Nürburgring lap record for electric cars: Electric RaceAbout on Nokian eco tyres

Lap time 8:42.72 minutes on Nürburgring Nordschleife with pure electric power system

Electric RaceAbout (E-RA) from Finland drove a lap record for electric road cars on Nokian eco tyres with a lap time of only 8:42.72 minutes on Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. German race driver Ralf Kelleners improved the previous record of BMW Mini E by more than a minute.

Innovative electric sports car E-RA of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences reached a top speed of 238 km/h at Döttinger Höhe with a pure electric power system with four inboard mount motors and emitted no CO2. The average speed for the lap was 142 km/h in the 20.8 kilometers long “Grüne Hölle” - Green Hell. This world famous, curvy and hilly track with long fast sections is widely used to benchmark the automotive top performance.

Electric RaceAbout consumed a modest energy of 123 kWh on 100 kilometres for the record lap. E-RA consumes extremely little energy, only 14.5 kWh on 100 kilometres in normal driving which corresponds to 1.6 litres of fuel. Low rolling resistance normal eco tyres by Nokian substantially contribute to it.

In six seconds, E-RA accelerates from 0 up to 100 km/h, its top speed is 244 km/h. State-of-the art electric motor technology with 449 ps (330 kW) short time and 272 ps (200 kW) continuous, a pure electric power system with four inboard mount motors, the latest Lithium-Titanate battery pack, and the lightweight construction of the body demonstrate what today already is possible.

Just about 3.48 Euros are the energy costs of the E-RA prototype on 100 kilometres. This is very low compared to the three best selling conventional sports cars in Germany in 2011 which each cause 11.63 Euros fuel costs on 100 kilometres in similar driving performance taking their average fuel consumption of 7.4 litres on 100 kilometres. The road legal Electric RaceAbout is registered in Finland under plates ERA-10.

Even if E-RA power train produced approximately 300 kW peak power throughout the lap, there was no sign of overheating problems in motors or batteries typical to electric vehicles.

Economical Nokian Z G2 high speed tyres provide sporty driving performance and are „very recommendable” according to the tyre tests

E-RA drove the lap record on Nokian Z G2 high speed tyres sized 225/40 ZR 18 in front and 245/40 ZR 18 in rear which offer excellent handling properties even in high speed: precise, sensitive and stable.
“They quickly respond to steering movements but also have a low rolling resistance which is especially important for electric cars,” Nokian Tyres Development Manager Juha Pirhonen emphasises. “Their accurate handling is due to the Nokian Cool Zone concept’s innovations, the multi-layer surface structure, nanosilica compound and surface geometry. The multi-layer surface structure lowers the tyre’s rolling resistance and reduces heat emission. A flexible nanosilica compound used in the intermediate layer quickly responds to steering movements. The strong structure and three longitudinal centre ribs guarantee excellent handling properties.”

Extreme speeds emphasise the role of top-quality tyres; they are the vehicle’s only contact point with the driving surface. “I have to trust the tyres, feel and understand them,” Kelleners summarizes the most important of the record driving. “Nokian tyres are ideal for it.”

Nokian Z G2 are already available in the tyre trade, thus are no prototypes and which offer outstanding sporty driving performance also with other cars. In the latest summer tyre tests, Nokian Z G2 has achieved excellent results. „Very recommendable” is the judgement of “sport auto”, the most renowned German sports cars magazine, „very recommendable“ again judges the German car magazine „Auto Zeitung“. German automobile association ADAC assesses Nokian Z G2 “very recommendable” in its ultra high performance summer tyre test already in 2009.

SUV and Off Road tyre Nokian Z SUV is rated “very recommendable” by German car magazine „Auto Bild allrad“, „very recommendable“ is the judgement of „Auto Zeitung“ in its SUV tyre test 2011. For tyre change, Nokian tyres are available on good terms at local tyre dealers, as well with rims.

