A group of students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University have reset the 0-100 km/h world record. The group entered the Guinness World Record listings for acceleration of electric vehicles in a single-seater open-cockpit car.

The students took roughly a year to develop a car that can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 0,956 seconds. In the process they have shattered the previous world record of 1,461 seconds set in September 2022 by a University of Stuttgart team. Kate Maggetti, who weighs a scant 40 kg, was behind the wheel.

This new record makes even the quickest road cars seems slow in comparison. The Rimac Nevera can blast from 0-100 km/h 1,81 seconds. Even Formula 1 cars are slower, covering the benchmark sprint in about 2,8 seconds.

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In-House Developed

The students developed every aspect of the 140 kg vehicle. This includes all the electronics, the monocoque and battery. They used a lightweight carbon and aluminum honeycomb structure which is powered by in-house developed four wheel-hub motors. The drivetrain puts out a combined 240 kW.

In part, this time was achievable through downforce. “Power isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to setting an acceleration record – effectively transferring that power to the ground is also key,” said Dario Messerli, head of aerodynamics. The single-seater vehicle doesn’t feature front or rear wings. Instead, the team “developed a kind of vacuum cleaner that holds the vehicle down to the ground by suction.”

The car, called Mythen, can be seen shooting off the line like a bullet, taking a mere 12,3 metres to break the record.