BEHIND THE VISOR – EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT EVA, BUT WERE TOO POLITE TO ASK:

Born: 1981

Height: 5 ft 2 inches (158 cm)

Nationality: Swedish and US. Lived in Denver, Colorado 2008-2017, and now living in Auckland, New Zealand (which is as far as I possibly can get from my hometown of  Nynäshamn, Sweden).

Family: My husband is Bill Dube’, retired research engineer that used to work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. My parents Lena and Sven and my two older brothers Tomas and Lennart still live in my hometown in Sweden. Did I mention that all of us have engineering degrees, including my mother?

Eye color: Blue

Hair color: My husband Bill says that my hair is “champagne blonde”. I say “rat color”. He then rolls his eyes and sighs.

Favorite dish: Something I don’t have to cook, I rather spend my time in the garage than the kitchen. However, if I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be salads. I absolutely love salads.

Favorite song: I listen to both kinds of music – country and western! The KillaJoule is built to the sound of country and western on the radio. It was built in the wild west, after all. Among the country artists, John Denver and Ken Dravis are my absolute favorites. Which both happen to be from Colorado.

Although not country, as for specific musical performances, Beyoncé’s “I was here” at the UN’s headquarter at World Humanitarian Day 2012 is unbeatable!

Education: I have almost more degrees than a thermometer! 😉 Bachelor degree in Business Administration (Mälardalen University, Sweden, 2005), Bachelor degree in Environmental Sciences (Mälardalen University, Sweden, 2005), Master degree in Mechanical Engineering (University of Denver, CO, USA, 2013), and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (University of Denver, CO, USA, 2016).

Why did you build the KillaJoule and the Green Envy? I call KillaJoule and Green Envy “eco-activism in disguise”. My mission is to show that eco-friendly can be fast and fun, and hopefully make people that otherwise wouldn’t be interested in low-emission vehicles be aware of their potential. Speed is a great way of showing the potential of battery power, because fast is always in fashion! Another purpose of the KillaJoule is also to show that women can be excellent engineers, and to encourage girls and women a career in science and technology. Also, I have to admit, that setting world records in a vehicle you built with your own hands and that you ride is really satisfying.

Day job: I came to New Zealand because I got a job as a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. I had planned to take 2020 as an unofficial “sabbatical” year to focus on racing. However, as we all know, that’s the year when the world came to a screeching halt. I had already quit my job at the university, and in a change of plans while the pandemic is passing, my husband Bill and I switched to another passionate topic – 3D printing and recycling. We founded “KiwiFil” in 2020, which is now New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of 3D printing filament (basically the “ink” for your 3D printer). Being treehuggers at heart, the filament is of course made from bioplastic and recycled plastic. I am hoping that KiwiFil will be successful enough that I don’t have to go back to regular employment. I don’t mind working around the clock in my own business, but 9-5 has never really suited me well.

Fast is always in fashion!

Did you really build the KillaJoule yourself? About 80 % of the hours, blood, sweat, and tears that went into the KillaJoule are mine. The rest is built by family and friends. There is always a team behind every successful racing vehicle, you cannot do everything yourself. The motorcycle is built from scratch in my two-car garage behind my house.

How about the Green Envy? Did you build that one too? The Green Envy is much more of a team work. We have amazing supporters and volunteers here in New Zealand. The most important has been Mulcahy Engineering and Axis Industrial. Mulcahy supported with all laser cutting and plenty of material. Peter Hopperus and Quintin Shamrock at Axis Industrial then welded up the main portion of the frame as well as the front and rear suspension. When that was done, we brought it home and Bill and I built basically the rest of the vehicle. In addition to Peter and Quintin, Tom Parker, Steve Lovell, Martin Powditch, Matt Pearce, Juan Robertson, Summer Xia, Isaac Grigor, Blake Roberts, Richard Micheel, and Graham Sparey-Taylor have helped with the build. The on-track crew also includes Kel Grayson, Amy Elliott, Sam Elliott, Tom Bishop, Debbie Robertson, Howard Ludgate, and Frank John.

How does it feel to set a new record? I wish I could say that it is a big rush, but it isn’t really. The closest I can describe it as a 2 minute long mix of horror, boredom, and magic. Setting a new record means that I am going faster than I ever have gone before, and that the bike is going faster than it ever has. Accelerating up to a speed where I have been before is typically so uneventful that it is almost boring, but as soon as you surpass that speed you are entering uncharted territory. It is known that stability problems can occur very suddenly, so it is quite nerve-wrecking. The vehicle is also extremely tight and claustrophobic. To be honest, that alone took a while to get used to. The relentless desert sun beating down doesn’t make it any more pleasant. But, at the same time, the feeling when everything works flawlessly is like magic. Years of work finally pays off, and it is like time stops. When I have finished a run, all my nervousness and discomfort quickly vanishes and is replaced by a huge grin. I say, “Well, that was easy, let’s do it again”.

