Race cars rumbled up Duryea Drive again this weekend for the 66th annual Duryea Hillclimb. Showcasing the regions top automotive talent drivers make their way up Mt. Penn navigating hairpin turns on their way to the famous Pagoda, then speed towards the finish line past the Fire Tower.
For spectators, the thrill of the day is hearing the cars thunder up the mountain. However, this year Duryea Hillclimb featured two electric powered cars that left many stunned to at the low hum of the electric sports racers.
We caught up with EVSR drivers Mike Wilson and Todd Reid Saturday before the race to get a closer look under the hood of these slick electrified cars.
“People who see us drive by don’t understand why the car is so quite, especially at the start line where other cars are revving their engine loudly” says Todd Reid.
Electric cars work a little different than your average gas powered car. For starts the cars are powered by two sets of 25 daisy chained batteries. This provides ample power to reach speeds more than 100+ mph and last the entire weekend without a recharge.
The power travels from the batteries to the controller computers and then over to the two motors. This is where the two cars are unique. One is outfitted with a standard 4.75 gear ratio and the other uses a changeable ratio. The changeable ratio can be adjusted in as quick as 3 minutes up to a 6.50.
Stepping into the drivers seat is something out of a SciFi movie. Your surrounded by heavy duty roll bars with only a tachometer, power meter and steering wheel in front of you. Unlike regular cars these electric cars don’t shift or use standard breaking. Saving power, the electric motors run in reverse during braking downhill to rechange the batteries.
“There a great tool to make a person a better driver because you can really concentrate on just driving [when] you eliminate the noise of the engine” said Mike Wilson.
Get an inside look at what it takes to drive these electric cars with our exclusive video interview with Todd Reid and Mike Wilson of Team EVSR.
