Electric Raceabout (''ERA'') is an all-electric sports car developed by the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. It contains lithium-titanate batteries, four

direct drive A direct-drive mechanism is a mechanism design where the force or torque from a prime mover is transmitted directly to the effector device (such as the drive wheels of a vehicle) without involving any intermediate couplings such as a gear train o ...

electric motors, and a

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

monocoque chassis with steel sub-frames. ERA has an operational range of 200 km. Its total weight is 1,700 kg with a 550 kg

battery pack A battery pack is a set of any number of (preferably) identical batteries or individual battery cells. They may be configured in a series, parallel or a mixture of both to deliver the desired voltage, capacity, or power density. The term battery ...

. The power output of its engines is 200 kW with a peak output of 300 kW / 10 seconds. The engines' nominal torque is 1000 Nm with a peak torque of 3200 Nm. ERA has a top speed of 200 km/h with 0–100 km acceleration in 6.0 seconds. ERA was introduced in the summer of 2009 with a target to reach low volume production. ERA took part in the Automotive X Prize competition and came in second in its class. ERA made a new road-legal electric vehicle lap record in

Nürburgring Nordschleife The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around the village a ...

in September 2011. In the winter of 2011–2012, ERA had its

inverter A power inverter, inverter or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opp ...

s, aerodynamics and power steering upgraded – after improvements ERA's total motor power of 282 kW was measured on the

dynamometer A dynamometer or "dyno" for short, is a device for simultaneously measuring the torque and rotational speed ( RPM) of an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover so that its instantaneous power may be calculated, and usually displayed by ...

. In March 2012, ERA topped a speed of 260 km/h while driving on the ice at Lake Ukonjärvi,

Inari Inari may refer to: Shinto * Inari Ōkami, a Shinto spirit ** Mount Inari in Japan, site of Fushimi Inari-taisha, the main Shinto shrine to Inari ** Inari Shrine, shrines to the Shinto god Inari * Inari-zushi, a type of sushi Places * Inari, ...

. With an average speed of 252 km/h, ERA is the fastest EV on ice. ERA was parked outside in freezing temperatures before the event, proving that an EV can operate in freezing temperatures. Chinese car manufacturer AET is planning to produce electric cars based on ERA technology.

References

External links

* Electric sports cars Science and technology in Finland {{automotive-tech-stub