The teams have completed the European and Asian part of the journey and will soon be headed to North America, and we wanted to find out how things have gone so far.

Trev is a three-wheeled EV designed as a commuter car. It weighs 794 pounds, has a top speed of 75 mph and has a range of 155 miles on a single, three to four hour charge. Batteries are Lithium-ion polymer and power a 21 kW brushless DC motor borrowed from a Vectrix scooter.

“It’s a real thrill taking Trev around the world, driving in countries we’d never otherwise have the opportunity of visiting,” said Team Director Andy Dickson. “In particular, we’ve driven across Russia, Kazakhstan and China and interacted with local people along the way, which has been a really unique experience.”

Also a unique experience: driving a three-wheeled bubble car.

“Trev is a real eye opener,” Dickson said. “It has only three wheels (two at the front and one at the back) and has a hinged canopy, which is unlike anything most people have seen on the roads before. We have been overwhelmed at people’s positive reactions to Trev and their interest in electric cars.”

According to Dickson, the driving experience is different from a conventional vehicle, as the ultra-compact car feels “lighter” on the road. “Visibility out of the canopy is excellent, and being propelled by an electric motor there is minimal motor/transmission noise and no gears to change,” he said.

Positive reactions aren’t limited to Team Trev and cheering crowds. The different teams are all supportive of each other’s efforts, as this isn’t a “race” in the traditional, competitive fashion. “Even though Zero Race is a race, it’s not a ‘first across the line’ sort of race,” Dickson said. “All teams support each other and get on really well. We’re all electric car pioneers, and we’re on a long and demanding journey together.”

That demanding journey began before the car even started the race, after a shipping mishap almost sidelined Team Trev.

“Our suspension was damaged in transit from Australia, making it a little unsafe to drive Trev in the early days of the race,” Dickson said. “We had to utilize the support van and trailer for a few days, until we had the opportunity to withdraw from Zero Race for a few days, head to a workshop Berlin and repair the damage. Since then, Trev’s performed superbly and has notched up almost 16,000 km [10,000 miles] in a month of driving.”

To put on that kind of mileage, the team has gone through almost as much stress as the car. “The Zero Race schedule is very demanding,” Dickson said. “We need to drive large distances each day, have media events and find places to recharge Trev’s batteries in some very remote locations around the world. Our drivers are therefore flat out all day and have to exist with minimal sleep. It’s very demanding, but that’s part of the challenge.” Spare parts are kept in the support van, but emergency supplies are kept in Trev’s tiny trunk.

While the car is recharging, so are the drivers. “We recharge Trev several times during the day, including some fairly quick top-up charges to get to our next destinations. Sometimes our drivers hang out with interested local people or check E-mails, and sometimes they grab the opportunity for a quick sleep,” Dickson said.

Dickson is optimistic that traveling around-the-world will prove to the general public that Trev is  suitable for getting around town. “We figure that if Trev can successfully drive around the world, it can certainly be a viable commuter,” he said.

Photos: Team Trev

Authors: Keith Barry

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