New Endurance Record Set by Electric Fuel Zinc-Air Battery in London-To-Paris Drive
3 November 1997
New Endurance Record Set by Electric Fuel Zinc-Air Battery in London-To-Paris Drive
NEW YORK, Nov. 3 -- Electric Fuel Corporation
today announced its zinc-air battery system set an endurance record for
electric vehicles on Sunday by powering a Mercedes-Benz MB410E van from
central London to central Paris on a single charge.
Despite inclement weather and freezing temperatures of 1 to 2 degrees
Celsius (34 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit), the vehicle traveled a record 439 km
(272 miles) not including the transport through the Channel Tunnel. The drive
involved navigating the streets of downtown London, the highways of England
and France, and congested traffic conditions in central Paris. The van, with
a gross vehicle weight of 4.5 tons (10,000 lbs), traveled an average 70 km per
hour (43 miles/hr).
Utilizing a 150kWh zinc-air battery, the van is of the same configuration
as those currently being used in the ongoing Deutsche Post (German Postal
Service) field test. No alterations or special preparations were made to the
vehicle for the drive.
"This drive has demonstrated the unparalleled energy capacity of the
Electric Fuel System, which is required for operating real-world commercial
vehicles," said Yehuda Harats, President and CEO of Electric Fuel Corporation.
"This demonstration, carried out with one of our field test vehicles, is
yet another big success in a chain of tests which also included the first
crossing of the Alps by an electric vehicle," said Wolfgang Buckentin,
Director and Head of Section, Transport Principles, Deutsche Post AG.
Electric Fuel Corporation, with corporate offices in New York City and
manufacturing and R & D facilities in Jerusalem is positioning its zinc-air
energy system at the forefront of zero-emission electric-powered
transportation. The company is also currently developing other zinc-air
applications for portable electronic devices.
SOURCE Electric Fuel Corporation