VIDEO: Top Gear Australia electric car build-off, Aussie rules style
Click above to watch video after the jump
While they might lack the comedic punch of their seasoned British co-frères, the presenters at Top Gear Australia don't seem to have any electric car "issues". Indeed, in a recent episode they even held their own battery-powered build-off. Presenters Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati each took a car of their choosing, stripped out all the combustive components and inserted a rough and (mostly) ready electric drivetrain, before meeting up on a racetrack to compete for bragging rights.
Realizing that a decent electric vehicle shouldn't be too heavy, Pizzati decided to go with the featherweight Suzuki MightyBoy while his competitor settled on that great Australian classic, the HZ Holden Kingswood. This hulking station wagon weighs in somewhere between the QEII and the state of New Hampshire. While we won't tell you which conversion won straight out, we will throw out the hint that the triumphant strains of "Football meat pies kangaroos electric cars" could be heard coming from the passenger compartment of the conquering contestant. Follow the jump for the segment in two parts – as well as a bonus video of a very nice MightyBoy conversion.
[Source: YouTube]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
phoenix 1:01PM (5/28/2009)
The problem is, because they're in Australia, the electrical current runs backwards.
It'll never work.
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:07PM (5/28/2009)
Actually, it runs backward everywhere.
http://xkcd.com/567/
Clay Garland 1:51PM (5/28/2009)
The real problem is that toolbag tried to use a reduction gear with input from four sources which are going to be giving varying degrees force and speed, and that will be the first thing to break a reduction gear.
Doug A. 1:31PM (5/28/2009)
Is it just me, or does the sound suck on these videos?
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Kitko 1:44PM (5/28/2009)
Re: Last video
When will the imperial idiots learn that kilometer per hour is km/h not kph?!
m - meter
kilo - k - thousand (remember Y2k - year 2000)
1 kilometer (km) = 1000 meters
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montoym 2:11PM (5/28/2009)
It's not that we don't know, it just makes nice compliment to mph.
MPH, KPH, it's not tough to figure out which is which even if one is not completely accurate, it still gets the point across.
Stuka 3:47PM (5/28/2009)
Kilometers is *one* word. Which means KPH is correct.
Kilometers Per Hour
Now if Kilometers was two words, then KMPH would be the correct acronym.
james 4:38PM (5/28/2009)
true that.
but to get technical, its also 'metre' in all the lands that use kilometres.
Stuka, KPH is wrong because km/h isnt an acronym, it is a unit of measurement. KPH is an abbreviation used only to appease the minds of those stuck in mph.
EU_reader 2:03PM (5/28/2009)
Man, how to ruin the top gear format. Can it be any more slower or boring?
Anyone care to give me the results? Range and such?
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David 4:25PM (5/28/2009)
The big car won. The little car broke. The moral of the story is that if you want to convert a car to electric, use a real kit with properly sized motors and batteries. Cordless drill motors are not such a great idea.
N 5:57PM (5/28/2009)
australians are truly annoying!
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anjack 5:43PM (5/29/2009)
i know i am but what are you
uareretarded 8:16PM (5/28/2009)
Yea, but they're hot people. I'd do em'
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Todd 12:17AM (5/29/2009)
Warren won by one simple thing: KISS.
When I saw the Mighty Boy's drivetrain, I knew, right then and there it would fail.
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Viper007Bond 5:36AM (5/29/2009)
Full episode here: http://www.finalgear.com/shows/topgearaus/2/2/
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