KIC Executive Director Invited to Asia to Talk about Rechargeable Indoor Karting Power at Lithium-ion Conference
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Las Vegas, Nevada September 20, 2010 In an effort to embrace the indoor karting community, Kart Industry Council executive director Ray Verhelst is making travel plans to further the technology of electric powered karting by participating in the South China Lithium-ion Top Level Forum in Shenzhen, China. The city is located just outside of Hong Kong and Ray s travels will occur right after the debut of the KIC membership promotion at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. This invitation-only conference assembles more than 2000 of the top lithium-ion rechargeable battery manufacturers, distributors, research and development organizations and investment groups to talk about the previous year's milestones and to set an agenda for the coming year.
As the association s executive director, Mr. Verhelst brings extensive connections throughout the energy industry and has been involved with business development in international markets around the world. This opportunity allows the KIC to further its research agenda for an important emerging segment of the performance karting community. One of the largest battery manufacturers in Asia has extended the invitation for him to attend. Ray will present an overview of the indoor karting industry to interested lithium-ion manufacturers and research engineers involved with transit rechargeable power. He will also provide an overview of the current state of electric driven karts being used as an alternative to the traditional gas driven vehicles. In the investigative work done on the indoor industry, it has been widely suggested that the drawbacks of the electric karts have been the length of time to charge a system in ratio to the amount of time the kart can actually be driven through a cycle. For most venues, the inventory of electric karts is often double that of its counterpart in order to provide an operating fleet while the other is charging.
Gas powered karts obviously have a much longer drivability factor but the trade-offs are the expense of facility ventilation, walled separation between the spectators and the actual track (to keep the fumes away from the food and administrative areas) and the overall noise. There are also the cost factors of maintenance, fuel and lubricants. The current crop of electric karts operate on the more traditional automotive or marine battery(s) which have a moderate lifespan and add significant weight to the kart. The idea of integrating a smaller, more powerful Lithium-ion cell with quicker charge times and longer power delivery could be an important development for performance indoor karting throughout the world.
On a side trip, Ray plans to visit the Macau Motorsports Club, home to go-kart and motorcycle races, the 1.2km-long and 10m-wide track sees its share of professional use, but tourists from all around the world routinely test their skills there, too. It is one of the most exciting kart-racing circuits in Southeast Asia and also the only one to be found in either Hong Kong or Macau. Ray will also visit two tracks in Shenzhen.
Look for a report here on the Kart Industry Council website from Ray in November. About The Kart Industry Council - Established in 1973, the Kart Industry Council is comprised of businesses involved with all aspects of performance karting within the US. As the oldest and largest independent trade organization for the industry, the KIC is a registered non-profit association that represents indoor and outdoor tracks, manufacturers, importers, distributors, dealers, ancillary vendors and service providers. The Kart Industry Council s main goals are to give a single voice of leadership and advocacy, provide valuable industry educational resources and to promote the sport of performance karting to a broader scope of the general public.
Kart Industry Council New association management office address:
9360 W FLAMINGO RD, STE 110-347
LAS VEGAS, NV 89147
New association management office number:
+1-702-577-2452
Twitter Account: KartIndCouncil