Pikes Peak race car Ep10 - Track test

It's time for BugZappa to venture onto a track for the first time. We're still waiting for the suspension and rear callipers to arrive, but that's not going to stop us from testing the thermal management side of things and seeing whether anything falls off. Will the radiators, fans and pumps be able to keep on top of the temperatures of the batteries and motors?
Time to get our first idea of what all that Tesla power feels like under the right foot and an initial 0-60mph time.
Still a long way to go until Pikes Peak but it's a big step forward.

[@bob808]

0-60 in 3s is very impressive in those conditions! Great to see the progression of BugZappa :D

[@cptkirkyoung3269]

3 sec 0-60 in the wet and ice cold tyres is amazing can't wait to see the full send well done

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Can't wait!

[@bowesterlund3719]

Would be soooo cool if Bug Zappa beat a Plaid or Nevera 0-60

[@williamarmstrong7199]

You need to talk to Johnny Smith of the late brake show. He is thinking about doing an EV conversion of his American Impala car! He also has built an EV drag racing car and hos 1st love is VW Beatles. So you have good synergy.

[@cptkirkyoung3269]

@bowesterlund3719 it's close already remember the plaid has been tested on hot tyres and in the dry this was tested in a swimming pool on frozen tyres to shave 1.1 sec of that time won't be a problem for Richard and his team

[@procatprocat9647]

@@williamarmstrong7199 His old drag car is sitting in the Bubble car museum in Lincolshire. The museum isn't all that good btw!

[@waynethefridgemanosborne8984]

3 seconds , with aero of a barn door. Dam it's going to be GREAT

[@user-xz4pd3xo7z]

This is awesome! Next practice session should be a replica of Ari Vatanen's Pike Peak exploits, driving with one hand while shielding your eyes with the other hand from the grey skies 😜

[@videogalore]

Excellent! Just need to upgrade the tow car to a Model X now. I didn't know you were doing Pikes Peak in this one!

[@chrisbolton5461]

Love the enthusiasm and boundary pushing. Good on you.

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Thank you!

[@joeg3950]

Good times! Can’t wait to see when things are optimal. Cheers!

[@ReignitedAuto]

I love one off projects like this, fantastic work! 👏 On another note, i went up pikes peak on my motorcycle a few years ago and it gets legitimately scary up near the top, even at a moderate pace! 👍

[@m.i.andersen8167]

Cool Richard! Is both exciting and very entertaining to follow the project.

[@spudproductions7606]

Thanks 👍😀

[@georgedaville4662]

Love the first principles approach to the design which gives you unique knowledge of the predicted performance parameters and enables you to focus quickly to where adjustments and changes are required. Addictive watching Richard 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿😎

[@spudproductions7606]

Thanks 👍👍😀

[@locknut5382]

Not bad at all for a first attempt. That car gas plenty of..... potential! Nice job, team! And thanks Richard. 🙂👍

[@GregoryKane11]

Drone footage is great ... Really do love this channel

[@spudproductions7606]

Thanks. It’s our first dabble with the drone so just learning the ropes 👍😀

[@tinman7551]

Pikes Peak 😮 holy spinning off road Batman! Are you serious 🧐 oh wow this is incredibly exciting. I can’t wait 😝 🥰😍😂

[@yousuff1]

This is my favourite project from your channel, this car has so much potential!

[@modscotsman]

Love Curborough track. Used to sprint in lots of different cars there

[@dangreasley7934]

Brilliant bit of engineering there Moggy.... Great to see a shake down.... Loved this one.

[@AaronDwyer]

Drone footage is great. The missing ingredient for your showcase videos. Hooray 🎉

[@cmoor7928]

Exciting times guys! Pikes peak! Did you guys sort out the locked 4X4 issue? If you set up a membership through KZbin, and it helps develop this project faster, I'm in!

[@spudproductions7606]

Great, we’ve been looking into channel membership. Watch this space. 👍👍😀😀

[@ptz0n]

Just what I thought, then you said it. Pikes Peak!

[@54mgtf22]

Hey Richard. Love your work 👍

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Thanks 👍

[@garmar704]

It's fun coming along for the fine tuning sessions on this little rocket. Thanks, guys :)

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@JockeSelin]

My microwave starts automatically to make the popcorn whenever a video is uploaded. 🍿😂👍🏻

[@spudproductions7606]

Great idea. 👍😀

[@JockeSelin]

😂👍🏻👍🏻

[@youxkio]

Looking good Richard. Jolly good.

[@onidoes]

Great projects, all this yall got bugs fly 😂 one day imma do one too 😊

[@baomao7243]

3:03 The intense fan noise made me seriously wonder if this was also going to become a drone

[@pauljeffrey3225]

Err,sorry did you just say pikes peak? Rock & Roll!

