MIT Students Developing the elEVen--An Electric Car that Can Be Charged in 10 Minutes
Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing an electric car that will be competitive with gas-powered vehicles in every way, including being able to be charged fully in ten minutes.
Usually electric vehicles (EVs) need to be plugged-in for several hours to achieve a full charge. However, MIT's electric vehicle group is exploring rapid recharge--something the group says major car manufacturers are not exploring.
MIT's electric car, called the elEVen, will have a 187 kw AC induction motor that was initially designed for electric buses. As a result, the elEVen can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 9 seconds, and will have a top speed of around 100 mph.
To achieve a full charge in ten minutes, the elEVen will require 350 kw of power. To put this into perspective, that is enough power to blow the fuses on 20 residential homes at the same time. More than likely, most people will not have access to energy sources this powerful, MIT has its own power plant; therefore, the elEVen can also be plugged into an ordinary electric socket. On a full charge, the elEVen is expected to be able to travel 200 miles.
The MIT electric vehicle group plans to have the elEVen completed by the end of 2010.
Check out this video on the MIT electric vehicle group.
Read the full story at Alternative Energy: 10 Minute Charge for Student-Built Electric Car
Image courtesy of Hack n Mod
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
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