How long is the track and how long does the run take? From 2010 through 2017, we ran all the the record attempts at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA. Since, 2019, our “home” venue is Lake Gairdner Salt Flats, Australia. It is a dry salt lake that t is perfectly flat and looks like a snow covered lake. The track is perfectly straight and it is consists of salt that is groomed and prepared to make a very smooth surface. I typically has about 4 miles to get up to speed, 1  mile where my speed is measured, and 4 miles to slow down. It takes me 1 to 2 minutes to get up to speed, and it takes about 13 seconds for me to cover the measured mile. When I exit the measured mile, I release my brake parachute and roll to a stop. In order to set a record, you have to repeat the speed with a record backup run. If the average speed of the two runs exceeds the previous record, I will have a new record.

Best racing memory: Setting my first world speed record the day I turned 30. It wasn’t particularly impressive at 138 mph (222 km/h), but it was my first international record. Hitting 200 mph was as exciting as you would think it would be, maybe even more exciting. And of course all the wonderful people racing at Bonneville Salt Flats as well as Lake Gairdner, they are all like a family that you meet once a year. There is very little cut-throat competition, we are all in a salt desert far from everything and we all help each other set records and go faster.

Worst racing memory: There are so many that I don’t even want to think about it…. It is definitely not a glamorous life… Perhaps the day we had to replace five (5!) flat tires on the race trailer, or maybe the time we blew a head gasket on our hauler truck, and it water-locked, and wouldn’t start, miles from the pavement, on the salt, in the rain!

Why land speed racing? It is incredibly safe compared to other kinds of world class level racing (there are no other competitors on the track, and there is nothing to hit). Land speed racing is the last fully unlimited racing where innovative engineering is encouraged. Most regular racing is so regulated that there is no room for innovation. Also, speed records are so tangible and easy to communicate, everybody can relate to speed. When you set a new record, you don’t just beat the other competitors at the same event, you beat everybody in the entire history! That’s cool!

What motivates you to set new records? I have an inner force that drives me to do things that nobody else has done before. I get an incredible joy from pushing the boundaries of engineering and pushing my own capabilities. I enjoy being the best in whatever I do, but the journey is actually more important than the goal. It may sound like a cliché, but it needs to be that way because your goal is always a moving target. There is always somebody else that is faster. You better enjoy the journey, because the journey is life-long.

How do you prepare for a race? Even if I need to be quite fit for the job, my motorcycle is the real athlete. It requires “care and feeding” just like a race horse or airplane. Everything is pushed to its limits during a record attempt, so all the parts have to be in top notch condition. With a very short racing season – the salt flats are only dry in August and September every year – the preparations for next year’s record attempt begin the day after you come back from the race. Corrosive salt gets in everywhere and has to be cleaned out, a process that can take every evening for a month. Things that are broken have to be fixed. There are always parts that need to be painted, any little scratch in the paint on the frame and the steel starts to rust. All electrical systems have to be checked, onboard fire extinguisher system has to be serviced, flame suit has to be washed and checked, and a gazillion other things.  The goal is always to go faster, which means that the winter, spring, and early summer is being used for upgrades. One winter we built a new battery pack with higher power, a job that took several months. Another year we upgraded to tires that can be used for 300+ mph, that job took all winter. This year we improved the aerodynamic outer aluminum skin on the sidecar, which took all spring. We used to only work evenings and weekends, which meant we were busy all year around. In 2020, we have quite a bit more time, but also a whole lot bigger goals! The Green Envy is built for 400 mph (650 km/h) with the goal of becoming the fastest motorcycle in the world. Period.

Biggest challenge in your racing effort? Budget! Budget! Budget! As serious as my world records are and as slick as my on-line appearance may make it seem, my husband Bill and I are very much a garage team. Just Bill and myself working on the bike in a rented warehouse unit. Friends pitch in now and then, but we do the vast majority of the work. We have sponsors for some of the main components such as the battery and motor, but most other costs are paid out of pocket. We have to be very innovative to keep the cost down to a level we can afford. Short on money means you have to be long on clever.

Is the KillaJoule really just a hobby? Yes, it is a really expensive hobby. I wouldn’t say that it is “just” a hobby, it has consumed all my spare time since 2010 years.  I used to be a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, but my contract ran out at the end of 2019 and I decided to move on. Bill just retired from his position as research engineer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). I took 2020 off to focus on racing. However, racing has been cancelled due to the pandemic so Bill and I are working on an exciting project to turn recycled plastics into 3D printing filament.

Biggest asset? Determination! I am a quite impatient person, but I am tenacious. To be the best in anything, you have to work on it every day. You need to want it so badly, that you never give up. I also enjoy the building process more than riding, which is important because you spend 360 days of building for 5 days of racing… Bill describes me as a Border Collie. If I am not constantly activated and stimulated, I start to chew on the furniture.

