Berlin energy supplier Lekker Energie and battery company DBM Energy have teamed up to electrify an Audi A2 and take it on an attention-getting 605 km (379.9 mile) journey from Munich to Berlin, Germany. The run, conducted at night, was such a success that the team is claiming an electric vehicle world record of sorts. While the Japan EV Club managed to squeeze 1,003 km (623 miles) from their Mira on a track driving a steady 40km/h (25 miles per hour), this latest feat was performed on public roads at an average speed of 55 miles per hour. The Germans even had 18 percent of the pack's 115 kWh left at the end.
While the length and speed of the trip are all very nice, the real story here seems to be the batteries that made it possible. Developed sans government investment, the lithium metal polymer (LMP) cells, which Lekker and DBM refer to as Kolibri AlphaPolymer Technology, are said to be lighter and more powerful than traditional cells and operate with an efficiency of 97 percent. They were also compact enough to be integrated into the car without giving up passenger seating or trunk space.
Want more amazing? Apparently, when connected to a generous enough power supply, the batteries can recharge in just six minutes. Also, when asked when production could start, DBM Energy CEO Mirko Hannemann answered, "now." Does it all just sound too good to be true? Maybe, but we expect we'll get more information – and confirmation from other sources one way or the other – real soon.