Electric Vehicles - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Video of KillaCycle at AHDRA
by Bill Dube (11/16/2006)
Below is a link to YouTube of a video of the KillaCycle setting a new record at the All Harley Drag Racing Association finals at Las Vegas this past weekend. (Turn up the sound, watch for the comet at the end of the run.)
We ran several times over the course of the two day event and went faster and faster. This is the last run on Sunday night when we had the A123 Systems battery pack up to temperature and we turned the motor controller up to 1350 amps (374 volts.) The bike ran 8.760 seconds at 145** mph. This is the best time ever for any electric-powered vehicle (of any sort) in history.
Just as the bike crossed the finish line, the commutator flashed plasma down at the track. (This is a bit like burning a piston in a top fuel dragster. Not something you do on purpose, but somewhat routine.) The driver is aware that this has happened as the bike then "drops out of warp" and the loss of power is felt, but the motor is fully shielded to defect the plasma, so he is fully protected. A spectacular, but pricey, fireworks show.
Obviously, the A123 batteries can dish out more than the motors can take.
We torture these cells and they come back for more. We have not had to replace a single one of the 880 A123 systems cells in the battery pack after racing many times. Impressive, to say the least.
The KillaCycle is the only non-Harley motorcycle ever to participate in the AHDRA event at Las Vegas, ever. It was interesting for us nerds to be surrounded by large tattooed bikers patting us on the back and asking intelligent questions about the bike (while occasionally spilling their beer on us.) Universally positive response to the bike, by the way.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010 
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