It was fifty years ago that the original COPO
Camaro was introduced to the public, and all of us here at West Chevrolet are constantly in awe
of this car's potential for power, ability, and raw handling on the
track. The new eCOPO Camaro Concept demonstrates a vision for electric drag
racing, as the future has arrived, in the sense that planet responsibility and
sustainability is at the top of many automaker's list, including ours.
Developed by GM and built in conjunction with the Hancock and Lane Racing drag
team, this new concept car is based on the 2019 COPO Camaro.
This is an entirely electric-powered car, driven
by an electric motor that offers up the equivalent of more than 700 horsepower,
and 600 lb-ft of torque. Testing time for the quarter-mile is estimated now in
the 9-second range, and this is one concept that has pushed the power and
racing envelope to the fullest, while at the same time channels the spirit of
full-throttled and high-octane racing. Hancock and Lane Racing not only have a
track record of success within the drag racing realm, but also benefit from
strong ties to Patrick McCue, the brains behind the record-setting “Shock and
Awe” electric drag racing car, and the Seattle-based Bothell High School
automotive technology program.
The original 1969 Camaro models relied on the most
creative engineering in existence to make them successful in the very exciting
and challenging event of Stock Eliminator drag racing. The same level of
dedication is evident in the ground-breaking new motor within the eCOPO, which
sports GM's first 800-volt battery. This electric motor is based on a pair of
BorgWarner HVH 250-150 motor assemblies, each with the capability to generate
300 lb-ft of torque, while utterly replacing the gas engine we have all become
so accustomed to. It is mated to a conventional, racing-ready “Turbo 400”
automatic transmission that boosts the motor's torque to the same solid rear
axle put to use in the production COPO Camaro racers.
With the new 800-volt battery pack, there is a
much more efficient transfer of power to the all-electric motor, and it is able
to support faster recharging. This is all-important when it comes to the
rapidly paced elimination rounds in drag racing, when time is of the essence.
This is very exciting new territory in the technological realm, as drag strip
racing is one very demanding and pavement-pounding performance arena that
gasoline has dominated since its early origins. Each of the four included
200-volt modules in the battery pack weigh around 175 pounds, and are mounted
strategically for ultimate weight distribution.
A full On-board Battery Management System monitors
all temperatures and constantly changing critical voltages within the pack. It
is also tied into a comprehensive safety system that is always evaluating the
electrical components in a vehicle, for safe operation and proper function.
This electric motor as the same bell house mounting pattern and crankshaft
flange as the widely-used LS-family engines in Chevy's crate engine lineup.
This is what allows it to bolt up to nearly any single one of the GM
transmission family's lineup.
The possibilities are amazing and will open up
numerous ways to limit fuel use in the drag racing realm, a place in which
fully electric power was scoffed at just a few years ago. The eCOPO Concept
joined the 50th anniversary 2019 COPO Camaro race car along with two
dozen additional Chevy concepts and show vehicles, finishing its run at SEMA in
Las Vegas on November 2nd.
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