Currently, the automobile industry is in the midst of a race to achieve the most efficient and sustainable alternatives in terms of electric vehicles in order to continue laying the foundations for the clean mobility of the future. However, it is not always the car manufacturers who obtain the most remarkable achievements.
And it is that in the case of the Sunswift 7, which has broken the Guinness record for the fastest solar electric vehicle in the world, the design and construction of the vehicle has been carried out by university students. It is a racing car that comes from the hand of a group of young people from the University of New South Wales (UNWW), located in the Australian city of Sydney.
Sunswift 7, the electric car capable of traveling 1,000 km in 12 hours with only solar energy.
This vehicle has become the first solar electric car to cover 1,000 km in less than 12 hours. The milestone has been achieved at the Australian Center for Automotive Research in Wensleydale, a town located in the state of Victoria of the oceanic country. Notably, the Sunswift 7 set the new record after completing 240 laps of the test track in a time of 11 hours and 52 minutes.
talented youth
This car arrives from the hand of a group of Australian students from the University of New South Wales
During that time, the car traveled at an average speed of 84.97 km/h. A few days later, and after analyzing and confirming the time and telemetry data, the Guinness records specialists who witnessed the journey certified the Sunswift 7 as the fastest electric vehicle in the world over 1,000 km on a single charge.
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Aerodynamics and efficiency were the two most important factors that helped the Sunswift 7 achieve this record. The car, which was developed over two years, has a drag coefficient of 0.095, a figure that is well below the vast majority of cars in the world, including prototypes created by the big manufacturers.
Sunswift 7, the electric car capable of traveling 1,000 km in 12 hours with only solar energy.
In the field of efficiency, it must be taken into account that it only consumes an average of 3.8 kWh of energy per 100 km. This is really surprising data, since a large part of the electric cars currently circulating on our roads register average consumption of between 15 and 20 kWh of energy over the same distance.
surprising figures
It only consumes 3.8 kWh of energy per 100 km and its extraordinary coefficient of aerodynamic resistance is 0.095
UNSW University has a long history of developing solar electric vehicles, having been doing research in this sector since 1996. Student team manager Sunswift Racing Andrea Holden points out that “it is very strange to think that we have helped to do something that is the best of its category in the whole world”.
Sunswift 7, the electric car capable of traveling 1,000 km in 12 hours with only solar energy.
Holden has also highlighted that “two years ago, when we started building this car, there were many difficult moments, but it has been very rewarding to see the whole team united and progressing to get us to this incredible point. It has required a lot of work, many hours and a lot of stress, but it has all been worth it”.
Sunswift 7, the electric car capable of traveling 1,000 km in 12 hours with only solar energy.
Next autumn, the Sunswift 7 will compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, an international test for purely solar-powered cars that will cross Australia from north to south over 3,000 km. If you’re interested in seeing the solar vehicle in action, just take a look at the video that accompanies this article.
