Originally developed for the Shell Eco-Marathon two years ago, the electric TUfast eLi14 was created by a team of students from the Technical University of Munich in Germany. After upgrading the electric motor’s silver wire coils, revising its magnet’s placement, and trading the original wheels for a re-engineered set, the TUfast successfully achieved the Guinness World Record as the Most Efficient Electric Vehicle.

The tiny electric three-wheeler utilises a teardrop-shape design with a minuscule single-seat cockpit which requires the driver to recline. At Audi’s test facility, the TUfast’s first run achieved an energy efficiency of 1,142 km/kWh, and further modifications by the team pushed the vehicle to reach 1,232 km/kWh. Converting these measurements into some simple numbers, it would be equal to 0.009 litre / 100 km, meaning the TUfast could theoretically travel 10,956 km on one litre of 95 RON petrol. Yes, the numbers seem impossible, the more to appreciate the enormous gains made by these impressive young engineers.