As of today go out and buy your copy of Popular Mechanics at the newsstand! On the cover you can find the Li-Ion, the Canadian FVT three-wheeler, and the Edison2. We also received some coverage. Funny that they made bets on all teams for their respective winning odds. We only got a 20:1 while Aptera had an impressive 3:2…why didn’t you ask us, PM? -Roger
September 2010 Issue of Popular Mechanics - Radical X PRIZE Vehicles
Having spent a whole week doing more or less nothing except sleeping and eating at Jim Lorimer’s house in Richmond, VA, I flew to Chicago on Sunday the 8th of August. Monday the 9th I found my way into ANL and saw our E-Tracer babies again. I had a chance to visit the dyno where they were testing the TW4XP on the highway cycle. ANL is a very impressive outfit and I doubt that anything will slip through this totally scientific check. Everybody from the German team told me they totally trust the team at Argonne, many of whom we had previously met at MIS who were part of the expert team from PIAXP and have their “real” job here. This evening I’m firmly embedded with the TW4XP-team…;-) I wonder if Chicago has a beergarden? While in Virginia we also had dinner with Oliver Kuttner, his lovely wife Kim, and his team-members Ron and Brad. The news was out that Team Li-Ion from Charlotte, NC had successfully finished lab testing at ANL that night. We’re looking forward to completing this last testing phase. -Roger
Feet Forward advocate James F. Quinn wrote a nice article covering the E-Tracers for Cycle World magazine. The E-Tracer is the one vehicle which combines super energy efficiency and high speed peformance (have your cake and eat it too).
Click to read:
Seeking Fuel Efficiency and High Speed – Special Feature:
The 200-MPGe X-Tracer looking for a $2.5 million prize
These two prototype electric-powered Peraves E-Tracer cabin motorcycles were entered by the Swiss manufacturer in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize.
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Photos by James F. Quinn.
Vlogger Damien Somerset interviews Team X-Tracer’s Jim Lorimer (Peraves MonoTracer USA Sales Representative – 21st Century Motoring) on the E-Tracers progress in the PIAXP competition (July 25th, 2010).
While embedded with Team X-Tracer during the June Knockdown stage I shot this video from the backseat of Jim Lorimer‘s MonoTracer while doing a few hot laps of the Michigan International Speedway. This was my 2nd ever ride in a MonoTracer as we’d taken a several mile spin around the outskirts of Brooklyn, MI a couple of days prior. What a blast! Thanks for the ride Jim and for posting the video clip. -Stefano
Saturday, June 26th, 2010 MonoTracer Hot Lap of Michigan International Speedway
The last three days of the finals of the PIAXP took place at the Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, MI and represented the first part of the validation phase. The results of the coastdown runs are the basis for the load-settings of the dynometers at ANL (Argonne National Labs) in Chicago, IL. The two E-Tracers achieved the expected distances when they were accelerated up to about 75 mph, the throttles were shut off and the installed optical instruments and computers then measured the rolling distances and speeds between 70 and 10 mph. Each vehicle had to make 10 runs in both directions to eliminate errors from wind and track influences. We were pleasantly surprised by the friendly, competent, helpful and professional Chrysler test team. Corey, one of the test drivers, is also a seasoned BMW-biker and jumped to the occassion of receiving his E-Tracer driving instructions. After a short 3 minute briefing, he took off, retracted the outriggers without a single wobble, and continued to perfectly follow my suggestions of some low speed handling maneuvers. Good job, man! It’s a pleasure of watching a real pro go through something totally new: no haste, keep ahead of your vehicle, listen to your instructor, ask all the right questions. Don’t try to impress somebody by going fast, but by being precise! We have learned a lot about serious vehicle testing at Chrysler and I’m truly impressed of their work. Thanks, guys! -Roger
You can read about and catch glimpses of the E-Tracers on the track and performing the emergency double lane change maneuver during last week’s Finals at Michigan International Speedway in the latest Consumer Reports Automotive X PRIZE Finals Race Results blog.
The X-Tracer team had a mini celebration and BBQ at their motel on Saturday with some X PRIZE media staff after it was clear the E-Tracers were the only vehicles left in the Alternative Tandem division. You can read about the X PRIZE Finalists in Sebastian’s post at AutoblogGreen: Automotive X-Prize: Finalists announced, X-Tracer now last team standing in Tandem class
Also see Progressive Automotive X PRIZE’s blog entry: A Race to the Finish!
A photo of E-Tracer #72 appears in Gizmag’s: Automotive X PRIZE Finals stage concludes
The Finals closing event was held on Tuesday. Vehicles were loaded first thing Wednesday morning to be carried to the Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan. On Wednesday the team was at Chelsea preparing for the Friday coastdown event. Thursday the team will be cleaning and saying goodbye to their garage at Michigan International Speedway.
Team X-Tracer having a good time barbecuing at our motel on Saturday together with some X Prize media staff after it was clear that we were the only ones left in the Alternative Tandem division.
Peraves's US representative Jim Lorimer with E-Tracer 79 and 72 during the Finals closing event on Tuesday at the Michigan International Speedway.
X PRIZE Finalist vehicles being loaded on Wednesday morning to be carried to the Chrysler Proving Grounds at Chelsea, MI for the coastdown event.
Monday was Dynamic Testing Day and we smoothly executed the 0-60 mph acceleration and 60-0 emergency braking tests as well as the 45 mph double lane change tests. Felix in E-Tracer #72 needed two attemps on the braking because he was only at 59.5 mph the first time while I went through at 63 mph in E-Tracer #79. The lane change saw Felix pass on the first attempt while I needed a second because I tried to do it at 50 mph and my brain was probably 10 feet behind the E-Tracer. I also heard the last competitor in our class, the Edison2 #95 VLC (Very Light Car) with 5-times Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro at the controls, go “Pop” right behind me at the start when they obviously tried to run their launch control software. Oliver Kuttner took it like the man he is and told me first hand that he was out. I truly respect that guy for what they’ve done and how he runs his team. He then arranged a meeting with the PIAXP people for us and his team, each having two vehicles left in the Alternative Tandem and Mainstream classes with no more competitors to run against. We said we would not want to run the Tuesday event since it would only put stress on the vehicles and it wasn’t an elimination event anyway. We would rather polish our vehicles and have more time on hand to show them to the VIP’s, Sponsors, and Media that will be here on Tuesday. Eric, Steve, and Julie totally agreed and it took a lot of pressure of us. Thanks Oli, good thinking!
– Roger
Both E-tracers completed the 100 mile Range Event. The AC Propulsion powered E-Tracer #79 ran in the afternoon and had to do 1 additional penalty lap (as all the other vehicles in the same run) due to cabin temperatures above 95°F. We had not installed air conditioning in the prototype E-Tracers which is in the plans for the production versions. The vehicles that ran in the morning Range Event enjoyed cooler temperatures and would have experienced the same 1 lap penalty if running in the hotter afternoon. Both E-Tracers are now being recharged and will be stored for the weekend. The next event will be the acceleration run, braking test, and double lane-change maneuver on Monday.
best, Felix
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Today we competed in the third part of the X PRIZE Finals efficiency test, the 90 mile highway portion. All went well and I stuck to the minimum trace speed staying behind 5-times-Le-Mans-winner Emanuele Pirro in his Edison2 Very Light Car #95 who clearly knew what he was doing. We always pushed the E-Tracer #79 powered by an AC Propulsion drive system to the starting line and back to the charging impound in order to not waste a single watt-hour. Tomorrow morning (Friday, July 23rd, 2010) at 10 am, we should receive the results. I predict the E-Tracer #79 got well over 200 MPGe. If not, I will never push the thing again as I was already achieving 188 MPGe during June’s Knockdown Stage efficiency tests. On Friday afternoon from 2 to 3:40 pm both E-Tracers will run the 100-mile-range event together at 60 mph. Watch it live on the web!
best, Roger
Update
We’ve received the official MPGe data for the E-Tracers from the Efficiency events:
197 MPGe for E-Tracer #72 (Brusa powered)
189 MPGe for E-Tracer #79 (AC Propulsion powered)
Peraves E-Tracers #79 and #72 Charging after the Efficiency Events.