With electric cars, tyres consume a considerable part of the energy, that is why tyres are a crucial construction piece in development. E-cars need tyres with an extremely low rolling resistance in order to achieve a range as large as possible. But also the tyres safety features have an important role constructing e-cars. Energy saving tyres must provide safe wet grip, good aquaplaning resistance, decent handling properties, sufficient load carrying capacity, and low noise. But it is very difficult to combine safe grip in the wet with an optimal low rolling resistance. Nokian eco tyres master the difficult balancing act between good safety qualities especially in the wet and a low rolling resistance.

The tyre tests of the car magazines confirm this again and again.
Nokian Tyres from Finland is a forerunner in tyre development with unique tyres and as an environmentally friendly company the pioneer of green tyres. One of the main targets of the ecological tyre specialist is developing new environmentally friendly solutions for the future.

E-RA e-sports car is an excellent possibility for Nokian Tyres to present its vision of tyres for electric cars, e-vehicles, green cars and future technologies. “Toughest testing in extreme conditions is an important part of developing tyres with Nokian. Testing our boundaries can teach us new insights,“ Pirhonen points out. „Hence we want to show that future technologies are available in our tyres for normal drivers already today.”

E-RA (Electric RaceAbout) has already won contests. Winner of the Battery Electric Rally at Challenge Bibendum in Berlin 2011 with awards for fuel efficiency, local pollution, well-to-wheel CO2 emissions and design contest as well as second prize at Automotive X-prize 2010, the world–wide competition for energy efficient and clean vehicles. The average range of this e-sports car with a curb weight of 1720 kilograms is 200 kilometres at the present. Students of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences have constructed E-RA.

“The goal of the E-RA prototype project is to demonstrate that an electric vehicle is a viable solution today and that electric vehicles can be very efficient, fast and practical at the same time,” Sami Ruotsalainen, team leader and chief engineer of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences explains. „Our students have a tremendous learning opportunity at working with state of art technology and demonstrating its capability to public. Now it is clear with the lap record that our electric sports car is even the fastest.”

As the car is a prototype, it has no price nor any date of market introduction yet.

Further information:

Nokian eco tyres :
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/save-fuel-and-drive-safely-with-nokian-eco-tyres/

Nokian press releases:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/for-media

Nokian summer tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/tyres/passenger-car/summer-tyres/

Environmental friendliness:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/sustainability/

Sources:

„Just about 3.48 Euros are the energy costs of the ERA prototype on 100 kilometres. This is very low compared to the three best selling conventional sports cars in Germany in 2011 which each cause 11.63 Euros fuel costs on 100 kilometres in similar driving performance taking their average fuel consumption of 7.4 litres on 100 kilometres.“:

Energy costs of ERA prototype on 100 kilometres:
24 ct/kWh domestic energy costs 2010
http://www.kwh-preis.de/strom/strompreise

ERA:
14.5 kWh on 100 kilometres
3.48 Euro are the energy costs of the ERA prototype on 100 kilometres

The three bestselling conventional sports cars:

Federal Motor Transport Authority segment "sports cars" readmissions January – June 2011:
1. Mercedes E-Klasse Coupé 7287
2. Mercedes SLK 4366
3. Audi TT 3617

Mercedes E-Klasse Coupé E 350 Blue Efficiency, 306 PS (225 kW), 6.2 s, 250 km/h, 7.1 l/100 km
http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/germany/mpc/mpc_germany_website/de/home_mpc/passengercars/home/new_cars/models/e-class/_c207/facts_/technicaldata/models.html

Mercedes SLK 350 Blue Efficiency, 306 PS (225 kW), 5.6 s, 250 km/h, 7.1 l/100 km
http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/germany/mpc/mpc_germany_website/de/home_mpc/passengercars/home/new_cars/models/slk-class/_r172/facts_/technicaldata/models.html

Audi TT Coupé 2.0 TFSI, 272 PS (200 kW), 5.4 s, 250 km/h, 7.9 l/100 km
https://www.audi.de/de/brand/de.html

average consumption = 7.4 l/100km
Super Plus 1.572 Euro
http://benzinpreis.de/statistik.phtml
11.63 Euro fuel costs /100km

