SRI’s EV1 Baja buggy

The EV1 will put fossil fuel buggies to shame

What better way to harness the torque of an electric drive train than to put one in an off-road Baja buggy? That’s exactly what the guys at the Strategic Recovery Institute (SRI) have attempted, and the result will cause the V8 brigade some consternation.

The business end showing the twin Netgain motors connected in tandem via belt drive to the four speed ‘box

Powered by two Netgain Warp 9 DC motors and a pair of Soliton 1 controllers, it puts out around 535hp and 750Nm of torque, easily enough to match the gas guzzlers normally seen in this type of vehicle. The power train was put together by the guys at EV West who have created some of the planet’s most desirable EVs, including their 700hp electric BMW M3, so you know it’s a quality install. The juice comes from China Aviation lithium cells in an 83kWh pack that has been ‘ruggedised’ to ensure it’s up to the vibration and shock levels encountered in off-road racing.

Sadly, SRI was unable to raise the full funding needed to race in the 1,000 mile Baja 1000 but it will be put through its paces in smaller races like Rage at the River at Laughlin, NV. Below you can see a video of this electric monster tearing up some desert during testing and some great little interview snippets from its creators.