When lawrence tech's Element One team won top honors in the first-ever Formula Zero design competition-a contest created by two Dutch auto designers to get young engineers interested in hydrogen cars-they received two prizes: a fuel cell, and a deadline. The award meant they had the green light to build their design and race against other student teams in the Formula Zero hydrogen-powered go-kart race, which starts this month in thernNetherlands. And just like that, they were off, scrambling to get their kart ready in time. For maximum power, Element One paired their fuel cell with ultracapacitors, which can rapidly discharge power for intense acceleration and recharge quickly in pit stops. But to reach 60mph-plus racing speeds with a modest 48-horsepower electric motor, they also needed to make their kart as light as possible.
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