Solar Car Sets New World Land Speed Record

As electric cars and eco-friendly commercial vehicles begin to roll, the allure of speed has just taken new leap forward as the Sunswift eVe solar-powered car broke a 26-year-old land speed record for electric vehicles in Australia.

According to news reports, the record must first be ratified by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, but when it is, that would make eVe the fastest electric car to ever compete a 500 km set distance course by a significant margin.

The previous record was an average speed of 73 kilometers per hour while the Sunswift eVe reached 100 km per hour average over the 500 km course.

The speedy vehicle is designed and built by students at the University of New South Wales and strives to overcome the traditional obstacles that have limited solar-powered cars — offering both speed and range in the same vehicle.

The zero-emission solar and battery storage electric vehicle is capable of covering 800 km on a single charge and has a top speed of 140 km per hour (87 miles per hour).

The car’s solar panels have an 800-watt output and when the sun isn’t shining, eVe relies on its battery pack, reducing drivers’ range anxiety.

Category: Featured, General Update, Green