Battery powered car becomes fastest accelerating vehicle

An electric car, powered by four motors and a 6.62kWh battery, has become the world’s fastest accelerating vehicle - faster than a Formula One race car.

Developed by students at Germany’s University of Stuttgart, the GreenTeam E0711-5 electric car beat the previous record by 0.006 seconds. After several attempts, driver Priska Schmid, a student at the university, set the record time during tests at the Jade Weser Airport in north west Germany.

The vehicle, which weighed just 168kg, managed to hit 100km/h (62mph) within 30 metres. Their vehicle produces a power to weight ratio of 1.6kg/kW. By comparison Formula 1 racing cars produce 1kg/kW and the Bugatti Veyron produces 2.08kg/kW.

The car has been developed by 40 students to help them compete at the Formula Student Electric competition which challenges students to build a single seat race car to compete against teams from around the world. The competition is due to be held in Hockenheim in Germany later this summer.

Watch the GreenTeam world record attempt here