My Car of the Future, Today

C. Michael Lewis
Portland, Maine
"Eracer" Electrathon Racecar

My car of the future is an electric racecar. I built it in my basement to inspire kids, promote an ethic of efficiency, and see how far I could go with one kilowatt/hour (1.3 hp) of lead-acid battery. So far it's 53 miles in one hour, an Electrathon National Record.

Electrathon America [www.electrathonamerica.org] is an organization aiming to improve understanding of electric vehicles through the development of a unique sport. Competitors in Electrathon races drive as far as possible in one hour on a closed-loop course using limited electrical energy. Electrathon vehicles are single-person, lightweight, aerodynamic, high-efficiency electric vehicles with three or four pneumatic tires.

My Electrathon racecar is 10 feet long, 32 inches wide, and 19 inches high. The monocoque shell is constructed of a carbon/kevlar/balsa composite. The car has three 17-inch wheels. The front two are discs of the same composite, and all three wheels have eight-inch mechanical disc brakes. Power is from two Optima AGM sealed lead-acid batteries (together weighing 67 pounds, the Electrathon limit), which provide a little more than one horsepower at 24 volts to a Lynch disc armature motor through an Alltrax controller. The car has three video cameras—two for rear view, one in the nose for documentation—and a four-inch video monitor. It also sports a vertical airfoil for additional propulsion if wind conditions permit.

I've also built a custom fiberglass trailer to tow two racers behind my Honda Insight. The trailer will have photovoltaic panels to charge the race batteries.

See other Cars of the Future, Today.