Electric Car Runs Wild

The Schluckspecht electric car has shattered the world record for total distance traveled on a single charge.  The former record of 623.3 miles, held by the Japan Electric Vehicle Club, gave way to the 1,013.77 mile effort.  Though the vehicle kept a modest pace, the advances made in battery technology could make mainstream electric cars more viable in the not so distant future.

One of the current barriers for the electric car, "range anxiety," is when drivers fear the battery might run out of energy before reaching a place to charge up.  And although the Schluckspecht ("heavy drinker" in colloquial German), is no ordinary consumer car- as it has no interior engine, is super light weight, and has only one seat- the new record shows what may be possible for electric cars in the near future.

The University of Applied Sciences in Offenberg, Germany, where the Schluckspecht was built, is teaming up with the firm Evomotiv to work on a vehicle for public release.

Image: "Elecric Vehicle Parking Only" by Richard Masoner/Cyclecicious on Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing.