German electric vehicle goes 1,014 miles on a charge

Recently, the Schluckspecht E took to Bosch's 2,945-meter (1.83-mile) test track in Boxberg, Germany. Some 36 hours and 12 minutes later, the all-electric Schluckspecht came to a halt. In that amount time, the Schluckspecht reportedly covered 1,631.5 kilometers (1,013.8 miles).

Since 36 hours is far too long a time to for one person to spend behind the wheel of the cramped Schluckspecht, four drivers took turns at the helm. At appropriate intervals, the drivers would swap in and out of the Schluckspecht, but at no time during the lapping of the track did the vehicle's 23-kWh lithium-cobalt battery pack get recharged.

The Schluckspecht was developed at Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with Frauenhofter Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. The electric vehicle sports extremely aerodynamic bodywork, two hub-mounted electric motors and an optimized battery management system that evenly divides the load among 14 individual lithium-cobalt battery packs.

If the charge-free, 36-plus-hour lapping can be verified, then the 1,013.8 miles covered by the Schluckspecht E will top the current record books. If so, then our hearty congratulations go out to the Schluckspecht team