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In what could open a new era in the world of electric vehicles, an Audi A2 electric car completed 600 kilometer (372 miles) drive from Munich in Southern Germany to Berlin on a single charge of batteries, thus setting a new journey record for an electric car. The A2, called Lekker Mobil, averaged 55 mph (90 km/h) and didn't need major modifications to its other systems.
The electric car is being developed by Lekker Energie and DBM Energy using the Audi A2 as a basis. The secret behind the long range of the car is attributed to its super light lithium metal-polymer batteries, which are reportedly more powerful, more efficient and lighter than conventional EV batteries.
CEO of DBM Energy Mirko Hannemann (L) and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit (R) pose next to the "Lekker Mobil", an Audi A2 with an electric engine using newly developped batteries, in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on October 26, 2010. The electric car drove from Munich in southern Germany to Berlin (600 km) without recharging its battery, setting what organisers hailed as a new world distance record for an everyday vehicle.
Car manufacturers hope that electric cars will grow to dominate the automotive industry but consumers see the short range of the vehicles as a major downside. Japanese researchers have driven an experimental electric car more than 1,000 kilometres around a track, but the two German firms, Lekker Energie and DBM Energy, said their vehicle was the furthest travelled by an everyday car.
CEO of DBM Energy Mirko Hannemann (L) and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit (2nd from L) take a look at the motor of the "Lekker Mobil", an Audi A2 with an electric engine using newly developped batteries.
Until now, electric cars were seen going only 60 or 70 kilometers on a single charge, but this new car is sure to be a trend setter for the electric cars in the days ahead.
