American Electric Karting League - BSR / WKA

Kart Race Reports, Driver Diaries and Schedules
21

Since our system uses air cooling, additional air fans are practically always used after a ride to cool everything down within 10-15 minutes, regardless of whether the ambient temperature is low or very high. In very high temperatures, this is especially important, as every second counts.

Technologies with water cooling do not require this additional forced cooling. However, in many countries, water cooling is prohibited, and where it is not, it requires careful preparation and handling to ensure no air enters the system.

Air cooling demands the development of many small elements for better performance and ease of use, which is a focus for the BSR team.

This is our favorite: Milwaukee cooler, which is the perfect tool.

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22

Thanks Artis!

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23

American Pilot Flies to Europe to Test Electric Karts for American Electric Karting Championship – Here Are His First Impressions.

24

How long can the battery last at full power? and how do you charge them in between sessions? (120v? 3 phase?) how long does it take to charge.

Thanks, super exciting stuff !

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25

BSR chargers all operate on a single phase and do not exceed 3kW of power, even for the most powerful chargers.
Wherever there is a 220V/16A connection, you can charge at 3kW. With a 120V/16A connection, you can charge at approximately 2kW.

Typically, in normal battery conditions, charging from 20-90% takes about 40 minutes. The battery swap time is around 2-3 minutes, and the driving time or autonomy for the BSR-X4 is up to 25 minutes in race mode. For the BSR-X5, it is up to 15 minutes in race mode.

With the BSR-X4 model, using one battery, you can safely conduct 6-8 training sessions of 10 minutes each throughout the day. With two batteries swapped between sessions, you can perform around 20 sessions of 10 minutes each per day.

With the BSR-X5 model, using one battery, you can safely conduct 4-5 training sessions of 10 minutes each throughout the day. With two batteries swapped between sessions, you can perform up to 12 sessions of 10 minutes each per day.

The X4 class can easily operate with one battery if everything is done correctly, but for the X5 class, we always recommend two batteries, as the limits are pushed quite seriously at this level.

BSR electric karts can also be charged from electric cars, such as Rivian, Tesla Cybertruck, KIA, etc., which have the V2L (vehicle to load) function. All these chargers fit within the category that these electric cars support. Therefore, if someone purchases an electric kart and owns one of these electric cars, they don’t even need to worry about charging from the grid or otherwise. For example, from a Rivian R1, you can charge your kart 30-40 times and still have 50 miles left to reach a supercharger.

BSR has developed its technology so that future electric car users can use karts together with their daily vehicles, thus eliminating concerns about electric connection issues and solutions.

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I honestly wish I could buy one BSR X4/X5 but the price :exploding_head: I need to get a job before LOL

EDIT : @Artis_Daugins Do you have any system to monitor the battery charge, or to monitor a full set of telemetry ? I have been working with Arduinos and embedded systems for a while now, it could be great to add such system

EDIT2 : @Artis_Daugins Last edit, but did you tinker with CVT (Especially for the rentals) ? I know Bosch released their CVT tech for Electric Cars, weighting only 20kg. Maybe a downscale version of it could be possible ?

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27

Yes, a job is a good thing, it’s necessary to get one.

About battery telemetry, etc., you can monitor all X3-X5 models from the mobile app, so that’s not a problem.

Adding 20kg to a kart is huge, we’re fighting for grams—kilograms are insane. For the last 3 years, our main focus has been to get perfect running hardware with the best possible price, simplicity, and manufacturing repeatability. Currently, a lot of work is being done with next-level electronics solutions, which are already appearing in BSR products but will become very prominent in karting over the next 2 years.

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20kg for a full sized car, that is why I mentionned downscaling it :slight_smile:

30

What Norwegian Drivers Think About BSR Electric Karts.
Norway is Preparing to Become an Electric Karting Nation by 2025.

31

I love the electric karting concept, but unfortunately it’s a matter of waiting for sanctioned racing leagues to justify the investment.

The initial outlay for your powertrains is expensive, offset by what you save in engine maintenance (top and bottom end rebuilds, fuel/oil, clutches, carby rebuilds, spark plugs, air filters, reeds, gear oil).

The more racing completed within the shelf life of a battery, the more offset you achieve. So whatever you can do to make electric karting more common, and therefore more accessible, is a good thing.

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32

While the initial investment may seem high, the long-term savings on maintenance and fuel, combined with the environmental benefits and consistent performance, make it a worthwhile choice. As electric karting gains popularity and more racing leagues adopt it, the opportunities and accessibility will grow significantly. With the increasing number of kart users, production volumes will rise, allowing for optimized manufacturing costs and future price reductions, making the product even more affordable from the moment of purchase. This chain reaction drives progress across the spectrum, so everyone joining now is a small future hero, creating opportunities for the next generation to benefit more efficiently and affordably.

