The Electric Raceabout (''ERA'') is an all-electric

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

developed by the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. It contains lithium-titanate batteries, four direct-drive 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 comp ...

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

with steel sub-frames. The ERA has an operational range of . Its total weight is with a

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

. The power output of its engines is with a peak output of / 10 seconds. The engine's nominal torque is 1000 Nm with a peak torque of 3200 Nm. The ERA has a top speed of with acceleration in 6.0 seconds. The ERA was introduced in the summer of 2009 with a target to reach low-volume production. The 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 in September 2011. In the winter of 2011–2012, the 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 op ...

aerodynamics Aerodynamics () is the study of the motion of atmosphere of Earth, air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dynamics and its subfield of gas dynamics, and is an ...

, and

power steering Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering. Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver can ...

upgraded – after improvements, ERA's total motor power of was measured on the

dynamometer A dynamometer or "dyno" 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 the dyna ...

. In March 2012, the ERA topped a speed of while driving on the ice at Lake Ukonjärvi, Inari. With an average speed of 252 km/h, the ERA is the fastest EV on ice. The 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 car An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...

s based on ERA technology.

References

External links

* Electric sports cars Science and technology in Finland Vehicles of Finland Cars introduced in 2009 {{modern-auto-stub