Racing @ RIT: Electric Vehicle

The RIT Electric Vehicle Team (EVT) consists of a group of students that is dedicated to the design, build, and race of electric vehicles. One of their objectives is to educate all that are interested in learning about the principles of an electric vehicle by providing a positive learning environment. They encourage all interested to join regardless of experience or major. Currently, the team's main focus is to compete in the 2015 eMotoRacing all-electric race series.

Jeff Botticello, EVT Administrative lead and mechanical team member, is a second year mechanical engineering student. He shared some of the team's excitement - "This year, we will compete the very first bike in team history!"

The design is based off of a Kawasaki Ninja ZX6-RR frame and will be powered with a 50 horsepower Zero ZF 75-7 motor and 24 XALT lithium ion cells. However, the most intriguing portion of this project is "BMS," as Boticello calls it. This battery management and data collection system was designed and created completely by members within the electrical, firmware, and software sub-teams.

The system "will have the capability to regulate the voltage of all cells in our battery pack, track how much energy we have used, and send all of the information live to our website," Botticello adds.

The team is working hard to complete the motorcycle in the next few weeks to be ready for competition. EVT looks forward to competing this summer, July 10-12, in the eMotoRacing Varsity Challenge at New Jersey Motorsports Park. In the upcoming year, they hope to improve this year's competition bike and begin the design of a second revision.

The team displayed their new motorcycle, among past vehicles in Gordon Field House for Imagine RIT, on May 2nd.

If you are interested in more information, check out their website at RIT Electric Vehicle Team.