Holley’s “High Voltage Experience” took place last weekend (November 13-14th 2021) and offered the ultimate playground for EV owners, drivers, and enthusiasts alike. Set at Sonoma Raceway in CA Nov 13-14, the event offered multiple high-performance driving events and an opportunity for the emerging EV culture to come together.
Motorsports events included autocross, road course, drag racing, and a unique 3S Challenge which combined performance aspects of all of the above. Driving instruction was available by well-known professional driver and EV lap record holder, Randy Pobst, on the full Sonoma Raceway road course. The event also featured a dedicated car show to provide enthusiasts an unprecedented look at a wide variety of personalized vehicles and impressive EV conversions. To top off the excitement, Holley High Voltage included daily tire-smoking drifting exhibitions and drag racing passes by the world’s first 200mph EV dragster.
Below are some of the many highlights from the event.
EVs from all walks of life are making it out to Holley High Voltage Experience including Ford's electrified F100, an all-electric Cobra Jet, and a sea of different Tesla models.
While the track would normally be filling its fueling stations with high test, Holley high Voltage meant teaming up with Enel X, the official HHVE charging partner, to install a fleet of new chargers.
While the event officially begins Saturday November 13th, early arrivers had the choice to participate in a wine country cruise. The string of EV vehicles that joined in the parade wound through scenic Sonoma backroads and hillsides dotted with picturesque vineyards, flora, and the best, windows-down weather any auto enthusiast could hope for.
The San José FSAE electric team made it out to Holley High Voltage Experience to show off their EV racer. Built entirely by a team of students, the car is 100% electric, can deliver 0-60 blasts of 2.5 seconds, and generates over 100 pounds of downforce thanks to some clever aero work. The team took home 1st place in endurance and 2nd place overall in the nation at the FSAE competition in Michigan.
The suspension, chassis, carbon fiber work, and motor/battery systems were 100% designed in-house by students, and almost all of the manufacturing was handled by the team as well with only a few components subbed out for lack of the necessary machines.
Team Finspeed brought their Porsche Taycan R&D car to Holley High Voltage, which is a fully electric OEM vehicle boasting beastly stats. This one sports a custom set of custom, forged wheels.
A source for all kinds of ridiculous, entertaining, and utterly unbelievable contraptions, GRIND HARD PLUMBING CO made the trek out to Holley High Voltage Experience. Their EV ride of choice was this thoroughly off-roaded-out Tesla Model 3 complete with tube bumper and winch. The car was a collab with Rich Benoit of fellow YouTube channel Rich Rebuilds.
Legendary tuner, Bisimoto brought his EV-swapped Porsche 935 out to the event and it is an absolute head turner. The vivid graphics and linebacker-esque widebody are impossible to ignore, while an AC 3 phase induction motor delivers over 600hp.
Holley High Voltage Experience is in full swing and the drag strip is open. Tires are smoking, wheels are lifting, and motors are being turned up to 11. And yet, all is quiet. Witnessing an onslaught of sub-13-second quartermile passes and even some wild 7- and 8-second passed from the world's fastest EV dragster and Ford's Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 with barely any noise is an experience to behold. Click the photo for more drag-strip action.
Holley High Voltage Experience has something for everyone and drift enthusiasts were certainly not left out. The all-electric Napoleon Motorsports Camaro EL1 put on a smokey show for spectators with Formula Drift driver Travis Reeder at the wheel.
Steve Huff’s all-electric dragster was the first EV to ever eclipse 200mph and seeing it make a pass at Holley High Voltage Experience did not disappoint.
There was no shortage of tire-shredding entertainment as fans packed the autocross course, which doubled as a drift arena.