[@James_T_Quirk]

The Bugzilla was fav name, I still think its a Monster ...

[@markwellington1254]

It's like building character for the BugZappa!

[@KevIsOffGrid]

+20 degrees for short sprints in freezing cold, will need to check that when its 25 degrees ambient and batteries getting to 50? Although once the front clip is on, directing airflow much more efficiently over the rad that should again help. Good progress!

[@calorus]

Getting the wings (the American fenders) on will probably be enough to bring that down a lot; putting wings (as in spoilers) on will be even better.

[@bernardcharlesworth9860]

Looking forward to the production sport car

[@zapfanzapfan]

Bonkers, in a good way 🙂

[@aqnaqnaqn]

9:29 It's interesting that Tony pulled up on the torque wrench. I always lean down on it; it takes less effort!

[@ElectricClassicCars]

When you’ve got arms the size of his I don’t think it matters either way. 😆😉👍

[@Syncrogreg]

Nice shakedown guys ❤

[@mrmawson2438]

Seems to drive alright 👍

[@1993ka24det]

I've ran manual steering in all of my race cars and never had a problem. Neither has Jim Clark, Niki Lauda, or Fangio had a problem with manual racks.

[@clintthomas1854]

Well done mate, that is an awesome machine. Even though there is still heaps to do. Oh the EXOdrones are going to hate this! 🙂

[@genestatler2514]

That was great!!!!! MAN!!! I love your channel!!!!!😀🤩

[@spudproductions7606]

Thanks Man 👍👍😎😎😀

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Thanks for watching. 😎👍

[@chargeheadsuk]

Great vid chaps, can't wait for more!

[@spudproductions7606]

Thanks. Plenty more planned. 👍😀

[@PaulM745]

Looks like you're enjoying yourself... 😁

[@ElectraFlarefire]

You have to beat the 1.99s that the original plaid has. :)

[@vdubster]

I know it’s not that relevant, but a run at Santa Pod when it warms up would be good.

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Definitely 👍

[@procatprocat9647]

Lithium hates cold temps. Maybe put the fans onto a thermostat because you could damage the cells from undertemp Edit - I'm thinking of cold winter days when you set off from cold. I guess hard wiring the fans for pikes peaks makes sense from a reliability perspective

[@joshuared1000]

OMG!! Will you be at this 2024 Pikes Peaks race this year?? I am so excited to see the car in person =)

[@ElectricClassicCars]

That’s the plan. Come say hi when we’re there. 👍

[@AlteredCarbons]

as someone who is addicted to speed. i love EV's for that jump they get off the line, but god dang do i miss the rip and roar of a good ICE exhaust notes

[@baomao7243]

That can be synthesized, amplified, and pumped out on hidden external speaker. You can make it sound like a Chevelle or a Spitfire’s Merlin engine. Make it so !

[@micheltebraake7915]

Great project.

[@spudproductions7606]

Thanks 👍👍

[@aqnaqnaqn]

Good start, considering how many moving pieces there are to consider. Just curious: 7:48 is the software and monitoring that enabled Ben to see call temperatures available to end users? I wonder if there are many who would be interested in that sort of thing.

[@g0fvt]

I think the optimum temperature for the batteries is about 45c for maximum performance so Pikes Peak may be still be challenging for thermal issues. No idea to what extent such high elevation will have on your cooling and what the ambient is. Unlike ICE vehicles it will not directly kill your power. Shakedown looking good, well done.

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Thinner air means less efficient cooling so we’re going to up the thermal management even more we reckon. 👍

[@g0fvt]

@@ElectricClassicCars I guessed it was going to go in that direction. As an armchair pundit it does appear that more competition cars suffer with inadequate cooling than they do from a tiny bit more weight of a bigger rad. All part of the R&D, for a one-off car it is not a massive snag list so far.

[@johncoach14]

@@ElectricClassicCars And this testing on a very cold day, so as the ambient temp goes up, the cooling will be less efficient too. You know what your doing though.

[@drumbrakes]

@@ElectricClassicCars Not just thinner, much dryer too. High moisture content in the air makes it more effective at cooling, but at those altitudes the absolute humidity is nearly zero.

[@NewZeroland]

That thing sounds so coooool! Great progress man :D

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Well: it's not all fun and games on a Caribbean shore!

[@rickbullock4331]

The car looks neat but I find the data pretty boring to me. The fan noise is way too high to my thinking but I’m definitely not a technical guy at all. I like to see acceleration and how it does cornering but I personally get bored hearing about battery packs and regen etc. I know I’m probably in the wrong sight. Good Luck on your goals though.👍👍

[@michaelanderson3771]

looks like a fun shake down run. Bit frigid there in Wales. You look a bit cold Richard. What was torque steer like if any? Will you be ready for Pikes 2024?

