Electric cars are zero emission vehicles, which run purely on electrical energy. These vehicles unlike their counterparts with Internal Combustion Engine emit no tailpipe pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide.
As such these vehicles are ecofriendly and are a preferred mode of locomotion with environment conscious folks. If anything hinders the complete dominance of electric cars over gasoline or diesel ones, it is the “range anxiety”, or the limited operating range. With the present battery technology electric cars of today are capable of hundreds of miles to a single charge. Here is a list 5 zero emission electric cars with the highest operating range.
1. Schluckpecht
This is the car that created history in the automotive industry by covering more than 1000 miles on a single charge. Readers hoping to see an Aston-Martin or a Lexus look alike will be surprised to find that the Schluckpecht looks nothing of that sort. Painted in silver and with a profile more like a portion of a plane with its cockpit, this miracle car was designed by Offenburg University of Applied Sciences sponsored by Frauenhofter Institute for Transportation & Infrastructure Systems. Four drivers took turns to test the endurance of this car which covered 1,631.5 km before it finally came to a stop, running almost 36 hours non-stop on a single charge. And the secret behind this feat is power sourced from a 23 kWh Lithium-cobalt battery pack.
2. Electric Audi A2
Competitors will go green with envy at this yellow and purple painted Audi A2 not because of its looks but because of what it has accomplished. Driven by Mirko Hannemann, Chief Executive of DBM Energy, this car covered more than 372 miles on a single charge of its batteries, which is a new record. Covering the 600 km between Munich and Berlin in seven hours, this car, a product of a partnership between the German firms DBM Energy and lekker-energie sets a new standard for daily use electric cars.
3. Sanyo battery powered Daihatsu Mira
Here is another accomplishment that puts to rest the argument that electric cars are slow and of a limited range. We are not talking about electric cars of the past that used to travel only 60 or 70 km, we are talking about the Sanyo battery powered Daihatsu Mira that traveled 375 miles on a single charge. This is yet another example of how new standards can be set if companies put their ideas together. With battery technology from Sanyo, the Moriguchi headquartered Japanese electric giant, a Daihatsu Mira made this record run from Tokyo to Osaka, a distance of more than 555 km on a single charge of its 8320 cylindrical Lithium-ion batteries.
4. Aero EV
The Aero EV is a myth buster. The first myth that it shatters is that electric cars have low power and low speeds. With a top speed of 208 miles per hour, this Shelby SuperCars product is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 in a mere 2.5 seconds. The second myth that it lays to rest is that such a fast electric car must have a low range. With a range of 150 to 200 miles on a single charge of its batteries, the Aero EV would embarrass other electric vehicle of its caliber. Sporting a design that can only be compared to the Fisker Karma, this Shelby designed sleek cat can recharge its battery unit in 10 minutes with its Run on-board charge system. A 3-speed automatic transmission assist in achieving this myth-busting statistics. This car has the status of being test driven by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear.
5. Datsun
This car has the record of achieving an acceleration of 0 to 60 in a mind-boggling 1.8 seconds. This makes it the second quickest car in the world. Christened “White Zombie”, this redesigned 1972 Datsun is the fastest car in its class putting to rest all the debates about electric car and low power. With its engine modified by John Wayland, the 1972 Datsun proved its mettle in a race pitted against a Maserati. Throttling off to a zapping start, the modified Datsun covered a distance of 150 km on a single charge. With a dual armature motor powered by a battery pack of 192 Lithium polymer generating a power of 22.7 kWh, or 500 hp, this car covered one-fourth of a mile in 10 seconds.