Friday, April 30, 2010

Tango passes Automotive X-Prize Shakedown Event at Michigan International Speedway


There were lots of issues to contend with up to the end, but got through with flying colors.

Consumer reports had something to say about our achievements:


We have a brand new LiFePO4 pack and had a cell failure. We had the pack out, which was rather easy, having a lift and using the removal kit that I brought along.

After bypassing the cell, I ran the endurance run today on the MIS test track. It was very rough road, over two miles of every kind of turn and elevation change. In our group, The Tango was the only one completing the full 40 miles without having to pit. I lapped a bunch of cars and never got passed. In fact, I had the second fastest time of all competing teams. I ran a fast lap of 2:05.2, only 3 seconds slower than the factory 5 car that ran a 2:02. They kept motioning me to slow down, but I was having way too much fun. I was drifting a turn right in front of the judges and using up every last inch of track. The track was wild--like an old torn-up country road. I was still developing my line up through the last lap--there were so many odd patches of road to contend with. The Tango handled them great though. I had the current set to half, at 1,000A to be nice to the battery, and didn't even accelerate close to that potential. I could easily have beat that Factory 5 car if I had pushed it.

Yesterday I was at a press conference in Lansing where I got to introduce the Tango to Michigan Governor Granholm. A lot of press was there, and they had the Tango right at the stage.

Some news on the event:

http://www.wlns.com/

Then go to Clean Car Competition under videos.



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