Electric car Muc022 set a new Guinness record: 2573 km on one charge

Students of the Technical University of Munich, united in the TUfast Eco team, took turns ironing the hangar of Munich Airport for four days using the steering wheel of a very light single-seat electric vehicle Muc022 and set a new world record for the longest range on a single charge.

Founded in the middle of the last decade, the TUfast Eco team builds ultra-efficient electric vehicles and participates in various competitions and record-breaking races with them. In an attempt to show the world's best range per charge among electric vehicles without solar panels, TUfast Eco was timed to coincide with the IAA Mobility automobile exhibition held in Munich last week and achieved success. The Muc022 electric car, equipped with batteries with a capacity of only 15.5 kWh, covered a distance of 2573.79 km in 99 hours and broke the 2017 record set by the American IT Asset Partners team — 1608.54 km.

The race took place in one of the empty hangars at Munich Airport so that the record would not be disrupted due to weather conditions. Team members (pilots, mechanics) and observers spent the night here on cots, while Muc022 slowly made circles around the hangar. The battery was selected based on the optimal balance between capacity and weight — an electric car without a driver weighs only 170 kg. Average energy consumption during the trip was 0.6 kWh per 100 km, while the best production electric cars spend about 13 kWh per 100 km.

Muc022

The design of the Muc022 is quite mature: the body is based on a carbon fiber monocoque, reinforced with aluminum panels with a honeycomb structure, it weighs only 18.6 kg. The aerodynamic drag coefficient cx is 0.159. Overall length — 3400 mm, width — 1200 mm, height — 1000 mm. The front suspension is McPherson type, the rear suspension is on double wishbones, lightweight elastomer is used instead of traditional springs. Carbon fiber wheels on thin tires with reduced rolling resistance are equipped with disc brakes. The steering is cable driven to reduce weight. The electrical architecture is also lightweight, 48-volt, the power of a single synchronous electric motor with permanent magnets is 400 W (0.544 hp). The maximum speed of the electric vehicle and the average speed during the record run are not indicated in the press release, but it is clear that they are not high.

Muc023 1/2 Muc023 2/2

Meanwhile, in April this year at the Munich Transport Museum, TUfast Eco showed a new electric car Muc023, even more efficient than Muc022, but for the record race the students decided to use Muc022, which has proven its reliability more than once. Muc023 has a modified body with a c coefficient reduced to 0.13. Without the battery, the Muc023 weighs just 65 kg — 9 kg less than the Muc022. In general, we are waiting for a new record.