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WELCOME
CANNONBALLERS
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Good day to you. We'd like to tell you a little about us and our website, so that you know where we are coming from.
Max Energy Limited (MEL) is a not for profit organization whose (charitable) aims are to promote sustainable practices and reward excellence in the field of automotive design and engineering. The reason for that is that transport is necessary for modern living. Transport is no longer a luxury.
Many of us take cars for granted. We turn the ignition key and head to work, the shops, or to see our relatives, without a second thought for the engineering that makes our journey possible. We are more concerned with traffic conditions and being late.
Yet, it has taken tens of thousands of pioneers who have literally dedicated their lives to developing the automobile to get us where we are today; get us away from labour intensive horse drawn carriages and buckets of manure. Their achievements are lasting testament to man's ingenuity, skill and determination.
CANNONBALL UK - Project Leader (above), Chris, testing out the gullwing door mechanism while seated in the (bare frame) Ecostar DC50 prototype. July 2014. Chris is a practical man and skilled craftsman. He is concerned about climate change and would like to see non-polluting cars for all.
WHERE ARE WE?
In order to appreciate our position today it is useful to re-visit the past. In the past we did not know that pollution from cars causes disease in humans and we knew nothing of climate change. We are still pumping pollutants into the atmosphere dangerously warming the planet and causing cancer.
WHY?
Yes, petrol cars are becoming more economical, but with each new driver taking to the roads, the fact a new car now returns 60mpg, rather than 40mpg, cannot make up for two cars on the road instead of one. The increasing population and spread of western lifestyle is mostly to blame. We cannot, though, deny our neighbor a decent standard of living (transport poverty). To begin to reverse global warming and provide a platform for international sustainability we need 100 mpg+ cars - or preferably: zero carbon wagons.
POLITICS
It has taken 20 years of campaigning (so far), from a time when car makers had no electric models, to a situation where every marque is fielding either a hybrid or plug in electric car. The simple fact is that change only happens when people know about a problem to be able to voice their concerns, such as to influence Governments. Thus, education and information sharing is vital to change.
SHOW NOT TELL
Sometimes, a small group taking the lead is better than ten thousand people marching down the Mall. The difficulty where disruptive technology is involved, is being able to demonstrate it so that voters can see it.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
You can make a difference by entering one of the Cannonball Runs near you. These events have been created using a formula that allows anyone to have a go; affordably. New for 2015, the Cannonball ZEV International Run series is designed to further the development of practical and sustainable zero emission transport. There are already a good number of official routes for you to contemplate with more in the pipeline for 2015. You might suggest a route where none exists at the moment.
You are cordially invited to take part. There is no entry fee and the events are legal, unlike the race across the US in the 1970s. The ultimate prize is the Blue Bird World Cup™ below. You can see the International Rules by clicking on the poster at the head of this page.
CANNONBALL ZEV INTERNATIONAL ENDURANCE EVENTS 2015 - 2018
Here are a few examples of an adventure waiting to happen near you:
After Tesla set two new records in 2013 and 2014, a British team has announced their plans to challenge the 24 hour and 76 hour records for 1. Lands End to John O'Groats and 2. Los Angeles to New York. These attempts are planned for 2015 and 2016, beginning with the Lands End cross UK ZEV Cannonball Run.
Team Speedace is comprised of Chris, Terry/Ace (above), Annie (personal trainer) and Christina (driver) at the moment. We are looking for mechanics and electricians with an interest in electric motors and solar power, perhaps as a project for a degree. If you'd like to join the team for 2015, please get in touch using the contact information below. We are based in East Sussex at the moment, in between Brighton and Hastings.
NEW for 2014 - The ECOSTAR DC50 (bare frame left [February], CAD drawing centre and right [June]) is a city sports car concept featuring the Bluebird™ instant recharging system that is the enabling bridge between battery electric vehicles of today and the hydrogen fuel cell EVs of the future - Hydrogen Economy (HE) Ready. You wouldn't buy a TV that was not HD and 3D ready, so why buy a car that is not HE ready. Future proofed EV technology from Bluebird Marine System Ltd is incorporated in this prototype that is currently being built. This vehicle will attempt the Lands End to John o'Groats UK Cannonball Run in 2015. Apart from inviting sponsors to contribute, expressions of interest for collaborative consortium building are invited - aiming for a Horizon 2020 entry from 2015 >>. This may appeal to universities looking for an idea.
We believe that the future of motoring rests with electric vehicles (or other ZEVs) that can refuel instantly: battery, hydrogen, solar powered and hybrid. This site focuses on the development of those solar, battery and hybrid electric cars - to encourage governments and car makers around the world to change for the benefit of mankind and other life-forms that we share this precious blue planet with. Formula E is shortsighted at the moment out of necessity. They will not be using instant charging systems, but will be swapping cars. Let us hope that all of that changes when constructors are free to develop their own designs after the 2014 season.
A universal energy storage cartridge for EVs is proposed as the way forward to allow car makers to progress toward a sustainable zero carbon future.
This is not to ignore the heritage of thousands of internal combustion driven, petrol, gas and diesel cars, without which the human race would not have progressed so rapidly.
IC cars are becoming ever more efficient and capable of running on green bio fuels. Unfortunately, these vehicles still produce CO2. There are now many different types of hybrid vehicles, as engineers all around the world pitch in to develop our future cleaner transport. A truly evolutionary process, of which Darwin would have been proud.
Think on this: Oil prices continue to rise, but not enough to pay for the damage we are inflicting on the earth as we are draining the only non-renewable energy bank, simply to keep our economy hiccup free as politicians reap the rewards of office. By burying our heads and allowing our leaders to bury their heads in the sand we are polluting and warming our planet dangerously. Meantime, there is a solution and it's up to us to lobby our representatives for change. Max Energy Ltd.
At time of writing the outright wheel driven record LSR (gas turbine) stands at a little over 458mph. You will see from the above Links, the international electric LSR has gone from 152mph in 1972 to 271mph in a little over 30 years, a 119mph increase. Whereas, the petrol record has risen by 47mph in the same time. It is also worth noting that both petrol and jet records have been largely US or UK contested. They say racing improves the breed. Who knows where the technology being developed today for the race track may lead. One thing is for sure, EV's are here to stay and can only get better.
THE BLUE BIRDS OF HAPPINESS
The UK 'Team Speedace' is limbering up for their first ever run from John O'Groats to Lands End in 2015 (JOGLE). Provisionally, it is hoped that this event will take place on Wednesday the 17th of June. Progress with the team vehicle is on target. The team is looking for partners to share the financial risks of such a project. If you or your company has a long term green agenda and might benefit from an association with our Team, please contact either Chris or Terry to learn more of the potential benefits.
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