The most common complaint held by motorists against electric vehicles is the distance they can travel before needing to be charged up. For long journeys it necessitates lengthy stops every couple of hundred miles to recharge the battery, significantly adding additional time to a long journey. Not only that, but the number of charging points at highway services is still very low compared to the growing number of electric vehicles that join the roads every year.

However, that all might be about to change. In Germany, the Technical University of Munich has built an electric vehicle called “muc022” which has travelled 1,600 miles on just a single charge, smashing the current record for the longest distance driven without recharging. Amazingly, the students in Germany managed the 1,600 miles with just a 15.5 kilowatt-hour battery. Previously the 2023 commercially available Lucid Air vehicle had managed a 516 distance mainly due to a 118 kilowatt-hour battery. But at a base price starting at $140,000 it’s not going to be in most people’s budget.

Muc022 is a wedge shaped single seater vehicle and weighs just 375 pounds. It’s designed to reduce weight and air resistance to a minimum, stripping away luxuries, travelling at a consistent speed of 26mph, meaning there is no option for additional power draining luxuries such as Air Conditioning or music.

The previous distance record was achieved way back in 2017 by global tech company IT Asset Partners. Their vehicle, named The Phoenix, was made from 90% recycled waste, and managed to travel 999 miles on one charge.

Other recent developments in the Electric Vehicle world include the amazing acceleration power of a mini racer from 0 to 62mph in less than one second, powered from a battery! Built by the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich, the 309 pound vehicle was built from “in-house” components, including lightweight carbon and aluminum honeycomb structures. With 326 horsepower, the problem of “sticking” itself to the ground during acceleration was overcome with a device that worked in a similar way to a vacuum cleaner.

Not to get left behind, US carmaker Dodge is expected to release an all electric muscle car soon, but with a slightly different twist. “The company’s upcoming EV will “tear up the streets, not the planet,” Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said. He also explained the Dodge would not be selling electric cars but will instead be making “American eMuscle” in an attempt to promote electric performance vehicles. “Our customers purchase an experience, not a technology,” explained Kuniskis.