A group of students with the University of New South Wales have built an electric car that currently holds the record for the fastest solar powered vehicle. In 2011, they built a car that was able to reach 55mph. Now with the new vehicle, named eVe, the group is hoping to break the record for the highest average speed over a 310 mile distance. The current record is 45mph.
eVe, the new electric test car, is powered by Li-ion batteries, solar panels, and electric motors that produce an amazing 97% efficiency. The car is capable of reaching a max speed of 87mph. If driving at highway speeds, the car uses about as much electricity as a kitchen toaster. It’s also got an impressive range of 500 miles if it uses the battery pack along with help from the solar panels. The body is made of carbon fiber, which is extremely light – a mere 661lbs. The front wheels are made of carbon fiber and the rear wheels are aluminum.
The group of students is hoping that some of their ideas on efficiency will eventually make it to production vehicles sometime in the future.
