This Custom Electric Car Can Drive 1,599 Miles on a Single Charge

Students in Switzerland may have just set a world record for electric vehicle acceleration, but now a team of students from Germany has shattered the world record for how far an EV can drive on a single charge: a staggering 2,573 kilometers, or 1,599 miles.

The students, all members of the Technical University of Munich's TUfast Eco team, beat the previous world record by focusing on their car's weight. The prior record, set by BMW in 2017 using a car made from 90% recycled parts, was a staggering 60% smaller: 1,608.54 kilometers, or 999.5 miles. While that car's weight wasn't publicized, the German students' car, the custom-built muc022 EV, weighs in at just 375 pounds without a driver onboard. For comparison, the 'lightweight' Tesla Roadster weighs 2,723 pounds.

In order to maximize the students' chances of success and their EV's performance, the world record run was made at the Munich airport, inside an empty airplane hangar, ensuring the weather was always perfect: there was no wind to slow the vehicle, and no other vehicles to get in its way.

It took four days to beat the previous world record. After 99 hours of driving in circles, the EV's 15.5-kWh battery finally ran dry after the vehicle drove 2,573.79 kilometers, or 1,599.28 miles.

One of the biggest challenges facing the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, particularly in North America's sprawling cities, is how far they can drive on a single charge. Charging stations are becoming more prevalent, but unlike filling up a tank with gas, fully charging a dead EV can take hours.

Although the single-seat muc022 is definitely no replacement for an electric sedan, chasing world records like this can lead to range-boosting innovations in EV design and efficiency, which could eventually find their way into consumer-ready electric cars. The students' muc023, the follow-up to the record-setting muc022, is already lighter and more aerodynamic than its predecessor, and could end toppling this world record once again.