The Electric Race About (ERA) is a new breed of sports car that harnesses the fuel efficiency of an electric car and the power and speed of a traditional sports car. The ERA hit the road this week at the first-ever international e-rally for electric vehicles, the e-miglia rally 2011.
The race is a four-day clean street rally that winds drivers through four countries and 800 kilometers of Alpine mountain roads of central Europe.
ERA is a joint project of Nokian Tyres and Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. While it consumes only 14.5 kWh over 100 kilometers (equal to 1.6 liters of fuel) and emits no carbon monoxide, it goes from 1 to 100 km/h in just six seconds and tops out at 220 km/h.
The car features electric motor technology with 330 kW short-time and 200 kW continuous, a pure electric power system with four inboard mount motors, the latest Lithium-Titanate battery pack, and Nokian Tyres Z G2 high-speed eco tires.
The tires are a crucial construction piece in this car’s development, since tires consume a considerable amount of energy. E-cars need tires with extremely low rolling resistance, or friction against the road’s surface, in order to reduce the amount of energy necessary to move the car. Not only does the Nokian Z G2 provide low rolling resistance and superb safety handling, it is completely free of any harmful high-aromatic oils. Like all products manufactured by Nokian Tyres, the Nokian Z G2 is made using purified oils and with minimal environmental impacts.
