Japanese manufacturer Sumitomo Electric has done something that has not been done before; they have created an electric car that boosts its performance through the use of liquid nitrogen-cooled super-conduction. The result is greater efficiency and range than regular electric vehicles.

So what is the advantage of using super conductors in car engines? At -200C, electrical resistance and current loss are all but eliminated. What that means is that the engine will operate more efficiently and produce greater torque. Sumitomo are claiming that their prototype travels 10% further than conventional electric vehicles on the same battery.

Superconducting wires replace copper wires in the engine, which is bound to boost the cost a little bit, but if the trade off is better performance and more importantly, better range, it could be a real selling point for an all-electric vehicle. Their plans for the future are to improve the efficiency of the power plant and then to produce a vehicle. If all goes according to plan they will also start producing motors for buses and trucks.

[The Pink Tentacle]

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