[@metalhead2550]

Great video. Our of interest did you manage to resolve the FWD & RWD switching issue from the last video?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Not yet

[@agentcooper2417]

Nice sprint times will you be modifying or building a new road going bug for yourself?And great to see other staff team members 👍one last question warming up the battery cells to an even temperature is the tech available to warm and cool individual cells for a perfect battery on demand?

[@struanmockford3264]

Good effort boys! Bring it to New Zealand for race to the sky. Love to see it.

[@spudproductions7606]

Thanks. Love to. 👍😀

[@plexi3d]

That's look cool to drive.

[@ElectricClassicCars]

It was very cool, positively freezing. 😆😉👍

[@plexi3d]

​@@ElectricClassicCars Between -10c and -20c here in Canada, just to keep you in perspective, I keep my sunshades in the Tesla to insulate it from the windows, it can warm up in less than 15 mins that way. Have a nice day.

[@PaulG.x]

An actual electric Volkswagen Beetle! As opposed to common as muck Yankswagen Beetles (Teslas)

[@yveslegh]

Fantastic

[@Pugjamin]

Just round the corner from me!

[@Hybridog]

Who else here wants to have Moggy as their next door neighbor?

[@spudproductions7606]

You really don’t 😂😂😂😂😂

[@baomao7243]

Where were you when i still had a Bug ?!

[@peterkitts8815]

Did you consider including a super capacitor in the drivetrain? I've always thought that having a capacitor to be able to accept massive amounts of energy when breaking and then being able to deliver that back out when accelerating would be more efficient and reduce strain/mitigate some limitations of the battery. It adds more complexity but the payoff could be worth it. I'd love to know your thoughts on it as you actually know the electrics inside out.

[@fire_stick]

what’s all this pikes peak chatter? did I miss an announcement?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

We’re building this for Pikes Peak. 😉👍

[@scottharvey9764]

PIKES PEAK did i hear right theres a plan for there

[@olebull9714]

Did I hear "Pikes peak"?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Yep. 😉👍

[@-LightningRod-]

The "electric grin", ..everyone has one, you Know.

[@ElectricClassicCars]

If you know, you KNOW. 😆😉👍

[@-LightningRod-]

@@ElectricClassicCars the first time i experienced an electrical vehicle,..... i was "alarmed" by how bad the mechanical parts of the vehicle were. Today just the sound uf reverb thru the chassis or the powerful sound of disk brakes ,..working 'perfectly of course! Any thoughts of how much better the drivers become/

[@Tom-evnut]

What was the Ambient temps? As a delta of 30C over ambient is quite alot. How much of the battery energy was consumed getting to those temps and how does this compare to the expected usage during a race/run?

[@joegatrill6634]

My take away from this testing is that your wedding ring is really tight! 😂 10.35

[@spudproductions7606]

😂😂😊

[@ElectricClassicCars]

It went on at the church 23 years ago and has never been off. Now you know why. 😆😉👍

[@garage6346]

Nice progress report, but most importantly: First(?) appearance of a longer version of the title music. What's the name of the song? Where can I get it? 😉

[@spudproductions7606]

It’s a called Time Machine and it’s a copyright free tune from an editing package. 👍😀

[@garage6346]

@@spudproductions7606 Any chance chance to tell me the name/source of that package?

[@spudproductions7606]

It’s called splice 👍

[@nextechsolutions5955]

How hard would it be to install some form of telemetry so the car can transmit real time data instead of waiting to plug it in?!?

[@michaelenglund]

If want the temp up, why run the fans all the time? Isnt it a good idea to run with and then without fans? Also, if the battery or motor needs cooling the you are done and you shut it off. Is there never a need for the fans to still run for a while after you turn it off?

[@DavidHamby-ORF-48]

Can cover ECC boffins fit a hydronic hats drivers seat?😊

[@TheTReed78]

This thing is so incredibly awesome, so you're definitely under 2 w/traction.

[@ElectricClassicCars]

I think so too!

[@johnbullers8647]

When will you be at Pikes Peak?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Hopefully this year. 👍

[@mikejf4377]

Question how do you get the information to be displayed on the Apple tablet? I would like part numbers for the connectors that are being used. Thanks for all your information.

[@demonhighwayman9403]

I didn't know you were taking to pikes peak, will that be this year ? and what sort of colour scheme are you planning ?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Yep 2024. Colour scheme hasn’t been announced yet. 😉👍

[@demonhighwayman9403]

Nice ! can't wait to see it in action.@@ElectricClassicCars

[@martingibbs9277]

Very interesting to see what the 0-60 will be when dry and hot 👍

[@maxtorque2277]

Given how short a run Pikes peak actually is (around 11min) it's unlikely that battery cell temperature will be the limiting factor because of the high thermal mass of that battery. Given the high altitude and hence thin air and hecne poor cooling, i suspect you'll find inverter or motor temps drive you into thermal limitation well before the battery gets anywhere near critical. Most teams precool their systems with dry ice to start with inverter and motor at say -10degC or less. You can also use evapourative cooling, ie expanding Co2 from a high pressure cylinder to maximse motor and inverter cooling.......

