Photo: Eco-Runner/ TU Delft
A bunch of students from the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands have achieved a remarkable feat - they set a new world record for the longest distance driven without refueling. They established the record with a hydrogen-powered city car concept they built themselves, which makes the feat all the more impressive.
The student team, composed of 24 members, is called Eco-Runner, and they spent an entire year designing, building, testing, and racing their highly-efficient hydrogen-powered vehicle. Actually, their creation, called the Eco-Runner XIII, proved to be the world's most efficient hydrogen car, as the students succeeded in driving it no less than 2,488.4 kilometers (1,546.2 miles) in three days on a full tank of hydrogen fuel. It might sound unbelievable, but they broke the record using just one kilogram of hydrogen.
The world is looking toward a future of emission-free motoring, so it's imperative for automakers to further explore all viable options when it comes to fuel alternatives like battery-electric and hydrogen technology. Established companies like Toyota, BMW, Hyundai, Honda, and others are already investing in the development of this cutting-edge technology, trying to find the perfect formula for using the most abundant resource in the universe as fuel for their cars. They might have a thing or two to learn from these Dutch students, who see their vehicle as a harbinger of things to come in the automotive industry.
Eco-Runner is an annual project in which students across different faculties join forces to design and construct a new car to participate in some of the most prestigious student competitions. The very first vehicle they built was the three-wheeled Eco 1 in 2005, which was in the top five at Shell's Eco-Marathon, a competition that challenges students to design, build, and race fuel-efficient cars.
This year's vehicle was specifically designed with the aim of smashing the record for kilometers driven without refueling. Introduced to the public in May, the ECXIII is an innovative lightweight car that is incredibly compact and aerodynamic and transforms hydrogen into electrical energy to power its electric motors. The car tips the scales at just 159 pounds (72 kg) thanks to the use of carbon fiber for some parts that are typically made from steel.
The record attempt was carried out at the Immendingen test track in southern Germany, which stretches 2.92 miles (4.7 km). The record run started on June 23, and eleven drivers took turns driving the car in two-hour shifts for a total of 71.5 hours of non-stop driving.
The previous world record of 1,277 miles (2,056 km) was smashed at 8:26 AM on June 26. During the epic run, the vehicle traveled 1,546.18 miles (2,488.45 km) at 28 mph (45 kph), all while using just 950 g of hydrogen.
Representatives for the Guinness World Records supervised the record attempt and officially recognized the achievement. Eco-Runner XIII has become the holder of the record for the greatest distance covered by a hydrogen-powered vehicle without refueling.
The world is looking toward a future of emission-free motoring, so it's imperative for automakers to further explore all viable options when it comes to fuel alternatives like battery-electric and hydrogen technology. Established companies like Toyota, BMW, Hyundai, Honda, and others are already investing in the development of this cutting-edge technology, trying to find the perfect formula for using the most abundant resource in the universe as fuel for their cars. They might have a thing or two to learn from these Dutch students, who see their vehicle as a harbinger of things to come in the automotive industry.
Eco-Runner is an annual project in which students across different faculties join forces to design and construct a new car to participate in some of the most prestigious student competitions. The very first vehicle they built was the three-wheeled Eco 1 in 2005, which was in the top five at Shell's Eco-Marathon, a competition that challenges students to design, build, and race fuel-efficient cars.
This year's vehicle was specifically designed with the aim of smashing the record for kilometers driven without refueling. Introduced to the public in May, the ECXIII is an innovative lightweight car that is incredibly compact and aerodynamic and transforms hydrogen into electrical energy to power its electric motors. The car tips the scales at just 159 pounds (72 kg) thanks to the use of carbon fiber for some parts that are typically made from steel.
The record attempt was carried out at the Immendingen test track in southern Germany, which stretches 2.92 miles (4.7 km). The record run started on June 23, and eleven drivers took turns driving the car in two-hour shifts for a total of 71.5 hours of non-stop driving.
The previous world record of 1,277 miles (2,056 km) was smashed at 8:26 AM on June 26. During the epic run, the vehicle traveled 1,546.18 miles (2,488.45 km) at 28 mph (45 kph), all while using just 950 g of hydrogen.
Representatives for the Guinness World Records supervised the record attempt and officially recognized the achievement. Eco-Runner XIII has become the holder of the record for the greatest distance covered by a hydrogen-powered vehicle without refueling.
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