Motoring17.09.2023

Student-built electric car demolishes world record for distance on a single charge

A team of students at the Technical University of Munich built an electric car that set a new distance record on a single charge for a non-solar EV at 2,574km, ArsTechnica reports.

Moreover, the EV — dubbed muc22 — achieved the feat using a battery capacity less than many plug-in hybrids at only 15.5kWh.

However, this comes with some drawbacks. For example, muc22 has a top speed of 42 kilometres per hour.

The car is also diminutive compared to most passenger vehicles regardless of powertrain, with muc22 weighing only 170kg without a passenger.

The team first unveiled the car in 2022, and at the time, it was powered by dual-440W electric motors. However, for the record run, muc22 made do with 400W, approximately 268 times less power than the least powerful EV on sale today.

Muc22’s motor technology is unique. It uses a permanent magnet design with a gallium nitride inverter. Most production cars use silicon carbide inverters.

The team conducted its range test in an empty Munich Airport hangar to negate any interference from weather and achieved a range of 2,574km on a single charge.

For reference, the previous record was 1,609km on a single charge.


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