| Name | Lux Aeterna | Lux Perpetua | Lux Millennia | John Lee | John Lee 1.5 | John Lee 2.0 |
| Number | 480 | 7 | 7 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| Configuration | 3 Wheeled Inverted Tricycle (Tail Dagger) | 4 Wheeled Traditional Car | 4 Wheeled Traditional Car | 3 Wheeled Tricycle | 3 Wheeled Tricycle | 4 Wheeled Traditional Car |
| Drive | 1 rear | 1 rear | 1 rear | 1 front | 1 left rear | 1 left rear |
| Steer | 2 front | 2 front | 2 front | 1 front | 1 front | 2 front |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 5.9m x 1.9m x 1.0m | 5.3m x 2.0m x 1.0m | ? | 5.0m x 1.8m x 1.0m | 5.0m x 1.8m x 1.0m | 5.0m x 1.8m x 1.0m |
| Weight (incl. 80 kg driver) | 484 kg | 300 kg | 360 kg | 240 kg | 254 kg | Approx. 270 kg |
| Completed | June 1997 | June 1999 | March 2002 | July 2003 | March 2004 | July 2005 |
| Design Time | 21 months | 13 months | 9 months | 7 months | ? | ? |
| Construction Time | 9 months | 20 months | 12 months | ? | ? | |
| Approximate cost (incl. in-kind donations) | $240,000 | $350,000 | ? | $400,000 | ? | ? |
| Number of team members | 16 | 34 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 8 |
| Races entered | Sunrayce 97 | Sunrayce 99 | - | ASC 03 | Phaethon 04 | NASC 05 |
| Finish | 9th, 1st Rookie Team | 15th | - | Did not qualify (electrical and braking problems) | 7th | Did not qualify (suspension failure) |
| Body | ||||||
| Body Construction | Flat panels with a wet-layup nose | Wet layup in fiberglass molds made from CNCed plugs | Wet layup in fiberglass molds made from plywood and Lexan plugs | Autoclaved prepregs in fiberglass molds made from CNCed plugs | The John Lee 1.5 and 2.0 used the same body as The John Lee | |
| Body Skin | 0.25" (6.4 mm) prefab carbon-Nomex panels - two layers of 2.47 oz/yd^2 (84 g/m^2) unidirectional carbon tape (in 0/90;45/45 arrangement) and one layer of 108 S-glass scrim both pre-impregnated with F515 resin; 0.25" (6.4mm) 3 oz/yd^2 (102 g/m^2) Kevlar-Nomex array panel | 2 layers each 2 oz/yd^2 (68 g/m^2) fiberglass and 1.8 oz/yd^2 (61 g/m^2) bi-directional Kevlar | Kevlar top; carbon fiber bottom | 1 layer Cytec Kevlar top, 1 layer Hexcel carbon fiber bottom; prepreg | ||
| Body Core | Hexcel HRH-10 Nomex, 1.8 lbs/ft^3 (29 kg/m^3) | Hexcel HRH-10 Nomex, 1.8 and 3 lbs/ft^3 (29 and 28 kg/m^3) | 0.25" (6.4 mm) Nomex | 0.3125" (8 mm) Nomex top, 0.4" (10.2 mm) Nomex bottom | ||
| Body rib material | 0.25" (6.4 mm) prefab carbon-Nomex panels | 0.4" (10.2 mm) prefab fiberglass-Nomex panels | 0.4" (10.2 mm) prefab fiberglass-Nomex panels | 0.25" prefab carbon-Nomex panels | ||
| Canopy material | Celcast acrylic | Celcast acrylic | Lexan | Acrylic | ||
| Canopy manufacture | Thermotech | Team Lux | Team Lux | Team Lux/Sikorsky Aircraft | ||
| Frame | ||||||
| Frame material | W7A 10A ceramic matrix Al | W7A 10A ceramic matrix Al | Lux Millennia was built on the same mechanical platform as Lux Perpetua | 3-2.5 Ti | The John Lee 1.5 used the same tube frame and steering system as The John Lee | 0.75" (19 mm) high density Nomex core and wrapped with 2 plies AGP370-5H/3501-6 Hexcel carbon fiber arranged at 45°/-45° and 6 plies of unidirectional Cytec carbon fiber tape at 0°. 0.125" (3 mm) 6061 Al hard-points laid-up directly into the frame |
| Frame size | 1.25"x0.060" (32x1.5 mm) tube | 1.25"x0.060" (32x1.5 mm) tube | 2.5"x0.037" (64x0.9 mm) tube reinforced with three plies of carbon fiber | Variable, typically 5.12" (130 mm) thick | ||
| Frame welded at | Yale University, Gibbs Shop | Brewer's Dauntless Shipyard | Sikorsky Aircraft | Cured in autoclave at Sikorsky Aircraft | ||
| Seat | Molded fiberglass from Stallion Racing | Milk crate wedge and assorted padding | Foam and composites | ? | ||
| Safety Belt | Simpson 5-point racing harness | Simpson 5-point racing harness | Simpson 5-point racing harness | Simpson 5-point racing harness | ||
