Electric RaceAbout Unveiled in Helsinki

Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, the Progressive Automotive X-Prize participant, has unveiled its electric sports car called Electric RaceAbout (ERA) at the Cable Factory in Helsinki

The majority of the more than 60 partners in Metropolia’s three-year project are Finnish companies and research institutes. In addition to Metropolia’s Automotive Engineering unit, the Institute of Design at Lahti University of Applied Sciences participated in the car’s design. Moreover, the Lappeenranta University of Technology contributed to the electric car by designing new electric motors optimized for use in vehicles.

The four-wheel drive ERA electric car has a direct-drive electric motor for each wheel, doing away with the need to install an expensive and heavy gearbox. Mechanical transmission is replaced with a vehicle control system developed during the project.

The car’s range is about 200 kilometers and its batteries can be given an express charge in ten minutes.

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