Revolutionary Electric Race Car Sets New Standard with World’s Fastest Charging Time
In a groundbreaking development, the TU/e student team InMotion has achieved a remarkable feat by creating a race car with the world’s fastest charging time. The cutting-edge electric vehicle, named the Revolution, can fully recharge in under four minutes, making it a game-changer in the world of long-distance racing.
The project began in November 2022 when InMotion assembled a team of over thirty students to design and produce a new battery pack for the race car. The team’s hard work paid off, as they successfully created a battery pack that charges in just 3 minutes and 56 seconds. With a charging power of 322 kW, a total capacity of 29.2 kWh, and a range of approximately 250 kilometers, the Revolution is proving to be a remarkable achievement in the pursuit of faster-charging electric vehicles.
Reducing charging time is a crucial step towards making electric driving more accessible and convenient for consumers. InMotion recognized this challenge and has taken significant strides towards achieving a charging time comparable to refueling a gasoline car. With their groundbreaking technology, they hope to revolutionize the electric vehicle industry and make the world a greener place.
One of the key innovations behind the Revolution’s impressive charging capabilities is the cooling system. During fast charging, heat is generated, which can cause degradation of the battery cells. To combat this issue, InMotion developed a method that enables cooling at the cell level. By allowing coolant to flow between each cell, the team can extract heat more efficiently, resulting in minimal degradation of the battery pack during fast charging. This cooling technology at the cell level is a significant advancement, as it is not yet widely available in the market.
Implementing cooling at the cell level presented its own set of challenges. With only a few millimeters of space between the cells in the module, precise work was required to integrate the cooling technology. However, InMotion overcame these obstacles and successfully developed their own modules capable of cooling at the cell level.
The technology has undergone rigorous testing at research institute TNO and Prodrive Technologies, and the results have been impressive. What makes the technology even more exciting is its scalability. Battery packs of different sizes can be created using this cooling system, debunking the misconception that smaller battery packs charge faster than larger ones. The charging time remains the same as long as the charging station can supply sufficient energy, opening up numerous possibilities for implementation.
InMotion has chosen to implement this groundbreaking technology in an LMP3 race car. LMP3 is the prototype class of the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans, and it serves as an ideal platform for testing the capabilities of the Revolution. Extensive testing on the circuit is planned for the upcoming year, with the goal of showcasing the technology’s potential under the most challenging racing conditions.
The achievement of InMotion and their Revolution race car highlights the importance of student teams in pushing boundaries and testing new technologies. By challenging the industry and demonstrating the possibility of reducing charging time significantly, they pave the way for faster market acceptance of electric vehicles. Innovations like the battery pack with highly optimized cooling technology play a vital role in advancing the future of electric driving.
With their groundbreaking achievement, InMotion is setting a new standard for electric vehicles. Their dedication, innovation, and commitment to sustainability are inspiring, proving that a group of highly motivated students can make a significant impact in the industry. As the world moves towards a greener future, InMotion and their revolutionary electric race car are leading the way.
