Building an EV oasis in the Mojave Desert
Optima and Clarios created a 10-acre charging base camp in Hammertown, the home of King of the Hammers fans. The post Building an EV oasis in the Mojave Desert appeared first on Popular Science.
At King of the Hammers, one of the toughest off-road races in the world, electric vehicles aren’t really on the radar. Gas-powered vehicles rule, and they go hard across the desert. There’s no time for recharging or, for that matter, the infrastructure to do it even if someone were inclined to race their EV.
Optima–and its parent company Clarios–is actively working to change that. Clarios has been in business for more than a century, making 155 million batteries every year by Optima and its other brands around the world. The company’s batteries are in one in three vehicles on the road today, making it a juggernaut in the industry.
The battery titan rented a 10-acre spot in Johnson Valley, Nevada to set up the Optima Oasis, a basecamp for EVs. Renewable Innovations partnered with Optima to set up fast charging stations in the desert (along with restroom trailers and showers) with energy created from solar and hydrogen power and a parade of EVs dropped in to charge up.
Why Optima is exploring off-roading
Optima claims the title as the world’s first commercially available automotive Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery. An AGM battery is a sealed lead-acid battery which employs a glass mat to contain the liquid electrolytes inside, as opposed to an older type of “flooded” battery that contains free liquids.
In the middle of nowhere, this technology company built a temporary infrastructure for off-road enthusiasts. A Hummer EV showed up, along with a bunch of Rivian EVs and a whopping 13 Tesla Cybertrucks, and several of them competed in a good-natured drag race across the dry bed of Soggy Lake (Eric Thiele, a senior director for Clarios prevailed in a Hummer EV).
Renamed “Hammertown” during KOTH, the Johnson Valley area teems with vehicles and tens of thousands of fans for a week. It’s an assault or a symphony of the senses, depending on your perspective: engines scream, rubber scrabbles for purchase on the rocks, and dust hangs like low-lying clouds. This is not an event for a casual observer; attendees are all in, and they’re passionate about it. Where does a battery-powered vehicle fit in? Thiele says it’s part of a powertrain-agnostic approach.
“We know going into it that 95 percent of the Hammertown population are real gearheads who are huge fans of gas guzzlers,” Thiele says. “But we’re a company that supports all powertrains. We want to support enthusiasts across the board.”
Rivian manager of exterior engineering Alex Anderson was asked to join the Rivian Clubs of America team at the King of the Hammers event as a trail lead and general volunteer to help spread excitement about the event and EVs. Anderson has been attending King of the Hammers for the past five years and says it offers “the perfect mix of engineering prowess in the race vehicles, surrounded by all sorts of passionate off roaders, and (just a little) bit of chaos sprinkled in.” Shepherding a group of 15 Rivian vehicles, Anderson showed the EV owners it can be rewarding to go off-roading without fuel.
“Since I joined Rivian, I have fallen in love with EVs and EVs off road,” Anderson says. “If you’ve never taken an EV off road, it’s unlike anything else. It’s silent, surreal, and you can connect with nature like no other.”
Rivian is uniquely positioned to tackle the desert terrain with drive modes that adapt to soft sand and rock crawling. In fact, Anderson and her teammate (and fellow Rivian employee) Lilly Macaruso piloted an R1T truck to a win at the 2023 Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road rally in the U.S. During that event, Renewable Innovations also provided the power for their EV.
Hoping for more EVs in the desert and beyond
The 53-foot mobile Renewable Innovations semi carries high-density solar panels combined with “follow-the-sun” smart flowers that collect and deliver 50 kilowatts of peak power. At the Optima Oasis, that power was funneled into fast charging Wallbox stations where EVs renewed their electrons and headed out again.
Optima and its cheerful yellow, red, and orange-topped batteries have been recognizable for decades. As the demand for more technology and battery-electric vehicles grows, the company has expanded its lineup to stay ahead of the curve.
“Clarios sees the demand for low voltage and the number of batteries we put in a vehicle is increasing,” Thiele says. “Vehicles are becoming more complex, with more power and more active chassis stabilization, and we’re developing and supporting that at the manufacturer level.”
After more than a week on a dry lakebed at the Oasis, Clarios’ Eric Thiele says he’s finally evicting the last of the desert dust from his sinus cavity. He’s ready to roll again, and he’s looking forward to expanding the program next year to welcome more EVs. Anderson and her crew of Rivian owners is also excited to see what the future brings for EVs off-road.“I’ve always seen King of the Hammers as the premier off-road event in the U.S.,” Anderson says. “As technology advances, especially in areas like charging infrastructure for remote locations, I envision a future where all vehicles, regardless of powertrain, can coexist and share the passion for off-roading. I’m definitely hoping to see an EV class competing at King of the Hammers soon!”
The post Building an EV oasis in the Mojave Desert appeared first on Popular Science.
