Alister McRae has tackled the Dakar Rally the past few years in the ProDakar McRae Buggy and has finished what is considered one of the most grueling off-road races, if not the most grueling, in the world. The race – which previously ran from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal – moved to South America in 2009 due to security threats and now travels through Argentina, Chile and Peru. With more than 5,500 miles covered during the race, it’s an enormous feat just to finish. For 2012, McRae is upping the ante, however, looking to be the first team to race an electric vehicle at the Dakar.
This new electric McCrae buggy will feature a custom-made Lithium Ion batter designed to recharge to an amazing 90% in 15 to 30 minutes. The press release from the team provides more information:
The new evolution will be powered by a 54KW/h Lithium Ion battery pack through a PM motor with 2000Nm(but it will be limited to 120 NM) of Torque and 200 KW power rating with a weight less than 40 KG … An aerodynamically optimized body is been developed in conjunction with energy recovery shock absorbers that will turn kinetic engine from the ruts and bumps in to electrical energy.
Check out this video of the team below:
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The race will again take place in South America at the start of 2012, literally starting on the 1st of January. For more information on the event and schedule, check out http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/calendar.html.
Source: TreeHugger.com