British Students Put Electric "Supercar" to the Test
- 14 years ago
It could be called the great Americas road trip.
A group of British students is on a quest to prove the efficiency of electric cars.
To achieve this, they have embarked on a 26,000-kilometre or 15,000-mile journey on the Pan-American highway that connects Alaska to Argentina.
Project director, Alexander Schey explains.
[Alexander Schey, Electric Car Project Director]:
"We're trying to help change the public perception of electric vehicles. A lot of people think electric vehicles are slow or they're boring and not fun to drive and they can't go for a long range; and that is all incorrect. We're proving that is all wrong by taking this car down the longest road in the world, the Pan-American highway."
The 10-strong team calls the vehicle the "Supercar" -- it has a top speed of 200 kmph and runs on Lithium Ion Phosphate batteries which drive two electric motors.
It can go for 350 kilometers or 217 miles before having to be recharged.
And it's more efficient than a gasoline car, says Green Endurance Team engineer, Toby Schulz.
[Toby Schulz, Green Endurance Team Engineer]:
"A normal gasoline car is 20% efficient on average and this car is 95% efficient - and it has no tailpipe emissions. It has no noise, so that saves emissions in towns and cities and it's very fun to drive as well."
Team members also hope to drive their way into the Guinness Book of World Records when they reach Argentina's Tierra del Fuego in late September ... making a powerful statement about alternative fuel.
A group of British students is on a quest to prove the efficiency of electric cars.
To achieve this, they have embarked on a 26,000-kilometre or 15,000-mile journey on the Pan-American highway that connects Alaska to Argentina.
Project director, Alexander Schey explains.
[Alexander Schey, Electric Car Project Director]:
"We're trying to help change the public perception of electric vehicles. A lot of people think electric vehicles are slow or they're boring and not fun to drive and they can't go for a long range; and that is all incorrect. We're proving that is all wrong by taking this car down the longest road in the world, the Pan-American highway."
The 10-strong team calls the vehicle the "Supercar" -- it has a top speed of 200 kmph and runs on Lithium Ion Phosphate batteries which drive two electric motors.
It can go for 350 kilometers or 217 miles before having to be recharged.
And it's more efficient than a gasoline car, says Green Endurance Team engineer, Toby Schulz.
[Toby Schulz, Green Endurance Team Engineer]:
"A normal gasoline car is 20% efficient on average and this car is 95% efficient - and it has no tailpipe emissions. It has no noise, so that saves emissions in towns and cities and it's very fun to drive as well."
Team members also hope to drive their way into the Guinness Book of World Records when they reach Argentina's Tierra del Fuego in late September ... making a powerful statement about alternative fuel.