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Electric car that does 0 to 100km/h in 1.5 seconds goes viral

Five-year-old footage of a Swiss electric car – capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in an astonishing 1.51 seconds, which is 40 per cent quicker than a Formula One car – has resurfaced online


It has made its way to the top of the r/cars subreddit on popular forum platform Reddit overnight.

The open-wheeler was built in 2016 by students from the ETH Zurich tech school and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. It competed in that year's international Formula SAE competition for the Grimsel Race Team. 

Four hub-mounted motors send a combined 148kW/1630Nm to all wheels, and a carbon fibre chassis helps keep overall weight down to just 168kg – giving the car a power-to-weight ratio more than two times higher than that of a Bugatti Veyron.

The record-breaking sprint – in which the car reportedly reached 100km/h in less than 30 metres – took place a runway at the Dübendorf Air Base, Switzerland. No electric car has accelerated to 100km/h in a shorter period of time since.

William Davis

William Davis has written for Drive since July 2020, covering news and current affairs in the automotive industry. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. As the newest addition to the Drive team, William was brought onboard for his attention to detail, writing skills, and strong work ethic. Despite writing for a diverse range of outlets – including the Australian Financial Review, Robb Report, and Property Observer – since completing his media degree at Macquarie University, William has always had a passion for cars.

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