[ChasingCoral]

At today's National Drive Electric Week event, Electric Vehicle Fall Festival at Dominion Raceway, we were able to take interested folks out for test rides -- on the track! One lucky lady was satisfied with my 90+ mph on the straightaway but I wasn't. One the final full lap I hit 103 on the start/finish straightaway. I might have hit to limit of around 105-107 (depends on the truck) but I was thrown off by the vertical undulations in the track and the bouncing that kicked in right as I passed 100 approaching the start/finish.

Later, they turned the same straightaway into an 1/8th mile drag strip. The short length meant no 1/4 mile times. They also didn't have timers, so I had to use my Race Timer app but the 3.7 convinced me the Lightning Lariat ERs are definitely sub-4 second performers.

I ran a race against a Rivian R1-T. I kept within less than a car length behind him at the finish.

Another interesting item was the portable charging solution brought in for the event.

 

[GDN]

Very nice. Sounds like fun and good times.

It is great that some of these tracks are embracing the EV world. TMS - Texas Motor Speedway won't let an EV on the track. They show their lack of knowledge and say they don't know how to handle an EV wreck/fire should one occur. This has been their stance for about 4 years, and I truly believe it was directed at Tesla owners. It will be interesting to see if they now change their tune with the Lightning and so many others on the road.

 

[EFX4]

@ChasingCoral how did the Lightning handle in the turns?

 

[ChasingCoral]

@ChasingCoral how did the Lightning handle in the turns?

Extremely well for a big tall truck. I can definitely say I've never been in a truck that handled curves at speed as well as the Lightning. I was able to take those narrow curves on the back side without letting off the go pedal. That said, the curves really made me wish I was driving my Mach E!

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

I hit 108 one night while toying with some 'young guns' in a jacked up F150 who didn't think I could keep up with 'um... blew past um. I would've left 'um in the dust, had there been any left.

 

[Eclectic]

Any other stats for comparing vehicle performance there (times, speeds)? How many people attended? What was that portable charger?

 

[ChasingCoral]

Sorry, I was too busy having fun. I didn't have logging systems in place and didn't do head counts. It was a good turnout and I recommend folks coming to the event next year.

The charging system they had wasn't unique in the chargers but the mounting system. Chargers were 2 L2s and 2 Siemens 50kW units because that was what the raceway could accommodate. DC-America makes a system where chargers are mounted on a heavy-duty, steel conduit that can be lifted into place ready to go. It allows for easy hot-swapping of chargers when you want to upgrade. Cables run through the conduit above ground. These are not only good for portable applications but also for quick installs at new sites. The conduit can be easily bolted down for permanent installations without tearing up the ground, parking lots, etc. They can be expanded by adding another unit. Power structures can be separate or built into the system. Chargers can be mounted for pull-in, pull through, or a combination of the two.

DC America - DC America - EV Charging Solutions

DC America manufacturers turnkey EV charging stations for business that are made in America featuring Level 2 and Level 3 DC Fast Chargers

www.dc-america.com