DailyDirt: High Performance Vehicles Without Internal Combustion Engines

Racing cars is supposed to lead to technologies that eventually end up in consumer vehicles. So if that's the case, there should be a lot more electric car races on the way, right? Well, there are... But the performance of electric cars isn't always awe-inspiring (except for straight-line drag racing, perhaps).

• The European Union is talking about starting a Formula One racing event for electric vehicles. It could begin in 2013 if everything runs smoothly. [url]
• Peugeot set a production electric car record at the Nürburgring track -- finishing a lap in about 9 minutes. Too bad that translates to a somewhat unimpressive average speed of 86 mph, though... [url]
• All-electric cars usually suffer from limited range (compared to hydrocarbon-burning vehicles), but putting motors in the wheels eliminates drivetrains and other components -- which could produce electric cars with more practical recharging requirements. The Japanese SIM-LEI vehicle uses the same batteries from Toyota and gets a 200 mile range, which might help to end "range anxiety" for EV drivers. [url]
• The National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) promotes all kinds of electric vehicle performance competitions. Instant torque is a nice feature for electric motors, apparently. [url]
• To discover more interesting car-related content, check out what's driving around StumbleUpon. [url]  

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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