superconducting car

'World's first' superconducting car

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2008/6/14

OSAKA--Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. has developed an electric vehicle with a motor that uses superconducting technology.

The car will be displayed at an environment fair in Sapporo from June 19 to 21. Boasting a high motor torque, it has a maximum speed of 85 kph. At 30 kph, it can run for 2 hours.

Applying superconductivity technology, so far used for linear motor trains, to road vehicles is a world first, according to officials who unveiled a prototype car here Thursday.

The superconducting motor uses ceramic coils, which, when cooled to minus 196 degrees, have almost zero resistance.

With the same amount of electricity, it can run about 13 percent longer than a vehicle using a conventional copper wire motor, they said.(IHT/Asahi: June 14,2008)