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How would Electric Vehicles do in an endurance challenge. Remember the Mercury Comets 100,000 mile endurance run.
What if there was a competition between Electric Vehicles and cars powered by internal combustion engines?
Which one would win. The competition would involve speed and miles traveled continuously with just pit stops for fuel, charging, and recommended service at prescribed intervals.
Fords Mercury division have done this endurance test in 1964 with a car called the Comet.
The Mercury Comet had a unique advertising campaign. Ford had taken the car out on a test track and drove it continuously at high speed for 100,000 miles.
Of course there were driver changes, oil changes, tire changes, etc. being performed at normal prescribed maintenance recommendations by Ford's pit crews.
It was a successful drive-train reliability demonstration, and advertising campaign. However a competitor called the Ford Mustang was produced, which became a more popular car than the Mercury.
Presently electric cars, using lithium batteries have been produced and available to consumers for 10 plus years. Claims of million mile batteries and eight minute charging times, have also been suggested recently.
A tremendous advantage exists today that Ford did not have in the days of the Comet. Electric vehicle manufacturers have an advantage of being autonomous.
I would suggest that an autonomous or human drivers operate electrical vehicles and run the course as Ford did with its Mercury Comets. The claim of 1,000,000 mile battery and 8 minute charging times would be put to the test.
A simple test of an autonomous or driven electric vehicle, continuously going around a track coming in only for pit stops and battery charges.
Another consideration, that might be even more impressive would be inductance charging having been built into the test track and a non stop endurance race would be even more impressive.
It's what I would consider a golden opportunity for any of the major manufacturers worldwide to publicize such an event if electric vehicles are up to the challenge on the path to becoming mainstream.
Below is a link to the video documenting the Mercury, Comet's endurance run. The video is at the bottom of the page.
i hsd the idea in about 1970 of pitching to an auto company a real-conditions drive of, say, 100k miles in 100 days. I asked around, and found that they apparently do that, for their own purposes, but don't publish the results, They hirre colllege girls to drive.
Thanks for posting that Comet article, very interesting. I had a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura in the 1970s, which was a close cousin to the Comet. It was a great vehicle, still one of my favorites from that era. Can't think of much I would have changed about it. Although the Mustang eclipsed the Comet / Falcon a short time later, the Mustang inherited a lot of drivetrain and chassis components from the Comet / Falcon.
Thanks for posting that Comet article, very interesting. I had a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura in the 1970s, which was a close cousin to the Comet. It was a great vehicle, still one of my favorites from that era. Can't think of much I would have changed about it. Although the Mustang eclipsed the Comet / Falcon a short time later, the Mustang inherited a lot of drivetrain and chassis components from the Comet / Falcon.
The 1960's were a great time to be around.
I remember the Ford Falcon Futura it did have the Comets drive-train. Had a clean look about it. We need that Ice/E.V. car competition real bad in this world.
With the INTERNET such an event would have the largest viewing audience ever.. Thanks for the trip in the way back machine.
Another thinly-veiled "yeah but whatabout...." to put down EVs.
A test like that would mean absolutely zero to me. I don't make decisions based on these sorts of marketing stunts.
Car & Driver just tested 3 pickups with an extreme towing challenge which, while really interesting to read, had about zero applicability to 99.999% of truck/suv drivers. But I'm sure some soccer dad/mom will breathlessly justify a certain purchase because of stunts like this even though he/she uses about 0.01% of their vehicle's capability.
That'd be pretty interesting. It's not a real world test in terms of usage patterns, but it would be interesting if done every few years to see how improvements track over a longer time frame and would be especially interesting in terms of testing for longevity.
That'd be pretty interesting. It's not a real world test in terms of usage patterns, but it would be interesting if done every few years to see how improvements track over a longer time frame and would be especially interesting in terms of testing for longevity.
I agree it would be an interesting yard stick.
I knew a number of people who owned Mercury Comets and remember the 100,000 endurance race.
No one has done anything as grueling before or since.
Think about it these guys did the equivalent of 200 Daytona 500's continuously flat out in unmodified cars 56 years ago.
Cast Iron engines, carburetors, rear wheel drive, U-joints, automatic transmissions. ignition coils and points, etc.
Here is an update to this old school story.
This lady had her one owner Mercury, Comet for 48 years and put 567,000 miles on the original engine. This was a story carried by NPR radio, here's the link below.
I've had 3 Comets, My first car, a '62 2door sedan, a '63 V8 convertible, and a '63 S-22 hardtop.
This was my last one:
I want to build another, using a Tesla drivetrain and battery.
Great cars, all of them.
Building another Comet with a Tesla drive train would be quite the project.
Here's hoping it turns out to be the best car you have ever done.
I'm going to keep hoping for car companies worldwide to collaborate and recreate the worlds greatest sporting event.
The Flat-Out Comet 100,000 mile plus endurance World championship.
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The 1960's were a great time to be around.
