July 2008 saw the opening of the WORLD’S FIRST successful electric floor kart track on the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare, a sea-front town in North Somerset, United Kingdom. This electric floor kart system uses a unique steel floor construction from which the Gravitron karts pick up their power supply.This revolutionary karting system negates the use of batteries and chargers for electric karts and enables the operator to run the type of racing that has previously only been possible with petrolium driven karts.
The electric floor system means that, whereas battery powered karts are ideally suited to short runs, the electric floor karts can be run for short or long time slots. This opens up many new possibilities for electric karting for endurance racing or corporate events. Rides can last for ¼ hour, ½ hour or several hours at a time – in fact these karts can run 24/7!
The electric floor system also helps to minimise noise pollution. When they are running, a sound level equivalent to normal ambient noise (around 60 decibels) is emitted. In cases where noise is a factor for planning permission an electric floor system could be the answer. However, if you miss the noise, we can actually add some to enhance the adreniline rush – for example, Formula 1 type sound effects.
The karts themselves are exactly the same design as their battery powered cousins, however they do not carry the weight of the batteries on board, making them a much lighter, more responsive drive, carrying less kinetic energy in the event of a collision. The power is picked up from the steel floor through a series of electrical brushes attached to the underside of the karts.
The steel floor is supplied with electricity through a set of transformers. The system is totally safe, with a series of safety cut out systems in place to ensure complete protection from electric shock.
As with the battery powered karts, the speed of the karts can be varied through the kart controller and radio control systems can be fitted to give an operator overall control.
