Modified Model S To Take On Pike's Peak

[JRP3]

Model S with aftermarket battery pack will run Pike's Peak race this year. No details on the pack but I'm assuming a high C rate LiPo or LiFePO4 battery pack.

Tesla Model S To Compete For The First Time In Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Details are scarce at the moment but we understand that the lighter battery pack will have a significantly smaller capacity, since having a long driving range doesn’t really matter in racing (as long as the car passes the finishing line).

Fuller has a strong background in lightweight lithium-ion batteries built for motorsport applications as he is also the founder of Braille Battery, official supplier of many racing series around the globe, including Indycars.

 

[e-FTW]

Yes, it does not sound like he deleted cells from a Tesla pack. That would reduce voltage, and well, performance. And you need that to beat records!

 

[csshih]

Isn't the pack 96s74p? they could potentially remove most of those parallel cells and add in more cooling.

 

[Saghost]

Isn't the pack 96s74p? they could potentially remove most of those parallel cells and add in more cooling.

In a Tesla pack, every cell is individually fused. If you're going to keep the same power output but remove 80% of the cells, you'll blow all of the fuses - and I don't think the cells themselves can handle the ~25C discharge rates that'd be involved.

It's probably a ~400V collection of cells, but they'll be LiPo or something else that can handle high discharge rates, custom built. Maybe similar to the packs of white zombie and zombie 222 (electric conversion drag racers.)

 

[Edmond]

Yeah, probably LiPo flat-packs, to eliminate all the steel and the, you know, safety.

 

[e-FTW]

Other threads are discussing the results of the race. He did very well in the 11 minute timeframe.

If you watch this video, nothing leads me to believe this is not a stock pack:

 

[JRP3]

If you watch this video, nothing leads me to believe this is not a stock pack

He says it's 800lbs lighter than stock, and that's with the addition of a 200lb roll cage. I don't think you could take 1000 lbs out of the car without changing the pack as well, but he does seem to be talking as if the pack is stock. Very strange.

 

[bxr140]

I don't think you could take 1000 lbs out of the car without changing the pack as well...

I don't think it would be super difficult. Strip the interior, trunk, and frunk of all essentials and some lighter wheels and I think you're basically there.

 

[JRP3]

I can't imagine it all adding up to that much weight since it should mostly be lightweight plastic, other than the seats, but I guess it's possible.

 

[nativewolf]

cut the armor off the bottom of the car battery pack would save hundreds of pounds though; that and seats. Put all that back on after you finish.

 

[e-FTW]

We should ask @Btr_ftw , he knows how much everything weighs...

 

[jaguar36]

Don't forget about all the airbags, noise dampening, speakers, A/C, replace the windows with lightweight plastic, should be able to get there. I'd also guess the 800lbs lighter is before the roll cage.

 

[brkaus]

For a race car, ideally the chargers would be external. One of the threads here said they were quite heavy.

 

[e-FTW]

For a race car, ideally the chargers would be external. One of the threads here said they were quite heavy.

Possible, although from looking at this picture from this article, I think I see an onboard charger there.

 

[eldis]

I know a guy that went there and talked with them.
- Stock pack
- No drivetrain mods
- Ice under the pack to cool it down.

Quite disappointing, I was hoping that such people/companies will not be so afraid to touch the car anymore.

 

[JRP3]

Quite disappointing, I was hoping that such people/companies will not be so afraid to touch the car anymore.

Still waiting for your inverter hack to release full potential

 

[eldis]

Haha, I've been busted
There are some things being cooked for Model S, especially the older RWD ones - with motorsport in mind. How about an aftermarket replacement inverter that never overheats on the track..

 

[JRP3]

Interesting.

 

[tinm]

Look what I found charging at the Colorado Springs supercharger!

Supercharger — Colorado Springs, CO

 

[jaguar36]

Haha, I've been busted
There are some things being cooked for Model S, especially the older RWD ones - with motorsport in mind. How about an aftermarket replacement inverter that never overheats on the track..

How will you prevent the motor itself from overheating though? My understanding is that the rotor in particular is a limiting factor.