karting academy hi voltage karts 59
karting academy hi voltage karts 41
karting academy hi voltage karts 57
karting academy hi voltage karts 44
karting academy hi voltage karts 60
Feann Torr11 May 2018
NEWS

Go-karts go electric

Professional motorsport is increasingly adopting EV technology – now it's time for go-karts…

Is the era of the electric vehicle (EV) finally gaining momentum in Australia?

On a small indoor go-kart circuit in Melbourne's western suburbs, it certainly feels that way.

Founded by four ex-Holden engineers who forged their careers at Fisherman's Bend, Hi Voltage Go Karts represents a brave new motor racing microcosm, one that does without the fumes, emissions and clothes-cloying odour of regular go-karts.

Best of all, the performance disparity between karts is virtually non-existent. No more vying for kart number 12 or hitting the sauna in an attempt to lose weight beforehand!

Electric go-karts are relatively new to Australia. There's only a handful of centres around Australia that have adopted the clean-running karts but, apart from providing a rollicking good time, they could have an unintended effect in transitioning drivers from combustion-engined cars to EVs.

"I want to try an EV road car now," grinned one contender after a brutal but epic reverse-grid race, who then asked about the cost of a second-hand Nissan LEAF.

As a keen karting enthusiast, I've cut my teeth on two- and four-stroke go-karts for the past two decades and I won't lie: I was apprehensive about my first ever EV karting session.

Would the lack of powerband, high revs, high-octane fumes and the thud-thud of a small single-cylinder engine diminish the experience? As it turns out, no – not really.

The 8kW karts accelerate from 0-80km/h in 5.0secs, which ain't slow. They steer well and deliver scads of torque through a well-modulated, responsive throttle pedal. Sure, they're a little skittish on cold tyres but the idea of EV karts is far less boring than it sounds.

<a href="https://motoring.pxcrush.net/motoring/general/editorial/karting-academy-hi-voltage-karts-44.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-csn-inline-image wp-image-243681" src="https://motoring.pxcrush.net/motoring/general/editorial/karting-academy-hi-voltage-karts-44.jpg?height=427&width=640&aspect=fitWithin" alt="" width="640" height="427"></a>
Storm Karts work with wide loads

The most surprising aspect of an electric kart is without doubt the big-ticket stomp on offer. They accelerate with more zeal than their petrol counterparts and the big torque that develops at lower revs makes racing and qualifying intense – and it also means that heavier racers aren't penalised as much.

Each kart weighs in at almost 300kg and Hi Voltage Karts CEO and co-founder, Jamie Meizer, explains that the Italian-made OTL Storm Karts have been tuned to deliver close racing.

"The torque curve is better with EV karts, whereas typical petrol karts need bigger, longer, faster outdoor tracks to get up to speed – these don't require this," he says.

"Basic physics equations stipulate that more mass at lower RPM in a petrol car means big differences in pace. We've done a lot of testing with these just to prove that point and it's everyone's excuse when they come in, but it doesn't apply here."

But we weren't going to take Meizer's word for it.

karting academy hi voltage karts 42

To be brutally honest, my first few laps felt weird. I was like a fish out of water. I was hitting apexes the way I wanted but the instant thrust on offer saw me overcook a few corners and you really have to pull your entire foot away from the sensitive throttle to eliminate momentum – although the karts do respond well to dual inputs.

The karts look and feel pretty cool and the noise they make when starting up is awesome. First the fans kick in then you'll hear a mild hum from the electric motor. They're still chain-driven, which makes the most noise while driving, but the lack of a clutch means virtually direct drive – ergo more response.

There's even a big red button above the steering wheel that kills power to the motor and a switch for reverse gear. Fancy.

It felt as though I was bumbling my way around but after a qualifying session it turned out I was just one thousandth of second quicker than our Road Test Editor, Matt Brogan.

<a href="https://motoring.pxcrush.net/motoring/general/editorial/karting-academy-hi-voltage-karts-41.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-csn-inline-image wp-image-243679" src="https://motoring.pxcrush.net/motoring/general/editorial/karting-academy-hi-voltage-karts-41.jpg?height=427&width=640&aspect=fitWithin" alt="" width="640" height="427"></a>
Talk about close!

As we lined up on the grid for the first race and the flag dropped, the karts ripped away from standstill with impressive pace. Off the line, these Storm Karts are orders of magnitude faster than most rental karts and it means that minor mistakes aren't always race-ending… although when you've got hotshot Bikesales Editor Mark Fattore on your six, it's touch and go!

Trucksales Editor Geoff Middleton earned the nickname 'Bulldozer' after his unorthodox bludgeoning of his rivals, while Trade Marketing Content Producer David Toscano was the opposite, smoothly carving his way through the field.

The future of social racing

After the second and final race – reverse grid, naturally – which left a few drivers battered and bruised, the gap between the fastest and the slowest racer was just over a second, indicating that EV karts deliver close, intense racing.

All karts can be collectively or individually speed limited, so there's more scope for fairer racing here and no need for yellow or red flags. If someone's being a dork, his or her kart can be remotely neutered.

karting academy hi voltage karts 54

The Storm Karts are powered by 48-volt brushless AC motors that Meizer says could last for up to 10 years. As it stands they've been punished for two-and-a-half years so far, with no sign of a performance drop.

The batteries used on these karts are sealed, marine-grade lead-acid units – the sort you'd find on a jetski – and they take around 15 minutes to charge (at 100 amps) for every 10 minutes of flat-chat racing.

"They're heavy, but cheap and consistent," says Meizer.

"They're very reliable. We get a heap of cycles out of them and the output is the same – they're very consistent. Lithium-ion batteries need more durability. The impacts we have, the terminals in the batteries and the internal structure needs to develop as well. Lithium, when exposed to oxygen, can catch on fire.

"Lithium would pull 80kg out of the car, so performance would go up, but you don't notice the weight of the karts."

karting academy hi voltage karts 55

A 30kW solar array on the roof provides enough juice for all daytime energy usage within the centre, Meizer adds, while a pair of dedicated EV charge points available to customers make it one of the few destination points for Tesla drivers.

Although they are more expensive to set up, Meizer thinks it's only a matter of time before most go-kart operators ditch their petrol-powered fleets and adopt EVs to benefit from their lower emissions and running costs, in much the same way as the new car market is (slowly) transitioning.

"In the US and Europe electric kart centres are everywhere," he says.

"You'd struggle to find a traditional karting centre over there."

There may no incentives and very little infrastructure for electric vehicles in Australia, but if EV go-karts represent one possible – and compelling – direction of accessible, affordable motorsport for the masses, perhaps there's a glimmer of hope for all the EV nerds out there…

karting academy hi voltage karts 53

No journalists were hurt in the making of this story, except for some bruised egos. And Feann, it was agreed as a group that this 'project' was to be known as the 'EV test and evaluation' story and to not mention 'karts'. You've well and truly blown our cover now.

Share this article
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.

If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.