Here are some of the questions our team members are most frequently asked...
Ohio University's colors are green and white. Why is your car blue?
Does it use special batteries or fuel cells?
Your specs page says the car weighs over 3000 lbs. Isn't that heavy for an open wheel race car?
How long can you last on a set of batteries?
How long do your pit stops last and what gets changed?
Why doesn't your car have spoilers or wings?
You have almost 400 volts in a full set of batteries. Isn't that a bit dangerous?
I'm a journalism major who knows nothing about cars. Can I still join the team?
A: Well, that one is hard to answer. The car is currently geared for a top speed of 120mph. However, we haven't actually measured any 0-60 times, 1/4 mile ET's or actual "top speeds." We did recently post a fast lap time at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course of 2:07 and an average speed of 68mph. We're in the process of implementing a new drive train system, which will hopefully allow us to go a lot faster.
Q: Ohio University's colors are green and white. Why is your car blue?
A: It looks good.
Q: Does it use special batteries or fuel cells?
A: Our car is powered by 28 12 volt lead-acid gel-cell batteries. These are regular Optima Yellow Top car batteries, which are readily available at many retailers nationwide. We are considering other, lighter options (see below).
Q: Your specs page says the car weighs over 3000 lbs. Isn't that heavy for an open wheel race car?
A: Yes! Admittedly, weight is an area we need to improve on. Our car uses 28 batteries, each weighing an average of about 50 lb. That's nearly half our weight. Add on the heavy frame needed to safely support that weight, and the pounds add up. However, there are a number of areas we are looking at that will hopefully allow us to lighten the car. For instance, we could shave a few pounds by replacing some of the fiberglass body panels with carbon fiber. We have also considered replacing our current batteries with lighter alternatives. However, a large investment in money and time would be required to bring those ideas to fruition.
Q: How long can you last on a set of batteries?
A: The short answer to that question is, "not very long." Depending on how hard our driver pushes the car, we can usually get a few laps out of a set before bringing the car in for a pit stop. Of course, we're able to do more laps between changes on a short oval than we are at a longer road course.
Q: How long do your pit stops last and what gets changed?
A: On a good day, we can do a battery change in around 40 seconds. During the pit stop, only the batteries are changed. We don't put enough wear on a set of tires to merit a change (in fact, we run multiple seasons on a single set). Our stops are for "refueling" only.
Q: I've noticed that many other open wheel formula-style cars have wings and other aerodynamic effects. Why don't you?
A: There are a number of reasons. First of all, the focus of the league is on the development of an electric power train, not on aerodynamics. More importantly, we simply don't need the extra down-force (and drag) that spoilers would produce. Our cars sit low to the ground, are very wide, heavy, and have a low center of gravity. Also, we just don't get to high enough speeds to make any wings effective.
A: For safety reasons, only a licensed race car driver may drive during a race. However, if we need to do some testing and our driver Rich can't make it to Athens, then we will put a team member in the seat. We will also, on occasion, close off a parking lot, grab a good set of batteries, and just have fun (while being safe!) driving the car.
Q: You have almost 400 volts in a full set of batteries. Isn't that a bit dangerous?
A: Safety is a major priority. Most of the work on the car is done with the battery packs removed. We also have "safety loops" built into our battery bus which can be pulled to break the circuit. In addition, we have disconnect "flags" on each side of our high voltage system, as well as on our 12 volt system. The car can not be started without all these flags in place.
Q: I'm a journalism major who knows nothing about cars. Can I still join the team?
A: Of course. The team is open to people of all majors and all experience levels. Some of our team members come from a rich racing background, while others have never even changed their own oil. No matter what your major or experience level, this is a great (and fun) learning experience.
Q: I have a busy schedule and don't have time to spend hours working on the race car. Is that a problem?
A: Absolutely not. There is no time requirement placed on any of our members (we're busy too). We usually hold a short meeting in the evening during the week, and then hold lab sessions Saturday morning. If all else fails, we usually distribute all important information discussed during the meeting and any progress made during the labs on our listserv.
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