„ERA (Electric RaceAbout) has already won challenges. Winner of the Battery Electric Rally at Challenge Bibendum in Berlin 2011 with awards for fuel efficiency, local pollution, well-to-wheel CO2 emissions and design contest as well as second prize at Automotive X-prize 2010, the world–wide competition for the most fuel saving car.“:

http://www.michelinchallengebibendum.com/en/Berlin-2011
http://www.michelinchallengebibendum.com/en/Berlin-2011/Rallyes-Tests-Fahrzeuge/Ergebnisse/Gewinner-der-Rallyes3
http://www.michelinchallengebibendum.com/en/Berlin-2011/Rallyes-Tests-Fahrzeuge/Design-Award2/Preistraeger-des-Challenge-Bibendum-2011-Design-Contest

„In the latest summer tyres tests, Nokian Z G2 has achieved excellent results. „Very recommendable” is the judgement of “sport auto”, the most renowned German sports cars magazine, „very recommendable“ again judges the German car magazine „Auto Zeitung“. German automobile association ADAC assesses Nokian Z G2 “very recommendable” in its ultra high performance summer tyres test already in 2009.

SUV and Off Road tyre Nokian Z SUV is rated “very recommendable” by German car magazine „Auto Bild allrad“, „very recommendable“ is the judgement of „Auto Zeitung“ in its SUV tyre test 2011.“:
sport auto, 4/2011

Auto Zeitung, issue No 5, 16.2.2011
ADAC summer tyres test 2009:
ADACmotorwelt, issue No 3 March 2009
Auto Bild allrad, issue No 4 April 2010
Auto Zeitung, No 15, 6.7.2011

Nokian Tyres

Nokian Tyres is the only tyre manufacturer in the world that focuses on products and services that facilitate safe transportation in Nordic conditions. The company's innovative passenger car, van and heavy-duty machinery tyres are mainly marketed in areas that have snow, forest and changing seasons that make driving conditions demanding. Nokian Tyres also offers tyres especially tailored for the milder European climate.
Operating in Nordic conditions Nokian Tyres from Finland is one of the leading winter tyre specialists in the world and multiple test winner with over 75 years of experience. Nokian winter and summer tyres are developed and tested in harsh road conditions in Finland and shall offer high quality and top-level safety. The Nokian brand stands for environmentally friendly premium tyres. Nokian Tyres was the first tyre manufacturer to switch over to using only purified, low-aromatic oils in its production. In Scandinavia and Russia the high-value brand has a high level of awareness and a good reputation.
Nokian Tyres’ net sales for 2010 totalled approximately EUR 1,058 million, and it had 3,500 employees. The company owns the Vianor tyre chain that comprises 800 stores in 20 countries. Nokian Tyres Plc's shares are quoted on the Helsinki Exchanges' NASDAQ OMX.

Press contact:
Dr. Falk Köhler PR
Dr. Falk Köhler
Phone: +49 40 54 73 12 12
Fax: +49 40 54 73 12 22
E-mail: Dr.Falk.Koehler(at)Dr-Falk-Koehler.de
Ödenweg 59
22397 Hamburg
Germany

Further information:

Nokian Tyres s.r.o
Business Director Central Europe Dieter Köppner, Phone: +420 222 507 761
E-Mail: dieter.koppner(at)nokiantyres.com

Product Development Manager Central Europe Sven Dittmann Dipl.-Ing., Phone: +49 8143 444 850
E-Mail: sven.dittmann(at)nokiantyres.com

Nokian Tyres plc
Antti-Jussi Tähtinen, Vice President Marketing and Communications, Tel. +358 10 401 7940
E-Mail: antti-jussi.tahtinen(at)nokiantyres.com

Development Manager Juha Pirhonen, Tel.: +358 10 401 7708
E-Mail: juha.pirhonen(at)nokiantyres.com

ERA:
Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Team Leader Sami Ruotsalainen, Tel.: +358 50 528 8648
E-Mail: sami.ruotsalainen(at)metropolia.fi