Beautiful day, beautiful drive
For anyone in England on April 8th 2010, you will know of the beautiful weather we had on this day, and how it seemed to categorically signal the end of winter, and the start of those glorious summer days which seem forever just around the corner.
So, it was in this extremely buoyant and optimistic mood that Toby, Clemens and myself found ourselves up at Radical waiting/hoping for the second motor and motor controller to arrive. Suddenly, a TNT delivery van rolls past the open factory door, and comes to a loud stop. We rush outside into the blinding sunlight with visions of the car finally driving with both motors, and a fully completed car running through our heads! It was then that I pulled out my phone and recorded the following video: Fake Arrival of Motor and MC 2
As can be seen in the above video, said components did not arrive, and so it was with an anticlimax to end all anticlimaxes resting on our shoulders that we walked back into the factory. But fear not, gentle readers, our spirits were not entirely crushed as we then decided to down tools, put on the bodywork, and go for a quick drive in the setting sun.
What amazes us every time is how well the car just works! It starts like any other car, minus the noise of course, and pulls away with confidence and power (and that’s just with one motor!). Driving with the sun on our faces and the wind in our hair put the disappointment of a few hours earlier completely out of our minds!
Tomorrow should actually see the arrival of the motor and controller!
And now for a couple of pics from the last few weeks:
Great project. Can’t wait to see the documentary.
It seems to me that you may have some problems with ground clearance. Presumably you have already done some research on the state of the roads in South America?
…Anyway great stuff, good luck with finishing it and with the journey.
The roads in Alaska, especially the Dalton Highway, are going to give you clearance problems. Lots of potholes. Any way to jack the vehicle up just a bit?
Great project, though and I look forward to a world with a lot fewer vehicles run on fossil fuels. Good luck!
Yeah, taking a car primarily designed for track racing would definitely not seem like the ideal choice for such a trip but the inherent nature of its appearance has done exactly what we set out to do – change public perception about electric vehicles! The ride height has been raised by a couple of inches since we took our first test drives in it. These were done with the car still at show ride height. She is good to go on UK roads and before the Pan-American trip we will raise the height further…