Automotive

EV record: Tesla Roadster travels 313 miles on a single charge

EV record: Tesla Roadster travels 313 miles on a single charge
Tesla Roadster: 313 miles (501km) through the Australian Outback on a single charge
Tesla Roadster: 313 miles (501km) through the Australian Outback on a single charge
View 5 Images
Tesla Roadster: 313 miles (501km) through the Australian Outback on a single charge
1/5
Tesla Roadster: 313 miles (501km) through the Australian Outback on a single charge
Internode founder Simon Hackett owns the only Tesla Roadster currently in Australia
2/5
Internode founder Simon Hackett owns the only Tesla Roadster currently in Australia
"We wanted to prove a point about the ability of EVs to drive truly large distances"
3/5
"We wanted to prove a point about the ability of EVs to drive truly large distances"
Tesla Roadster electric sportscar
4/5
Tesla Roadster electric sportscar
Deep Green Research modified Honda electric vehicle
5/5
Deep Green Research modified Honda electric vehicle
View gallery - 5 images

The Tesla Roadster has set a new distance record for a production electric vehicle by traveling 313 miles (501km) on a single charge. The milestone took place during the 2009 Global Green Challenge in Australia where eco-friendly vehicles have been battling it out over a formidable 1800 mile course. The distance achieved is well above the 244 mile range Tesla quotes in its specs... and on top of that, the electric sportscar reportedly had 3 miles worth of charge left in its batteries when it finished the record breaking run.

The Tesla Roadster has set a new distance record for a production electric vehicle by traveling 313 miles (501km) on a single charge. The milestone took place during the 2009 Global Green Challenge in Australia where eco-friendly vehicles have been battling it out over a formidable 1800 mile course. The distance achieved is well above the 244 mile range Tesla quotes in its specs... and on top of that, the sportscar reportedly had 3 miles worth of charge left in its batteries when it finished the record breaking run.

The car was driven by Simon Hackett, managing director of Australian national broadband company Internode, along with co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas.

Hackett owns the only Tesla Roadster currently in Australia and he now owns a world record as well, having smashed the previous mark of 241-miles set (also in a Roadster) by Rallye Monte Carlo d'Energies Alternatives in April this year.

The run was fully supervised and the charge port sealed by event officials who are expected to fully accredit the record soon.

"We wanted to prove a point about the ability of EVs to drive truly large distances - and we have done so," said Hackett. This ends any contention that EVs aren't practical cars. They're more than that - they are the future of motoring."

Another milestone to emerge from the Eco Challenge event was the performance of the Deep Green Research modified Honda electric vehicle. The vehicle achieved an endurance run of 244 miles (360km) that equated to 85 watt hours per kilometer. A spokesperson for the Queensland Deep Green Research team said this distance made the vehicle "the most energy efficient in the event" and "the most efficient road registered vehicle in Australia and possibly in the world by vehicle weight".

The Solar Challenge section of the event was won by the Tokai Challenger.

Via Global Green Challenge, Internode.

View gallery - 5 images
10 comments
10 comments
bio-power jeff
i don't think the range was the problem for EVs. the charging system was. it just takes to long to charge EVs.
Mike Williamson
Go internode!!!!!we're all rootin fer ya
robinyatesuk2003
when you are asleep in your bed with your car sitting outside, how does time come into the charging cycle ?
jerryd
It's dangerous to discharge such a battery so low as it damages it. There is a reason Tesla says it's range is 244 miles, it's for long life.
Pouic
It WAS too long to charge, but old batteries are being replaced by new technologies such as super-capacitors (like the ones used on the upcoming Bolloré-Pininfarina "Bluecar" or those selected for the Koenigsegg-NLV Solar "Quant"). Those super-capacitors can charge quicker, can stack up to 20% more than the best lithium-ion batteries, and have a longer lifetime.
And still, what tesla did with "classical" batteries is very impressive. And EV's are not even reaching adulthood, the best is yet to come.
George Wilson
EV's around town or across Australia (North to South) its the way to goooooooo.....
Stuart21
How about asking that Aircar Guy for a runoff vs tesla?
Mindbreaker
I do think ultracapasiters are the future, but car makers are only considering them for the regenerative breaking systems at the moment...I think. They can't yet match lithium. Money should defiantly be seriously invested it making them viable. Practically infinite recharge cycles for this app, fast charging, and rapid discharge potential. They are more dangerous though because they can discharge almost instantly crispying everything around. Of course any engineer with half a brain would but in a fuse or circuit breaker but I can see some auto mechanic "well, here's yur problem...this here wire in a bottle is burned out. See..." explosion to follow.
Ken Wetherell
A very useful data point is average speed. This is missing from the article. I would suspect it to be low relative to the speeds that exemplify typical highway driving behavior. This information would be a useful in informing the rest of us about the important relationship between speed and energy required. Beyond the range of 55-60 mph (89-97 kph), the amount of energy required goes up steeply as a function of distance traveled. This effect of induced aerodynamic drag holds true for any vehicle using any fuel or energy source.
The message: if you want to conserve fuel/energy, slow down.
So, what was the average speed for this fantastic achievement?
Go Tesla!
dgate
Once again super or ultra capacitors are suggested as an alternative to other battery technology. Ultra capacitors will not supply power in a slow controlled way which is what is required for distance or range in an EV. They are only suitable for absorbing braking energy and releasing it for quick boost acceleration at which point they have expended their energy. Totally useless as an alternative to high density storage batteries.