News

ABB e=motion to Attempt Electric Car Speed Record

May 04, 2005 by Jeff Shepard

A high-speed, 32 ft long, electrical car, the e=motion, powered by motors and drives developed by ABB Ltd. (Zurich, Switzerland) will attempt a 300 mph land speed record for electric-powered cars weighing more than 2,200 lbs, using a vehicle that has 52 batteries and no mechanical gears. Nevada has agreed to shut down a 12-mile stretch of state Route 93A (about 25 miles south of Wendover) for the attempt.

The record is 245 mph, set by an American team using a similarly streamlined car powered by thousands of AA batteries. That record was set in 1999 on Utah's Salt Flats, which are too wet at this time of year for speed racing. The e=motion car has already reached speeds of 146 mph in just 1,000 yards during tests in the UK, and unofficially broken the 139 mph UK record for an electric vehicle.

The ABB e=motion car has no mechanical gears - acceleration is controlled entirely by ABB variable speed drives regulating two 50 HP ABB electric ac motors, which produce a combined output of more than 500 bhp (brake horsepower). ABB's system uses a regenerative standard inverter from its ACS800 motor drives line to convert the 600 Vdc output from the car's four packs of 52 lead-acid batteries into ac power for the two motors.

To prevent overheating during the record attempt, each motor has been adapted to include a forced-ventilation system that is comprised of a series of 24 Vdc fans, to help keep the motors below their maximum operating temperature of 180 °C. ABB sensors fitted to each motor winding provide real-time information about motor temperatures and help protect the motors.