Members of the Green Team Formula Student have taken it upon themselves to break the current 0-100km/h record in an open wheel electric racer. So what sort of insane time did the team from the University of Stuttgart achieve? 1.779 seconds! But the team still has to wait until the Guinness World Records team validated it for it to be an official record.
The vehicle, which is used in Formula Student competitions, has a four-motor, four-wheel drive drivetrain capable of 100kW (136 PS). It’s a pretty modest power output, but the real reason for the car’s incredible acceleration is, of course, its power-to-weight ratio.
At just 160kg, every kW only pushes 1.6kg of weight. Compared to the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which has 2.08kg/kW. It’s great to see that electric power has surpassed petrol in its own little way. In the end, it’s going to take a genuine interest in pushing the boundaries for real breakthroughs in electric motor technology to really catch on, and this is exactly how it’s done.