Students Trek Across Canada in an Electrified V-Dub

A team of students from the University of British Columbia hope to set the record for the fastest coast-to-coast drive across Canada in an electric vehicle – in a ‘72 Volkswagen Beetle EV, that is.

The long-distance trek measures an incredible 4,000 miles and the UBC Electric Car Club’s “E-Beetle” has so far managed to stand up to Canada’s diverse geography.

Within the E-Beetle is a three-phase AC induction motor mated to a lithium iron phosphate battery. This EV has a range of about 185 miles at 60 mph and over 340 miles at 30 mph. Top speed is said to be around 85 miles per hour. It’s even equipped with four wheel discs with regenerative braking.

So far, the team has covered about a third of their journey. If you’re interested in keeping tabs on their progress across Canada, you can visit the team blog. Assuming all goes well, the team already has their eyes set on their next challenge, the Zero Race, which is an 80-day race around the world for electric vehicles.