| Design and Analysis | I-DEAS Master Series | Algor, AutoCAD, SEA through EDS's online server | ANSYS/DesignSpace, Cosmos SolidWorks, COSMOSWorks | ANSYS/DesignSpace | ||
| Steering | Rack and pinion | Rack and pinion manufactured by Stiletto | Push/Pull using 1"x0.045" (25x1.1 mm) 3003 Al tubes supported by nylon linear bushings and connected to 7075T6 Al steering arms | Push/Pull using 1"x0.045" (25x1.1 mm) 3003 Al tubes to 6061T6 Al and 304 stainless steel linkage with adjustable mechanical advantage | ||
| Braking | Dual front hydraulic disk brakes | Dual front hydraulic disk brakes | Front/rear mechanical disk brakes | Front/rear hydraulic disk brakes | Dual front hydraulic disk brakes | |
| Brake actuator | Pedal | Pedal integrated with dual master cylinders | Bicycle hand grip | Bicycle hand grip to custom-built master cylinder | Bicycle hand grip to AP Racing CP4325 Dual-Bore Master Cylinder | |
| Front Wheel(s) | ||||||
| Suspension type | Double-wishbone A-arms | Double-wishbone A-arms | Lux Millennia was built on the same mechanical platform as Lux Perpetua | Double-wishbone a-arm | Aircraft style telescoping strut | Double-wishbone A-arms |
| Suspension material | A-arms: 1.25"x0.085" (32x2.2 mm) 4130 steel tube; upright: 1" (25 mm) square 4130 steel tube | A-arms: 0.625"x0.125" (16x3.2 mm) 4130 steel tube; upright: 0.125" (3.2 mm) 6061T6 Al plate welded into box shape | A-arms: 1.25"x0.045" (32x1.1 mm) 3-2.5 Ti tube with 6-4 Ti flanges and plugs; upright: machined from solid 6061T6 Al billet | 6061T6 Al | Upright and A-arms machined from solid 6061T6 Al billets | |
| Shocks | Carrera coil springs | "Mini Koni" oil-damped coil over shocks with custom springs | Rock Shox SID air shock | Integrated in strut | Rock Shox Pro series coil over with Risse Racing custom springs | |
| Axle | Weld Racing | press fit steel spindles | none (motor mount) | ground and polished 1018 steel | ground and polished 1018 steel | |
| Hub | Weld Racing | custom Al hubs | none (motor mount) | custom Al hubs | custom Al hubs | |
| Rim | Weld Racing Dragster Frontrunners, 17"x2.5" (432x64 mm) steel | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | Custom, 16"x2.15" (406x55 mm) carbon fiber | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | |
| Tire | Goodyear D1121 | Bridgestone Ecopia | Michelin Solar Car Radial | Bridgestone Ecopia | Bridgestone Ecopia | |
| Brake | Two Enginetics calipers on each wheel | One Enginetics 700B dual caliper on each wheel | Avid MTB caliper | Custom two-piston caliper machined from Al | Custom two-piston caliper machined from Al | |
| Rear Wheel(s) | ||||||
| Suspension type | Trailing arm- single shear | Trailing arm- single shear | Lux Millennia was built on the same mechanical platform as Lux Perpetua | Trailing arms- double shear | Trailing arms- single shear | Double-wishbone A-arms |
| Suspension material | 4130 steel square tube | 0.125" (3.2 mm) 6061T6 Al plate welded into box shape | 1"x0.037" (25x1 mm) 3-2.5 Ti tube with 0.25" (6.4 mm) 6-4 Ti flanges and plugs | 6061T6 Al | Upright and A-arms machined from solid 6061T6 Al billets | |
| Spring | Carrera coil spring | "Mini Koni" oil-damped coil over shocks with custom springs | Rock Shox SID air shocks | Rock Shox SID air shocks | Rock Shox Pro series coil over with Risse Racing custom springs | |
| Axle | none (motor mount) | press fit steel spindles | Custom Ti axle bolt | ground and polished 1018 steel | ground and polished 1018 steel | |
| Hub | none (motor mount) | Custom Al hubs | Custom Al hubs | Custom Al hubs | Custom Al hubs | |
| Rim | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | NCM SC-W100, 14"x2.25" (356x57 mm) Al | |
| Tire | Bridgestone Ecopia | Bridgestone Ecopia | Bridgestone Ecopia | Bridgestone Ecopia | Bridgestone Ecopia | |
| Brake | none | none | Avid MTB calipers | ? | none | |
| Electrical | ||||||
