Interview with ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered´s pilots

Ariel Jatón

@Arieljaton

Driver/mechanic who has already participated several times in the Dakar Rally, Ariel has great motor racing experience.
He is the Argentine Cross Country Rally champion and has been helping develop and build the ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered since the idea was conceived.

Why is ACCIONA 100% Eco- Powered such a special vehicle?

Just look at the data. Unlike our competitors, altitude won’t be a factor for us, since the electric motors don’t need oxygen to function. Also, the power delivery is a constant whatever the car is doing, which will help us enormously when we are driving off-track. Most importantly, however, is not to pollute the environment.

How has the development of the vehicle gone with ACCIONA?

Our collaboration has been a very satisfactory process. ACCIONA researchers have participated to incorporate photovoltaic cells in the carbon fiber bodywork and in building in the ACCIONA solar panel, which contributes up to 12V.

What improvement have been made to the vehicle since Dakar 2015?

• Better traction by incorporating it into four wheels.
• Off-road  performance  is better  by installing a six-gear sequential gearbox.
• The weight-power ratio has been improved by cutting down the total weight of the car
• Handling is better due to the  shorter length and  narrower width of the car.
• Battery recharge time has been reduced from five hours to one.
• Energy is regenerated using elec- tric braking.
• A new body design has improved aerodynamics.

How is the system for recharging the batteries?

Recharging is done via four chargers that connect to the eight batteries, subdivided into four pairs of two batteries each.

As a top rally driver, what difference do you find behind the wheel of a 100% electric vehicle, compared to one running on a combustion engine?

It feels different from moment you sit in the car. You just connect the current by switching it on and the car is ready. There’s not a sound from the motor or other components. Although the gearbox is manual, there’s no clutch. You only need to press the accelerator to move. Another importance difference comes when braking. You  have to combine different  ways  of braking: electric, hydraulic, or both together. Once we are away, another big difference is that you have to manage the energy, being very careful to cover the kilometers until you can recharge. In everything else, ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered is a vehicle like all the others.

What do you want to achieve at Dakar 2016?

Our objective is to achieve the feat of ending the most difficult race in the world in a 100% electric vehicle. I can assure you that, now we know the journey kilometer by kilometer, this will be a far from easy task but we will work very hard to complete the race.

Do you believe you are making history with this vehicle?

I believe so. I am totally convinced that electric vehicles are the future. All racing drivers in the world will come to realize this. It is very important for us to race without polluting the environment. It’s not easy to make the change, but we are leading the way with this project and I hope, in time, other teams will follow us down this road.

Gastón Scazzuso

@scazzuso

Co  driver of the ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered, navigation expert and highly experienced mechanical and electronics engineer, Gastón has been interested in rally cars since he was young. He took an active part in the design and building of the electronics system for this first zero emissions car to compete in the Dakar Rally.

How do you feel to be part of the only zero emissions project in the motor racing world?

I am delighted and very committed to the project. It allows me to apply many years of experience in the sector and to investigate this new technology further.

As a mechanical and electronics engineer, how do you weigh up the ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered?

It has always been dependable, but we have made some improvements and are more convinced than ever of its reliability. As well as having fewer mobile components than a fossil-fueled combustion car, we can solve technical problems quicker when they occur. The car does not need an air filter, so you are neither affected by the dust you get in rallies, nor by high temperatures.

How important a development is the ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered?

It goes beyond the rally world. I’m convinced that in several years’ time we will see electric cars as the preferred choice of urban drivers.

What’s it like for the co-driver of an electric car during a rally stage?

At first, it feels like any other Cross Country Rally car. It’s the details that strike you: it doesn’t make any noise and the power of the electric motor is different. For navigation, Ariel and I take time on the long and straight stretches to monitor and check the most important parameters of the electric motor control system.

Are you making any special preparations for Dakar 2016?

Of course, both physically and men tally, to be able to get through the challenge of Dakar. We want to be the first to pilot an electric car across the finishing line.

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