than off roading, but there isn't much where they could compete outside of one make events, although I expect Le Mans will be having increasing hybrid/electric entries

Wheelspin kills fuel economy.

[Daniel]

Wheelspin kills fuel economy.

and I meant to say that you get a lot of it off road!

[BetaFlasher]

Does it have batteries or does it use an extension cord? If yes, what's its range
It will use 172 batteries which are put together. Overall voltage will be 600v and that's a lot :)

[BetaFlasher]

"OSCar eO" engineers and mechanics have built 15 cars like these (petrol engine of course, not electric) before for Dakar rally raid. This is one of their previous cars and "OSCar eO" will look very similar:
http://www.sponsume.com/sites/default/files/projects/anonymous-0/gallery/eloffroadnoj1.jpg
Designing a scaled model:
http://www.sponsume.com/sites/default/files/projects/didzis-eglitis-1736/gallery/img2758.jpg
Previous car in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLH3gevB3uU

[Mark]

So how will the problems of range and charging be overcome?

[BetaFlasher]

So how will the problems of range and charging be overcome?
It will be very tricky ;) They will charge the batteries whenever they have access to electricity, but for further distances "OSCar eO" will have a petrol engine onboard with 200l tank which will run a generator and generator will charge the batteries. Car itself will be run by electric engine ONLY. Petrol engine will run only a generator to charge the batteries. Electric car with batteries only couldn't make very far without charging.

[BetaFlasher]

I have more exciting news for you!
We have started to film a documentary about “OSCar eO” - the first off-road electric car which is going to participate in the Dakar rally raid 2012.
This documentary is about a family building the first electric off-road car “OSCar eO” to participate in the Dakar rally raid 2012 and win it. We have open access to the building process and permission from “OSCar eO” manufacturer to show details of the building process when the rally raid is over. We have the resources to shoot the building process once a month, but we firmly believe that the film will be way more gripping if we can film more often - at least each week. You can help us to twice the number of shooting days. We have created a profile on Rockethub, which is open for donations: Project: Electric Off-Road #1 | RocketHub (http://rockethub.com/projects/2159-electric-off-road-1)
If we raise the targeted resources on Rockethub, we will have twice the number of shooting days and as a result you will be able to see 90 minutes long documentary about world’s first electric off-road car “OSCar eO” which is going to participate in the Dakar rally raid 2012.

Thank you!

- BetaFlasher

[Mark]

It will be very tricky ;) They will charge the batteries whenever they have access to electricity, but for further distances "OSCar eO" will have a petrol engine onboard with 200l tank which will run a generator and generator will charge the batteries. Car itself will be run by electric engine ONLY. Petrol engine will run only a generator to charge the batteries. Electric car with batteries only couldn't make very far without charging.

I see. So it's more of a petrol-electric solution. It's like saying an Intercity 125 is electric as electric motors drive the wheels.

[Daniel]

LOL so it's a hybrid......

[Mark]

Hammer Head Eagle iThrust?

[Daniel]

Hammer Head Eagle iThrust?

Exactamundo.

[BetaFlasher]

Without using the generator they will be able to drive 300km without changing or charging batteries.
They are going to use the generator only for long routes.

[donKey jote]

It will use 172 batteries which are put together. Overall voltage will be 600v and that's a lot :)

make sure you leave enough room for the liquid nitrogen ;)

[555-04Q2]

Navigator, "S#!t Pete, the batteries are dead and we still got 200 miles to go to the stage finish!"

Driver, "No problem Andy, just plug the charging cable into that camels ar$e over there!"

[ioan]

Navigator, "S#!t Pete, the batteries are dead and we still got 200 miles to go to the stage finish!"

Driver, "No problem Andy, just plug the charging cable into that camels ar$e over there!"

The problem is there are no Camels in South America, maybe a Llama?!

[airshifter]

I must admit though, it's the first I've heard of generator dampers. This might be something that could some day apply to road car hybrids or electrics.

[Dave B]

OH I seeeeeeeee: it's a project to use the current hype over electric vehicles to raise money for a vanity film. Why didn't you say?

[Daniel]

One thing to mention, a silent car travelling through that sort of terrain presents a bit of a risk too.....

[Kaspars Dambis]

This is Kaspars from the eO team. I am one of the engineers and would be glad to answer any questions you guys might have about the design of the car.

The big challenge we have is the range of 800km that the car must be able to travel each day according to the FIA technical regulations. This would be something like 1100 km driving on normal roads (in regards to the energy required), and unfortunately there is no way we can do it without using some petrol and have the total weight of the car such that it can actually move in the dunes and other types of very harsh terrain this rally covers.

Again, just let me know if you have any questions and I'll be glad to answer them.

[555-04Q2]

Place a group of camels every 200 km's or so to recharge.....or just use a combustion engine like the rest of the world does ;)

[SGWilko]

The big challenge we have is the range .

The Top Gear team WERE on to something then!

[Mark]

So I wonder why it's being promoted as electric then when petrol is still being used.

It's a laudable ambition but you've already said that it isn't going to work.

[555-04Q2]

Its like the Volt. Runs off batteries charged by a gasoline generator. WTF?

Our local motoring scribes got 7.7 L/100 km on a recent 3000 km trip down the West Coast of the USA with the Volt. A Blue Motion Diesel Golf gets twice that mileage.

Nothing is more efficient than a good old trubo diesel or small petrol engine. Give the cellular phones and laptops their batteries back messers Chevy, Toyota, honda etc.