The car, named Sunswift 7, set a record run at the Australian Automotive Research Centre test track close to Geelong in Victoria. The average speed was 84.17 km/h with a drive time of 11 hours and 53 minutes.
The Sunswift team from the University of NSW is now claiming a world record - as there currently isn't one for this distance. They are waiting for official confirmation from Guinness World Records.
Sunswift 7 has a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis and carbon-fibre body, with a 38 kWh battery, twin hub-mounted electric motors powering the rear wheels, and a claimed top speed just over 140 km/h. It was driven at about 95 km/h through the record attempt.
Although Sunswift 7 is designed to take its power from the sun, through 4.6 square metres of solar panels incorporated into its bodywork, its onboard battery was charged externally for the record attempt.
It is not certified for road use, missing essentials including airbags and other safety systems, as well as air-conditioning.
The car was developed for "ultimate efficiency" in everything from its tyres and ceramic wheel bearings to a slippery five-metre-long body with a drag co-efficient of just 0.09, compared to the production Mercedes-Benz EQS at 0.20.
Its solar array was enough to contribute about 2.5 kWh during the record run.
Source: Drive
