BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
User status: Offline
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As some of you may know, my cousin competes in the British Hillclimb championship in his own car. The 'GWR Predator'.
Well, next year is going to be a little different for him.
I present to you the Bee Four ERV (electric racing vehicle)

http://beecorporation.com/
The Bee Four ERV is being developed in conjunction with Martin Ogilvie, the former Lotus F1 designer, with the intention of winning the 2009 British Speed Hill Climb Championship. The ERV, code named the Watt 4, is an all electric 4WD vehicle capable of producing 700hp or 520kW.
The Bee Four electric racing car will be driven in the 2009 season by Graeme Wight, a former two times British Speed Hill Climb Champion, who has held outright records at Doune, Loton Park, Prescott and Shelsley Walsh. Partners in the project include Oxford University and MIRA – Motor Industry Research Association.
So its going to have a motor in each wheel, which, in theory will make it possible to control each wheel individually.
In my cousins words, "A hole new world of vehicle dynamics".
The car will feature motors similar to the ones in this bike, but twice as many and more hi-tech. I think its gonna be nuts 
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fHtAkM3CYLA&feature=related
Edit: Note the lack of side pods and exhausts on the car. Ignore the colour scheme. Hopefully its just for the prototype drawings.
[Edited on 22-10-2008 by BluKoo]
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205tom
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Registered: 1st Mar 06
Location: leigh nr wigan
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half the fun of cars/motorsport are the amazing noises some cars produce,booo to electric
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alan-g-w
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Registered: 9th Nov 07
Location: Glasgow
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Part of the whole experience of motorsport is going along and hearing/smelling the cars.
I think this is great, can only mean good things for the domestic car market. But at the same time I hope that petrol motors don't get pushed out.
EDIT: And that car looks like an 80's wind up toy.
[Edited on 22-10-2008 by alan-g-w]
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RCS
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Registered: 26th Jan 05
Location: Lichfield/Dundee
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How long do the batteries last?
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Gareth F
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Registered: 16th Jan 08
Location: Location Location
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Would rather watch old people racing each other in sainsburys, as said above the noise is half the fun.
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BluKoo
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Registered: 8th Apr 02
Location: Stonehaven (Scotland)
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by 205tom
half the fun of cars/motorsport are the amazing noises some cars produce,booo to electric
Yeah, i totally agree. I love the sound of a nice engine, but judging by the sound of the electric bike in that video, the ERV is going to sound epic.
quote: Originally posted by RCS
How long do the batteries last?
Not too sure, but considdering the average hillclimb run lasts inbetween 1-2 minutes, i don't think endurance will be a problem.
quote: Originally posted by munk3yrac3r
Would rather watch old people racing each other in sainsburys...
Really? 700bhp, 4WD, 0-60 in about 2 seconds, top speed of about 250mph?
Sounds a lot more exciting than the oap sainsburys grand prix.
[Edited on 22-10-2008 by BluKoo]
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