The instant torque had Ryan Hollis hooked - the launch of speed from the moment the pedal hits the floor.
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The 21-year-old grew up on a farm at Bodalla, riding motorbikes and working different machinery. He now oversees a team who builds and races electric cars.
It was engineering classes at Moruya High School that sparked his interest, now he is in his third year studying mechanical engineering at the University of Wollongong.
As team principal, he makes sure everything runs smoothly.
"The team has about 60 people - a combination of engineers, business people and other faculties of the university," he said.
"The team designs and builds, runs its own media, finances and sponsorships."
Their finished products are then tested on the track, racing against 700 teams around the world.
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In the Australian competition, the University of Wollongong team is ranked 6th of 600 in the internal-combustion petrol cars.
In the electric vehicles, the team is ranked 37th of 200.
"There are four main races that we do - an acceleration event, skid pad event, autocross event, and a single lap with the fastest times win," Hollis said.
"There's also an endurance event of approximately 21km where the driver switches out halfway."
Hollis said the team also enters efficiency, engineering design and cost events where the team talks about specifics of their project and their decision making process.
After a year off due to COVID, the team is finalising designs of their electric car, keen to race this December.
"It's a cross between a go-kart and Formula 1 style car," Hollis said.
"It takes a year to design, build and test the car. We build a new car every year."
The cost of the build is about $100,000.
For years, the team was focused on building and racing petrol cars. Now, their focus is on the new and emerging technology of electric vehicles.
"It's exciting, there's a lot more we're able to do, such as instantaneous torque. We're able to accelerate a lot faster than a normal car," he said.
They can accelerate from 0-100kmh in less than 4 seconds (quicker than a V8 Supercar).
The automatic, rear-wheel drive, dual-motored racing machine only weighs 220kg. It has a 400V battery and only fits one driver.
Hollis said the dual-motor set up allows for torque vectoring - the car's 846 Nm of torque can be distributed to specific wheels.
"It allows us to control each wheel individually for improved performance and drivability," he said.
Hollis loved the competitive environment and felt privileged to be part of an experienced team.
"I have enjoyed being able to move on from high school and specialise in my field of interest," he said.
"Working with some experienced people and being able to do experiments and practicals with advanced equipment at the university has been really good."
