[Auto] Honda's eGX Kart Provides Thrills and a Glimpse at the Future of Motorsport

[BirSaNN]

We tried out the electric go-kart concept and came away impressed with how easy the swappable battery packs are to use.

The Honda eGX Racing Kart is a concept for now, but its greatest appeal is that it's powered by two 1.3-kWh batteries that last for up to 45 minutes of flat-out driving and can be replaced in under 30 seconds.
The single electric motor gives the eGX kart plenty of gusto, even if the batteries contribute to a 230-pound weight that makes it a bit heftier than comparable gas karts.
The batteries take around five hours to charge, but the simple swapping procedure means that the fun doesn't have to stop when the charge is depleted.
For most people, motorsports is prohibitively expensive. Even karting, the lowest rung on the ladder, is a costly exercise. But Honda's latest experiment, the eGX Racing Kart, shows a new path that could make karting far more accessible, eliminating costly nonrenewable items and reducing overall maintenance requirements. The eGX Racing Kart is just a concept for now, but the electric vehicle's swappable batteries hint at a new future for grassroots motorsports.

The eGX kart uses Honda's Mobile Power Pack (MPP) batteries, which are designed to be easily replaceable. Measuring 11.7 inches by 6.2 inches by 7.0 inches, the MPPs are roughly the size of a two-slice toaster and weigh 22.7 pounds. Thanks to sturdily integrated handles, transporting the battery is a breeze. The MPP is already in use in Japan, where electric-moped riders can stop at stations to quickly swap out a depleted battery for a fresh one rather than wait for their bike to charge.

The approximately 50-volt batteries can each store 1.3 kWh and take about five hours to recharge. In the eGX, two MPP units are wired to operate in series, resulting in a more efficient system with less energy loss compared to batteries wired in parallel. Honda says the two batteries combine to provide 35 to 45 minutes of driving at a time.

If you want to stay on the track while the batteries recharge, swapping in new packs takes less than 30 seconds. Simply lift the plastic container lid, undo the locking mechanism by pulling up on the handle, and slide the battery out. The whole process is idiot-proof, with MPPs only fitting into the container one way and the locking mechanism making a audible click when the battery is correctly inserted.

link: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a44079294/hondas-egx-racing-kart-electric-drive/