| Motor Type | In-hub brushless axial flux | In-hub brushless axial flux | In-hub brushless axial flux | In-hub brushless axial flux | The John Lee 1.5 and 2.0 electrical systems were incremental improvements of the original John Lee electrical system | |
| Motor | NCM SC-M100 | NGM SC-M150-08 | NGM SC-M150-08 (enhanced) | NGM SC-M150-08 (enhanced) | ||
| Motor Controller | NGM EV-C150 | NGM EV-C200-092 | NGM EV-C200-092 (enhanced) | NGM EV-C200-092 (enhanced) | ||
| Battery Chemistry | Lead Acid | Lead Acid | Lead Acid | Lithium Ion | ||
| Nominal/Maximum Voltage | 84V/105V | 108V/135V | 96V/120V | 96V/110V | ||
| Race Regulation on Batteries | 140kg | 5kWh | 165kg (lead acid) 30kg (lithium ion) |
165kg (lead acid) 30kg (lithium ion) |
||
| Battery Weight | 135 kg | 147.2 kg | 158.4 kg | 28.9 kg | ||
| Battery Capacity | 4 kWh @ C/3 | 4.9 kWh @ C/3 | 5.2 kWh @ C/20 | 4.8 kWh (nominal) | ||
| Battery Power Density | 29.6 Wh/kg | 33.6 Wh/kg | 33.3 Wh/kg | 166 Wh/kg | ||
| Battery Type | Delco #19010704 "White Case" VRLA AGM deep cycle | Delphi #19002255 Freedom AGM/SLI | Optima "Yellow Top" D750U deep cycle | LG ICR-18650W2 | ||
| Number of Batteries | 7 in series | 9 in series | 8 in series | 650 total, 26 groups of 25 paralleled cells in series | ||
| Battery Protection Circuity | n/a | n/a | n/a | Custom with Worley backup | ||
| Battery Box | ? | 0.25" Kevlar-Nomex panel | 0.4" thick fiberglass-Nomex panel | 0.4" thick fiberglass-Nomex panel reinforced w/ Kevlar prepreg | ||
| Solar Cells | Siemens Monocrystalline Silicon - laser cut | Siemens Monocrystalline Silicon - laser cut | BP Solarex Monocrystalline Silicon - uncut | Spectrolab dual junction Gallium Arsenide - saw cut | ||
| Rated efficiency | 14% | 13.5% | 16.25% | 23% | ||
| Number of cells | 920 | 1200 | 477 | 3051 | ||
| Array area | 8 m^2 | ? | 8.5 m^2 (8.1 m^2 effective) | 7.97 m^2 | ||
| Array coverage | 95% | ? | ? | 88.58% | ||
| Array power (theoretical/max measured) | Approx. 900W | Approx. 1100W | 1140W / 800W | 1900W / 1640W | ||
| Array construction | Cells chained by Team Lux, attached and sealed with Dow Corning conformal coating | Cells chained by Team Lux, attached with 3M VHB, and sealed with Dow Corning silicone elastomer | Cells chained by Team Lux, attached with ? and sealed with conformal coating | Cells chained and encapsulated by SunWize Solar and attached with 3M VHB | ||
| Blocking/Bypass Diodes | ? | International Rectifier 80SQ045 45V 8A Schottky Barrier Rectifiers | ? | General Semiconductor 1N5404 400V 3A Silicon Rectifiers | ||
| Array layout | ? | Chains of 10 cells connected series/parallel into 3 zones: front, left rear and right rear | Chains of 3-7 cells series connected into three zones: left, center, and right | Modules of 2-80 cells in series connected in series into chains of 75-100 cells, matched chains connected in parallel to form array sections | ||
| PPT type | AERL 600BHV "race-trim" buck | AERL 600BHV "race-trim" buck | AERL 600BHV "race-trim" buck | AERL 600BHV "race-trim" buck (modified for GaAs cells) | ||
| Number of PPTs | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | |
| Telemetry | Data collection modules from DGH; shunt for battery current measurement | Custom system based on Parallax basic stamps with an analog state of charge calculator; shunts for battery and array current measurement | Off-the-shelf microprocessor development board; shunts for battery and array current measurement | Custom PCBs based on three PIC16F877 microprocessors Hall effect sensors for battery, array, and motor current measurement |
Custom PCB based on PIC18F458 microprocessor; CAN bus; 900MHz RF data-link to PPTs for voltage and current measurement; Hall effect sensors for battery, array, and motor current measurement; Driver data display shared with rearview camera | |
| Wireless Link to Chase Vehicle | Xetron Hummingbird 900MHz Serial Modem | Xetron Hummingbird 900MHz Serial Modem | ? | Linx Technologies HP series 900MHz RF modules | Linx Technologies HP series 900MHz RF modules | |
Abbreviations and notes: