Team Sunswift Sets Record For EV Speed Over 500km Distance

A group of Australian students has set an official world record for the fastest electric vehicle over a distance of 500km using a car they built at the university dubbed eVe and operated by team Sunswift. The record was certified by FIA, a motorsports governing body, with a new speed mark of 109.966 km/h set by team Sunswift in July. Before Sunswift reset the record, it had stood at 73 km/h for 26 years.

Team Sunswift is a top solar racing team in Australia and eVe is the fifth solar racing vehicle that the school has built and raced since the team was founded in 1996. A group of more than 100 undergraduate students worked on the solar car project over the last two years.

Team Sunswift isn't a stranger to set records; earlier versions of Eve have been used to set records for the fastest solar powered road trip from Perth to Sydney. An earlier version of the car also holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest solar car.

The next challenge that the Sunswift team plans to take on is making the eVe racing car meet Australian road registration requirements. Breaking a record that has stood for 26 years is an impressive feat for the group of engineering students.

SOURCE: UNSW