Electric Go Kart vs Gas Powered Kart: An Experiment

In the June 2008 issue of MythBusters, they did a hack of a Go Kart by transforming it to use electric power rather than the original gas powered version.

But the real test comes in testing it against another Gas Powered Go Kart and seeing the results:

Purpose of Test: The Question is "Which will perform better?"

Reason for testing: Pitting cleaner, less noisy Electric Kart vs. Traditional 2 stroke Gas Powered Go Kart.

Equipment Used:
- 2 Tony Karts, with one converted in less than 12 hrs to electric powered
- 25-hp brushed DC electric motor
- industrial controller from a golf cart
- making adjustments in 4 areas: torque curves, weight, batteries and cost

Finer points of conversion:
- Created a link between the throttle pedal and the potentiometer
- Avoided overheating of battery by using lithium-iron-phosphate batteries from Thunder-Sky
- Built a bracket for the batteries to prevent cracking of casing when batteries swell up after heating.
- Used a total of 28 batteries with a total of 110 volts.
- Using a motor mount with slots instead of holes so that tension can be adjusted while driving.
- Smoking the tires before the race to get them soften for more traction

Results of Test:
Electric Go Kart  was almost as fast (slower by 1 second) even though it weighed much more. And much less pollution.

(0-60 mph)
(Table Details from Mythbusters website)

Some interesting reader's comments:

On the use of ThunderSky Lithium Battery:

"....I was interested if anyone knew what type of motor the mythbusters used for the go-kart. I have looked up some 25 hp electric motors and the ranged from 350 pounds to 500 pounds and from $500 to $3000. For the mythbusters build the entire kart only weighed 300 pounds and that included batteries, so i would like to know who makes the motor they used."

"....must be nice to be Mythbusters, because not just anyone can even *get* Thundersky batteries. Nice work, though. FYI, I used lead acid batteries for my karts. Lithium Ion could have given me something like 3 times the power for a little more than half the weight. Oh, and around 5 times the cost"

"I'm interested in how much of the battery capacity was used in the track runs. I'm wondering, if, say only 50% of the capacity was used, if you could reduce the amount of batteries and save weight...."

On the advantages of Electric Go Karts:

"...On small Tracks that instant Torque is Very Important. No Indoor tracks are long enough to get the most out of a gas kart. Not to mention sitting in a warehouse sucking on lawn mower fumes..."

"Electric go-karts are a rising star in the amusement industry....they work VERY well and run all day using a rotating charge/race system. They can also be run indoors all year round, which is a big deal because outdoor tracks lose a bunch of money on rainy weekends in peak seasons...."

"Two words: COLD WEATHER. Try racing these puppies during a Montana coldspell. The gas powered would pretty much do what is usually does, the electric would be sluggish and have severely reduced range."

On the finer points of Comversion:

"...could the torque not be converted to a better suited gear train and or transmission which would add to the top end of the vehicle and not sacrifice too much of the torque in a lower gear for pull offs. I don't think I read that the drive train was adapted for the Electirc Motor so it could be viable...Well at least in my mind..".

"..The electric cart's performance could probably been inhanced be drilling vent holes in the electric motor's case an adding a cooling fan. this would allow the motor to produce more hp. without overheating. To increase the hp. simply raise the voltage by adding a couple of batteries to the power pack...."
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Our Conclusion: Mythbusters experiment confirms many's opinion on Electric Powered Karts. It's pretty obvious Electric Go Karts are the way to go in future which already seems to be the case for many In-Door race tracks. The wider use of electric energy as a source for Go Karts will not come till prices are much lowered for the general public, which we feel will not be too far away. But as one reader says "The main problem with electric vehicles is the batteries." Right on!

Read More on details of Conversion & Results:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/workshop/4264026.html?page=1