AEM Electronics brought out their EV swap systems test mule, dubbed “TesTang”. It’s a 2007 Mustang GT with a complete Tesla rear subframe and suspension from a base model 2013 Model S. A full 30-kiliwatts of power come from a pair Chrysler Pacifica battery packs that are mounted in place of 4.6-liter 3-valve mod motor. It’s loaded with all the AEM goodies – including a CD5 dash, keypad, VCU200, a 12 module Battery Management System (BMS), and two Power Distribution Units (PDU). The Tesla LDU is controlled by an AEM replacement inverter control board. While battery selection can dictate ultimate power levels, the output of the motor with the AEM electronics surpasses the power levels of the performance drive units. This equates to increasing the base drive unit from 250kw to over 300kw, which is also more than the 278kw performance drive unit found in the Model S P85. To date the car has run a best of 11.7 in the quarter mile.
Mike Sallee brought his 1958 Chevrolet Apache pickup, which he found as an original farm truck. The tired straight 6 has since been replaced with a NetGain Hyper 9 DC motor connected to a 5-speed manual transmission sourced from a Chevrolet Colorado. While the engine only delivers 120 horsepower, instant electric torque and 5 forward gears make it a much better cruiser than the original engine. Power comes via 7 Tesla Model S batteries which are mounted stealthily in the bed toolbox along with a DC-to-DC converter (which runs all the truck’s 12-volt accessories), and the charger. Outside of a conversion to independent front suspension to deliver modern handling, the truck is largely stock vintage.
Behold, the car that launched an empire. This first-generation Tesla Roadster was the brand’s first foray into performance electric vehicles and the first production EV to use lithium-ion batteries. Produced from 2008 to 2012 the Roadster was based on a nimble Lotus Elise chassis and could deliver 200mi of range per charge. Who could have guessed, over a decade ago, that a little known auto manufacturer would one day rise to such gargantuan heights.
Meet “Cheese Louise,” the 1981 Comuta car owned by YouTuber, Simone Giertz. The little car was originally built in Florida (the manufacturer was originally called CitiCar) and, with the exception of a conversion from lead-acid batteries to modern lithium-ion units, is surprisingly stock, down to the factory-equipped 48v DC motor. Marcos Ramirez, who’s a local to the track, race car driver, race mechanic, and a friend of Giertz, brought Cheese Louise out to Holley High Voltage Experience where the car instantly became a fan favorite.
Even in the fog, light glinted off the impeccable paint on the Kindred Motorworks Samba Volkswagen Bus. A startup company looking to build thoroughly modernized classic cars in gas and EV varieties, Kindred delivered what is essentially a brand new, 1958 21-window VW bus. Based on a reproduction body, the VW utilizes a Tesla drive unit (rated at 300hp) and a 72kw battery, which combine for 200mi of driving range. The bus has also been treated to a host of creature comforts such as heat, air conditioning, and coilover suspension.
Holley High Voltage Experience gave many EV owners their first crack at performance driving on a road course. For others it was a welcome opportunity to continue honing their cornering craft. Better still, it was was an opportunity to drive on Sonoma Raceway's (formerly Sears Point) hallowed track. Those drivers that jumped at the opportunity found themselves slinging through the twisties and blasting down the straights.
The Ford Performance Cobra Jet 1400 made a powerful appearance at Holley high Voltage Experience. With an unreal, all-electric 1400 horsepower and 1100 lb-ft of torque on tap, the drag-spec monster delivered consistently quick passes in low 8s and high 7s and plenty of smokey burnouts and wheelies. Powering the ‘Stang are four, Cascadia Motion motors that run at 800 volts, up to 700 amps, and turn up to 10,000rpm. Motor power is routed through a conventional torque converter, a TH400 transmission, and delivered to the wheels via a 9in style axle.
The autocross course was a huge hit at Holley High Voltage Experience with many an EV driver enjoying pure driving bliss. Autocross rewards precision driving through a highly technical course through cones. While the speeds may be lower than the road course, getting to the head of the pack in a field of highly competitive cars is that much harder. The autocross at Holley High Voltage was packed with OEM EVs, home-built race contraptions, and even a few electric converted rides. Take a look at the full spectrum of racers in the gallery below.
And just like that, the first official Holley High Voltage Experience is in the books. We want to thank the amazing people who attended, helped us put this on, or contributed in any way to Holley's first, beyond-successful EV event.