The Sunswift Australian solar racing team has broken a 26-year-old speed record for an electric vehicle with their eVe automobile, which can go more than 100 kilometers per hour (km/h).
The new record is officially marked as 106.966 km/h, beating the previous record of 73 km/h, according to RT. While eVe achieved this record by running on electricity, it can also be powered by solar energy, as it comes with solar panels on its roof and a hood that charges its 60kg battery.
Despite breaking the record in July in Greenlong, Victoria, Australia, Sunswift needed approval from the International Automobile Federation (FIA), the world's governing body for motorsports, for the achievement to be official. It wasn't until October that the racing team received approval for their record.
One charge allows eVe to cover 800 km, RT reported. The team's achievement is the result of work contributed from over 100 students at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
"It's not often you can confidently say you made history before you even graduated," said Hayden Smith, project director of Sunswift and undergraduate engineering student.
The team will now focus on making sure eVe meets road registration requirements so it can be registered and be driven on streets within a year.
The record received praise from UNSW officials, with Graham Davis, engineering dean professor at the university, saying that students producing an electric car with this speed "is truly remarkable."
"It goes to show what exceptional students we have here at UNSW," Davis added.
Smith said the car can be used for everyday purposes, and that it also helps push towards greater adoption of electric cars, RT reported.
"This record was about establishing a whole new level of single-charge travel for high-speed electric vehicles, which we hope will revolutionize the electric car industry."
