Southern : Sunday 19th Oct 2008 : Show / Green power

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ex925
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:13 am
Location: Plymouth, England

Goodwood Greenpower Finals 08 from Ed. in Plymouth

Postby ex925 » Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:10 pm

The commitment and enthusiasm of Terry Harding and local BVS activists won BVS members the chance of a great day out at the 2008 GreenPower finals at Goodwood in Surrey on Sunday 19th. October. This culmination of a years electric car design, construction, and racing activities by schools and colleges is a remarkable showcase for the cause, a clean quiet revolution in personal transport. Moreover, it catalyses engineering and lateral thinking potential in the young generation, dedication, co-operation, and team spirit.

Perhaps the best sample from my day at Goodwood was braking hard into the first corner while watching with rapidly diminishing anxiety a man in an electrically enhanced sports wheelchair tear through the corner just in front of me at well over 30mph.... and NOT turn over! So many variations in BVS members' concepts of personal electric transport made it to Goodwood that we added a great deal of well-earned interest, contrast, and food for thought for the spectators and participants. We were allowed to parade our machines round the circuit for several laps in the lunch-break. To ensure this was NOT a race, an Alfa-Romeo pace car led the way. The driver kept up sufficient speed and lead to allow everyone to explore the full potential of their machine.....

Having desperately ''Bodgineered'' the "Junkyard Dog", my home-made Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle, from 24v. to 36v. in the few days since this dozy old codger finally noticed there was something BVS on at Goodwood, I was delighted to be able go for a reality test on a really good circuit. An insightful example of the benefit of such an opportunity is the following overheard comment: "Only out in the open like this, do you find out what speed you can realistically achieve. A complete contrast to the impression of speed round the houses". From an Automobile Association Vectrix electric scooter, as used daily for rapid-response to breakdowns in Central London, to Cedric's elegant, ethereal cigar-tube, everyone had a rolling riot.

Then followed the best part of the day for stoking enthusiasm and strengthening the will and determination to complete one's project(s) - the afternoon spent wandering around. Marvelling at the ingenuity and genius of the schools' racers, asking those questions needed to fill some of the many gaps in one's information, listening-in on animated discussions between people who are actually designing and building and running electric vehicles - this is priceless. I managed to remember to make notes when I returned home... LOTS of notes. You all know who you are. My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.

from Ed. Gordon in Plymouth.


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