Most important skill? Project management! There is a very important saying in racing: “To finish first, one must first finish.” If you are not ready when the race starts, you will not win. A race is a firm deadline, and it takes serious management skills and discipline to get everything done in time. My favorite saying is “Whatever I do today, I don’t have to do tomorrow”. That’s how I get so much done.

“To finish first, one must first finish.”

What’s the secret to the KillaJoule’s insane speed? Clever engineering and optimization! Working on a shoestring budget, you have to do the math and spend your resources wisely. If you do that, you can set world record as a backyard team.

How much has the KillaJoule cost? I decided early in the project to never count exactly how much it has cost, but I know that our monthly credit card bills many times have had the same size as the pay check. We are somewhere between $100,000 to $150,000 out of pocket, and our sponsors have put in a similar amount in parts and labor. A lot of the cost is for the support equipment such as trailer, truck, generator, tools etc. We could have paid off our mortgage early if we hadn’t built the KillaJoule, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun. 😉

What about the Green Envy? The Green Envy is about $250,000 in parts, and probably $500,000 in labor if you were to pay full retail price. I will build you a copy for $1,000,000. 😉 The Green Envy has re-used all the support equipment from the KillaJoule, as well as other parts of the powertrain.

EVA’S STORY – FROM ZERO TO THE WORLD’S FASTEST ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET

It’s in the genes!

I was born in Sweden in 1981. Both my parents are mechanical engineers, and both my brothers are electrical engineers. I was the last one in the family to earn my engineering degree. Just like me, my dad built and raced motorcycles in evenings and weekends. My mom was his mechanic. I went to my first race track in the baby carrier, and I have been interested in technology as long as I can remember. I call my passion for engineering and racing “a genetic disorder”. According to my parents, I built a “nuclear power plant” from cans and cardboard in the garage when I was 4. My dad worked as an engineering consultant out of our home, and he had a full machine shop in the basement. It wasn’t until many years later I realized how unusual, and beneficial, it was to know how to machine, weld, and to have other machine shop skills.

Electric racing is like chocolate without calories: it gives me everything I want – power, speed, and torque, without the things I don’t want – pollution and noise.

The ElectroCat was just the beginning of the adventure that was to come. In the spring of 2008 I was invited as a guest speaker to the Swedish Parliament to talk about the advantages of electric cars. ElectroCat was invited too, and it was most likely the first time a motorcycle had been _inside_ the parliament building. The Secret Service was a bit skeptical until they learned that there was no fuel in it. Luckily the bike just fit in the elevator. We brought it in the night before through a back door, and I felt that I was in the middle of a James Bond movie.

While publishing my first book and speaking in the Parliament were way cool experiences, my most life-changing encounter had already happened in late 2007. It all started with that little book about electric and hybrid vehicles. I had heard about the world’s quickest electric vehicle – the KillaCycle dragracing motorcycle, and I wanted to use a picture of it in my book. I tracked down its owner Bill Dube’ online and asked for permission to use his photo. Bill replied with a several page long email about the bike. We kept in email contact, and it turned out that we were planning to attend the same electric vehicle symposium in Los Angeles in December 2007, the EVS 23.

It perhaps wasn’t love at first sight, but it was certainly love at first conversation. Despite a large age difference, Bill and clicked directly. We were soul mates! I commuted back and forth to Colorado on “tourist visa” during 2008, but this was not a sustainable solution. Being an engineer and a professional problem solver, Bill came up with the solution: Get enrolled in engineering school and apply for a student visa! I thought, “Why not?”. I did regret that I had chosen to pursue a business degree instead of an engineering degree, and here was my chance to change that. I jumped head first into engineering school, which was going to be a big challenge. First off, I hadn’t studied advanced math and science for over 10 years. Secondly, I was doing it in a foreign language. Nevertheless, I made it as almost a straight “A” student; a B+ in chemistry made a dent in my graduate GPA to 3.97 from 4.0, but I feel that I have no right to complain. Many people would give their right hand for that GPA. I graduated with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Denver in 2013, and with a PhD in the same field in 2016.

Two geeks in love

The student visa was a quick immigration solution, and pursuing an engineering degree made my parents slightly less unhappy about my emigration to the USA, but it was not a long term solution. The obvious solution was to get married. Although Bill and I are romantics, we would not got married so soon if it did not have practical advantages. The summer of 2009 we were pronounced “Anode and Cathode, may the sparks fly!” as we exchanged non-conductive ceramic wedding bands. The “chapel” was a prototype electric delivery truck, and I had ridden down the aisle on the ElectroCat while Bill entered on an electric bicycle. I wore a traditional Swedish costume, of which parts had belonged to my grandmother and parts were hand-made by my mom just for me. She had even woven the fabric for the skirt. It was probably the geekiest wedding of the decade, and absolutely perfect!