The tiny vehicle looked as if Barbie and Mad Max had decided to build a race car. Its tiny plastic body, salvaged from an electric Power Wheels toy car, had been hacked out to accommodate an unreasonably large battery pack, an adult-sized bucket seat, and a big electric motor.
The heavy-gauge wiring strewn randomly throughout the small cockpit added to the car’s post-apocalyptic look. Welcome to the world of Power Wheels Racing, a national racing series for homemade electric cars that cost $500 or less to build.
While not nearly as sleek or as fast as the $350,000 cars which compete in the Formula E electric racing series, these radically-modified Power Wheels enable nearly anyone to enjoy the thrill of EV racing.
To get a feel for the sport, I visited FUBAR Labs, my friendly local hackerspace, which has built and raced cars in the series for several years (See this month’s At Issue column for details). Bill French, the CTO of a local non-profit, and a member of Team FUBAR’s race team explained the basics.
French said that the Power Wheels Racing series began innocently enough around 2008, when a few hackers in the Chicago area started modifying kids’ Power Wheels toy cars so they could ride on them. One thing led to another and a six-car racing league ran its first season in 2009. Since then, it has grown to be a nationwide phenomenon with dozens of teams competing.
By 2015, the series had grown to include races in San Mateo, Detroit, Kansas City, New York, and Atlanta. French and the rest of Team FUBAR have competed in the series since 2012 when they fielded an entry at the NY Maker Faire.
Over the years, the Series’ organizers developed a set of rules intended to keep the sport safe, fun, and affordable. For example, the $500 limit on parts costs does not include safety equipment, so builders are encouraged to equip their cars with the best brakes and restraint systems they can find. The rules also emphasize the events’ fun factor by allowing the spectators to award teams with “Moxie points” for wearing outrageous costumes and presenting entertaining pre-race skits.
Each event in the series requires the cars to run in a 25-35 lap race where the cars can hit speeds of 25 mph or more. Entrants must also compete in a 75-minute “enduro” race where battery changes are permitted.
Power Wheels race cars present builders with several unique design challenges. Besides working within a $500 budget, builders must also learn to deal with the peak power consumption limit of 1,440 watts (W) which the Power Wheels Racing League requires on all vehicles as a safety measure. The limit is enforced with a slow-blow fuse which can briefly sustain current levels up to 200X its rated capacity.
FUBAR Labs hopes to exploit this loophole by designing a smart motor controller with a “fuse management” function which allows the driver to command brief power surges beyond the 1,440 W steady-state level without blacking out the car.
Power Wheels are lots of fun, but if you want to get serious about e-racing, it’s time to check out Formula E. Now entering its second season, the racing series features Formula-style electric racers capable of hitting speeds of over 150 mph competing on courses laid out on the streets of some of the World’s greatest cities.
The 2015-2016 series has already held races in China, Malaysia, Uruguay, Argentina, and Mexico, and it [came] to Long Beach, California on April 2. You [are] able to get an insider’s look at the Long Beach Formula E race, thanks to our sister publication, ECN magazine.
During a special Engineering Live, Janine Mooney, editorial content director, [interviewed] some of the people who drive the Formula E cars – and the ones who build them. You can sign up [to watch the on-demand version of] the Engineering Live Formula E event at www.ecnmag.com/FormulaE.
For more information about the Power Wheels Racing Series, visit www.powerracingseries.org. For more information about Formula E racing, visit www.fiaformulae.com.
This blog originally appeared in the April print issue of Product Design & Development.