An electric vehicle has achieved a record 621 miles (1,000 km) on a single solar charge.
A solar-powered Sunswift 7 completed the 240-lap track from Sydney to Melbourne, averaging nearly 53 mph (85 km/h) in less than 12 hours to set a Guinness World Record .
The Sunswift 7 is the latest in a long line of solar powered vehicles that have been a success at the University of New South Wales in Sydney since the first vehicle was built in 1996.
Weighing just 1,200 pounds (500 kg), about a quarter the weight of a Tesla, it boasts incredible efficiency thanks to its aerodynamic design, efficient motor and drive chain, and incredibly low rolling resistance. .
The car is not suitable for road use as it lacks essentials such as air conditioning and airbags. Costs are also prohibitive, but in a country like Australia with nearly year-round sunshine, a key starting point for building the solar cars of the future is a solid dataset.
The UNSW team tested the car at the Australian Automotive Research Center (AARC) in Wensleydale, Victoria for its world record. They currently hold the record for "fastest EV to exceed 1,000km on a single charge".
Sunswift team manager Andrea Holden, a mechanical engineering student at UNSW, said:
“Two years ago when we started building this car, everything was in lockdown and there were a lot of difficult moments. It was worth it, and this world record is a testament to all the hard work put in by everyone on the team.”
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The car covered 240 laps, longer than the distance from Sydney to Melbourne, and consumed only 3.8 kWh/100 km. This is a much more efficient rating than the most efficient EVs on the road today (averaging 15kWh to 20kWh/100km). 100 km.
Team Principal, four-time F1 World Champion and Head of Operations at Red Bull Professor Richard Hopkins said:
"This is a bunch of very smart amateurs who put all the ingredients together in a brilliant way."
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“This team has focused on ultimate efficiency to break this world record. increase."
"I used to work in F1 and no one thought that in five or 10 years we would be driving F1 cars on the road. But the technology they use in F1 really pushes boundaries. Spread it out and filter down some of it. [to regular vehicles] That's what we're trying to do at Sunswift, and what this world record shows is achievable. ”
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