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The electric car breaking records and boundaries
Damon Hill takes the electric super car Nemesis on some laps of Silverstone in aid of Halow.Damon Hill and Dale Vince OBE of Ecotricity. 121004M-B761
An eco-entrepreneur has said there is no logical reason to oppose electric cars after Silverstone stalwart Damon Hill OBE test drove a record breaking innovation around the circuit last week.
Last Thursday the former president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club drove Nemesis, the super car which smashed the UK electric car land-speed record by reaching 151mph earlier this month.
Brainchild of Dale Vince OBE, who founded the world’s first green electricity company, Ecotricity, Nemesis was charged using the company’s network of 53 wind turbines.
Mr Hill said we would foolish to overlook cars powered by ‘free energy’ and added: “It’s incredible: incredible speed, very quick. The electric car has so many advantages, noise and pollution being on high on that list, particularly in urban environments.”
Mr Vince said: “It is great to see the Nemesis with Damon behind the wheel.
“We built the car to smash conventions and challenge thinking about what an electric car can do – last week we broke the electric land-speed record and today it’s powering around Silverstone with Damon Hill at the wheel.
“There is no logical reason to oppose electric cars anymore – what are we waiting for?”
The Nemesis can travel from 100-150 miles between charges depending on driving style and can be charged from empty in under 30mins using rapid-charging infrastructure.
Nemesis started life as a second-hand Lotus Exige which was bought on eBay and rebuilt from the ground up. Engineers lengthened the chassis by 90mm, lowered and shifted the centre of gravity forward, fitted a cluster of 96 lithium-ion polymer cells that sit in a carbon-fibre and Kevlar fire resistant coating with ceramic fire suppression system, two brushless motors, a completely new transmission, and a lot of electronics.
Several patents to protect the design have already been applied for.
As patron for the halow project Mr Hill was joined by Dan Maguire who successfully bid to join the test drive during an auction in July which raised £50,000.
The project helps people with learning difficulties lead independent lives.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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