11/10/06

Vehicle Specifications

Vehicle Name           Prius Junior

Vehicle Type            Recumbent trike, Hybrid 2, RACV Energy Breakthrough rules

                               Petrol plus electric power, no pedals

Build Date                2000

Dimensions

            Length                             2700 mm

            Width                              780 mm

            Height                             1000 mm

            Front wheel track            740 mm

            Wheelbase                      1200 mm

            Turning circle                   10 m

            Mass                               60 kg with motor batteries

Chassis               Mild steel tube braze welded.

                          Built at Weeroona College to Greenspeed GR 16/19 basic dimensions.

Canopy                    Local design, ‘Clam shell’ style with front hinge.

                                    Composite, 225 gsm CSM glass and polyester resin.

Petrol Engine              Honda GX-31, 4 stroke 31cc with recoil start.

Transmission, Petrol Engine    Go kart chain primary drive with bicycle chain gear final drive

Electric Motor                 Currie 24 v electric bike motor with integral controller

Batteries                         2 x 12v, 16 AH SLA ‘Odessy’ batteries

Transmission, Electric Motor  Epicyclic primary drive gearbox and 0.25” chain drive to wheel

Wheels                20”, 48 spoke BMX. Hubs modified to accept 12 mm axle and disk rotor.

Tyres                   Tioga comp pool

Brakes         Front          RST cable disk brakes

                  Rear           centre pull caliper

Steering             Modified Greenspeed with under-seat handlebars

Electrical            Headlight: 2 x12v x 20 w narrow beam halogen down-lights

                         Taillight: Student built flashing LED

                         Horn: piezo

                         Aux Battery; 12v x 7 AH

Fittings              Side mounted internal rear view mirrors

Other  The vehicle was named after the Toyota Prius, in an attempt to secure significant sponsorship from Bendigo Toyota. It worked! Their significant contribution substantially progressed our energy vehicle program in the early days.

            This was our first vehicle to use a canopy from the locally designed and built mould.

            For 2001 Prius Junior was fitted with two Currie electric motors.

            Toyota used the vehicle as part of its display for the national release of the Prius in Sydney.

            In 2002 the vehicle was scrapped and its canopy used to make a new, smaller canopy mould for primary HPV and hybrid 2 vehicles.

Competition Record                          

            2000 RACV Energy Breakthrough: Winner of all sections including trial and overall in hybrid 2. Also set fastest lap of all vehicles in the trial which was the last time hybrids competed on the HPV track.

            2001 RACV Energy Breakthrough: Runners up in trial and overall in hybrid 2. (Vehicle crashed badly breaking chassis in half.)

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