On June 26, 2005, the ETH Zurich PAC-Car II broke the Guinness Book of World Records by gliding into a new one, setting a fuel economy record of 15,212 mpg. The ETH Zurich PAC-Car II set this astounding feat at the Shell Eco-Marathon in Ladoux, France. The PAC-Car II was created by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Zurich including a team of 20 students from the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering.

ETH Zurich PAC-Car II

The goal of the project was to create a vehicle that used as little fuel as possible. The PAC-Car II used a hydrogen fuel cell to drive two Faulhaber 12 Volt DC miniature electric motors around the Michelin test track in Ladoux and of course, riding on Michelin radial tires. The PAC-Car II also used power amplifiers and a metal-hydride hydrogen tank to help accomplish the feat.

Researchers and students at ETH Zurich created and refined the PAC-Car 2 using mathematical modeling and computer simulations.

Photos Courtesy ETH Zurich

The PAC-Car 2 chassis was designed and built at the University of Valenciennes and comes in at a very light 66 lbs, total weight. Both of the female drivers who set the record sat in the prone position and used a joystick to steer the vehicle.

The ETH Zurich PAC-Car II broke its own record from the previous year when it glided in to a cool 9,024 mpg record around the same track. Besides the Guinness record, the PAC-Car II won the international Energy Globe 2005 award for its contribution to energy conservation. The ETH Zurich PAC-Car II has now been retired from action and a book is due out outlining how the car was built and its different sub-systems.