Swiss Student-Built EV Sets New World Record for Acceleration

(Image credit- Autocar Professional) A racing car built by Swiss students has a spectacular achievement by breaking the previous electric vehicle (EV) acceleration world record. Reportedly, a team of students from ETH Zurich and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts built a racing car "Mythen" which goes from zero to 100 kph in less than a second. The stunningly designed electric racing car, known as "Mythen," accomplished the amazing feat of speeding from 0 to 100 km/h while traversing a distance of 12.3 meters in an astonishing 0.956 seconds.

Swiss Student-Built EV Sets New World Record for Acceleration

The core team behind this victory, the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich (AMZ), expressed their happiness. The student team worked hard over a long period of time to make all the possible to build their electric car, "Mythen." [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Image credit– Robb Report[/caption] Students overcame challenges and constantly went back to the drawing board to adjust some elements. "Mythen" is now the official record holder for EV acceleration according to Guinness World Records. Also, this accomplishment was made at the Switzerland Innovation Park, which is located next to the students' workshop in Duebendorf, Switzerland. The vehicle, operated by Kate Maggetti, surpassed the previous record set by a team from the University of Stuttgart in September 2022 by more than a third as it accelerated from a complete stop to 100 km/h (or 62.15 mph) in an astounding 0.956 seconds. Yann Bernard, the head of the motor at AMZ, said "Working on the project in addition to my studies was very intense. But even so, it was a lot of fun working with other students to continually produce new solutions and put into practice what we learned in class. And, of course, it is an absolutely unique experience to be involved in a world record." 

What Strategy Is Used By Students This Time?

The students painstakingly designed and optimized each component of "Mythen," from the printed circuit boards (PCBs) to the chassis and batteries, for optimal effectiveness.   [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image credit- Electrek[/caption]   Additionally, the race car weighs under 140 kilos (309 pounds) because of the use of lightweight carbon and aluminum honeycomb components. The vehicle's amazing power output of 240 kilowatts, or around 326 horsepower, is made possible by the students' self-designed four-wheel hub motors and novel engine. Also read: BMW Reveals Vision Neue Klasse Concept: A Glimpse into Their Upcoming Electric Vehicles In order to set a record for acceleration, Dario Messerli, head of aerodynamics at AMZ, underlined that efficient power transfer to the ground is just as important as raw power.   However, Formula One cars rely on aerodynamics to maintain traction, but this strategy only works at higher speeds. The AMZ team developed a revolutionary vacuum-like mechanism that employs suction to tie the car to the ground in order to ensure strong traction from the start.  It is important to note that the AMZ team has accomplished this task in the past as well. In 2014 and 2016, they were in possession of the world record for electric vehicle acceleration. Later, the University of Stuttgart team beat their benchmark.  Hence, the title has now firmly returned to Switzerland. The ETH Zurich students are optimistic that they will hold onto this record for the foreseeable future.