Entitled Sunswift 7, students set a new record with their solar-powered car that has a range of 1 km on a single charge.

A group of students develops the most efficient electric car in the world, called the Sunswift 7. This solar electric vehicle, which broke several new records, features a futuristic design being covered in solar panels, entered the Guinness World Records after having covered 1000 km in 11 hours and 52 minutes. All this with just a single charge, without having to carry it along the way.

Sunswift 7 weighs about a quarter of a Tesla Model S

This feat is surprising to say the least, especially if you take into account that the solar electric vehicle was designed and built by students at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), in Sydney, Australia, at Sunswift Racing, the university's solar electric racing team.

The question now is what to do with this solar powered car, the latest in a series of solar electric cars generated since 1996 by Sunswift Racing, so that it can have such high autonomy. It's not just something simple, but a mix of factors.

One of the essential points is the weight of the solar electric vehicle. Weighing just half a ton, the Sunswift 7 weighs about a quarter of a Tesla Model S. To make this possible, there is one or another element that is not included in the car powered by solar energy.

Air conditioning, ABS system, airbags and windshield wipers were considered unnecessary extras in the development of the solar vehicle and are not present in the model. To reach 1000 km with just one charge, it was extremely necessary to guarantee the maximum possible aerodynamics, something that was achieved by taking great care when shaping the model. The differentiated design has this objective and ensures that the aerodynamic coefficient is 0,095, when the Model S is 0,208, for example.

Solar electric vehicle cannot be marketed

According to the team behind the project, the battery and solar panels used are perfectly ordinary. One of the secrets for such a high autonomy focuses on the low rolling resistance of the wheels, which means that, even without putting your foot on the accelerator, the solar-powered car does not stop walking.

It is important to remember that it is not possible to buy the model, despite the technology being available to be used by anyone, it is impossible to make the prototype Sunswift 7, developed by the students, be produced in scale to be commercialized.

This is because this is not a road-safe vehicle in the way it was designed. The lack of important safety elements, such as airbags, windshield wipers or the ABS system, to make it lighter, prevents it from taking to the streets.

The development of the solar-powered car is an exercise, a study of what is possible. For the time being, there will be no solar electric vehicles even though they weigh 500 kg on the roads. However, this hypothesis cannot be ruled out in a few years' time.

Automotive giants are embracing the use of solar panels

In December last year, Toyota introduced the fifth generation of its Prius hybrid car. The new version of the model arrived with a new exterior look and new interior features. This model comes equipped with an innovative system, which includes a solar panel that promises to extend autonomy by up to 1.250 years.

According to the Japanese automaker, the model's system uses the solar panel to generate energy for the car's batteries while it is parked. The vehicle's design hasn't changed much since 2015, and some details that became the model's reference are still present in this version.