[@MathieuDeVinois]

Hi, two questions you may want to dive into a little: first: how do you see incorporating heat pumps into classics? Second: what do you think about hub motors for an easier electrifying of, especially smaller, classic cars? Are companies working with hub motors atm scam or could it be a solution for fast electrification of ICEs?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Heat pumps are coming. Stay tuned. Hub motors have lots of disadvantages which is why there’s none in production cars. Too many to list here. 👍

[@broughton74]

@10:55 had you just filled your trousers?

[@Chris-bg8mk]

Your fans are over the decibel limit. 😂

[@ADudesRotary]

More 😊the brakes

[@geoff9056]

How many kWh in your battery pack to get you to the top with 1000 hp? How much do the batteries weigh? I ran numbers once and I think it required basically an entire 57.5 kWh model 3 battery pack which weighs over 1,000 lbs

[@g-mech1244]

These chrysler batteries. Are there alternatives that are available from catl etc. That have good power with minimal sag?

[@confuseatronica]

"taters"? hmm what's taters precious

[@USUG0]

for improving cooling, I believe the most efficient solution is to make a cage next to the radiator, and fill it with (carbon neutral) dry ice

[@shawnofthedata]

So you are heading to pikes peak. Are you planning for this year?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Yep 👍

[@waynecartwright-js8tw]

Pikes Peak?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Yep 😉👍

[@murraymadness4674]

Isn't bad for the lithium cells to cycle them at such low temps? cool project, not a big fan of hacking classics, but a vw bug no issues!

[@MrAdopado]

It's nearer to a spaceframe special than it is to a VW ... it wouldn't surprise me if there are zero parts or panels from an original beetle (i.e. hacking of classic didn't take place!)

[@alibro7512]

14:34 Why do people pull up on wheel nuts? Swing the ratchet around 180 deg and push down. 🤔 Would love to see this on a 1/4 mile. 😊

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Better control of the force

[@alibro7512]

@@ElectricClassicCars 🤣

[@JFW5358]

I see the tread direction is reversed on one side of the car. Does this matter?

[@Lsantos78]

Adoro! carro electrico rebocado por carro a combustão ...

[@AraCarrano]

Any Regen? or all friction brakes?

[@ElectricClassicCars]

At Pikes Peak we’ll probably run it with regen off to give the battery pack a break in the braking zones. 👍

[@teamhandsome1974]

I notice the SUV (some VAG thing VW or Porsche maybe) and trailer in the drone shot near the start of the video and it made me wonder…. What are the issues with towing upto 3.5 tonnes with EV power? Towing normally reduces max speed and mpg, so how hard will it hit range? That said the torque must be promising for getting going and regen braking for getting stopped? I’m not a complete EV cynic (my enthusiasm is waning slightly due to the away from home charging situation somewhat) but this does seem to be an area where the large EV SUV’s might not meet the needs of some users down the road. New users are less likely to use their EV SUVs for towing, but many second or third time owners use these sort of vehicles to tow right upto the 3.5 ton limit! I’ve not heard on any new EV with the full 3.5 ton towing limit yet. Any insight would be interesting. Thanks for another interesting update on the EV Bug (the nickname eludes me!).

[@ElectricClassicCars]

Here’s a video we did on towing with an EV. It was a little too cold to use my Landy for this test day though. 😉👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXnbgolprJZ7gaMsi=adIBUjuh7oxX-6gz

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Lemon power lemon car.

[@MrFoxRobert]

👋👍

[@tyrantwitness2482]

The battery isn't getting up to temperature and the fans are running! Is it me?

[@spudproductions7606]

Fans are set to run constantly for battery pack. Stat for motor cooling. 👍😀

[@extraplain]

Those wheels are beautiful. Anybody know the specs?

[@extraplain]

Never mind. I went back to an earlier video and found that they are made by Image Wheels in the UK. They are on their website, and they have a lot of other nice wheels.

[@fkkmag8692]

Putting the battery under 100% gen, don’t brake it in the long run? Losing % over time?

[@stevieallan9778]

As an none educated race car person, at 14:30 I was listening to you and looking at the car, what i noticed were the tire tread pattern on the tires, front left and front right the pattern on the left outside edge goes down and the right goes up, is this correct or is the tire on backwords???

[@mrmawson2438]

Hello guys