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33

Have you guys played around with sound? On the race karts, presumably they are dead quiet?

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34

In reality, the sound is really cool. When the karts race on the track, being within 10-15 meters, you can feel the powerful engine and chain noise, but when they go farther, there’s a quiet tire screeching, and in the pits, there’s complete silence, allowing you to talk, enjoy the time, and relax while the karts are not racing. We don’t simulate the sound and don’t plan to because most tracks allow us to practice late after permitted hours since we don’t create noise, which is an advantage to be maximized. Noise is one of the pollutants.

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35

It must be wild seeing the pack come down the straight and just hearing schraalpppp. On our wood surfaces, our tires are always chirping.

I do like the fake engine noises tho. Thought I wouldn’t but I do!

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36

I think I I said this before but… My favorite aspect of electric karts is that you can yell verbal abuse and obscenities at your competition and be heard clearly.

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37

Yes, there have been instances where such shouting has been captured on cameras during driving because you can actually hear what people are saying. It would be interesting and entertaining for the audience if pilots had microphones and their conversations were broadcasted over the event speakers during the race.

38

Having experienced this transition in competitive RC racing, it will come slowly.

In RC it gained traction when power was on par or superior to Nitro and maintenance demands and cost were less than Nitro fueled cars. At the “hobbyist” level you find almost zero Nitro now, and at local clubs they often struggle to have enough for a field and mix them with electrics. At large regional and national events Pro level drivers are now running both, but Nitro is still king due to track run times. Now with RC there has long been an electric element and this transition still took time. With karts I expect it will be much much slower, as there is zero “hobbyist” level electric like there was with RCs.

Up front cost us already a barrier for many entering karting. Until electric battery and ESC/motor costs get closer to 2 stroke costs I don’t think you will see rapid growth. New users won’t drop the $$ on it and experienced racers are going to be resistant to change.

I feel that the prices I have seen look far too high for the limited run times. Would require 2 batteries due to cool down and charging, and that is steep still. It will get there in time.

I am curious to know what kind of tuning is available on the ESC? I know on my off-road and dirt oval stuff you could substantially impact the drivability of the vehicle through ESC tuning. 2wd dirt oval was where ESC setup was hands down the most impactful to lap times.

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39

You have good points about transitioning, etc.

The transition in karting relies heavily on two factors: the infrastructure and the associated solutions. If these can be adopted quickly, it will greatly facilitate the transition, similar to electric cars. Autonomy in karting, as you mentioned, with two batteries is not a problem, but it does come at an additional cost and will likely limit the audience initially.

BSR’s main goal right now is not to attract the masses but to demonstrate capabilities and present it as an impressive alternative by showcasing quality and experience. Prices will decrease with volume, but without practical use, achieving volume will be difficult. Hence, we start with the wealthier audience and work our way down, as starting from the bottom is practically impossible with new technology until it is fully adopted.

The biggest adoption bonus for electricity in racing is that teams and academies can create arrive-and-drive programs. This means business models that allow anyone to join karting at a reasonable price without owning a kart, while for the maintainer, it is a one-time investment with low running costs, and each additional hour rented can generate profit. This is what will boost championships the most.

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I do not see the benefit here vs conventional gas powered karts. Arrive and Drive is already a very prevalent thing. I would argue that the high initial cost of an electric package actually makes it harder to start an arrive and drive program because the buy in cost to get started is even higher if you are buying a teams worth of karts.

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41

Examples from Europe and Other Regions:

  1. Local Organization Purchase A local organization purchases 20 electric karts equipped with easily adjustable seats and pedals to ensure quick adaptation for children of various classes. The power units are fitted with a remote control power management system, allowing one kart to be used in 2-3 categories. For example, beginner cadets can use 6kW, experienced cadets can use 10kW, and after 2-3 years, the same power units can be used for Juniors with 15kW on different chassis. This way, the organization can support two classes with different age categories in one weekend using a single asset. This significantly reduces costs for pilots or allows businesses running Arrive and Drive programs to earn more by maximizing equipment usage in one event.
  2. Advantages of Variable Power Classes The ability to provide different power classes and other advantages allows this technology to be used much more broadly, thus optimizing its utilization. Every hour it runs, without additional engine tuning, ensures good profit or reduces running costs for drivers.

These benefits help organizations lower costs for pilots or increase earnings for Arrive and Drive businesses by maximizing equipment usage at each event.