Thursday, March 22, 2012

 Fastest electric car on ice: Nokian Tyres and Helsinki students set world record (Video)

INARI, Finland--Test driver Janne Laitinen from Nokian Tyres reached a speed of 252.09 km/h (156.64 mph) in the E-RA (Electric RaceAbout) electric car, built by the students from the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, on the ice of Lake Ukonjärvi in Inari - setting the new world record for the Fatest electric car on ice , according to World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/.

  Photo: Test driver Janne Laitinen from Nokian Tyres reached a speed of 252.09 km/h (156.64 mph) in the E-RA electric car on the ice of Lake Ukonjärvi in Inari, Finland. ( enlarge photo )

The official Guinness World Record for the fastest car on ice is 331.61 km/h (206.05 mph) and was achieved by Janne Laitinen (Finland), on behalf of Nokian Tyres (Finland), in the Gulf of Bothnia (Frozen Sea), Finland, with a petrol-powered car.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the fastest road-legal tyre, set by The ContiSportContact 2 Vmax, which was approved for speeds up to 360km/h in Munich, Germany.

The top speed of this uncompromising sports car with a total of 280-kW electric motor reached over 260 km/h (161.59 mph) in the freezing weather.

  The electric car E-RA is a display of skill by Finnish students and the development partners. The car has been built from scratch, using the latest technology in electric power trains and battery systems.   At a minimum, the vehicle consumes only 14.5 kWh per 100 km, corresponding to 1.6 litres of fuel.

  The relentless grip and stable handling necessary at extreme speeds were ensured by regular production Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tyres (225/40R18).

The test was carried out on a six-kilometre track and it was performed according to the regulations of the Guinness World Records organisation.

  The time and speed for the one-kilometre distance was measured in both directions. The record is an average of these two measurements. The vehicle takes a flying start, and the allowed time frame is one hour. The tyres must be commercially available and approved for road traffic in the country in which the record attempt takes place.