Editor’s Note: EarthTechling is proud to repost this article courtesy of Tecca. Author credit goes to Fox Van Allen.

A few months ago, we reported on SIM-Drive’s SIM-Lei, a Japanese electric car with a record-breaking range of 190 miles on a full charge. The company has been refining its prototype, and just broke its own record. Meet the SIM-WIL, an electric car that can go 218 miles on a single charge.

The secret behind the extended range is in the five-passenger car’s design. The SIM-WIL is over 150 pounds lighter than the SIM-Lei, and has a larger battery. The new model is capable of going 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, thanks in part to its in-wheel motors. It has less space-age contouring than the last iteration, looking more like a normal (electric) car.

With American consumers wary about the range of electric cars, each small improvement in EV technology is important. The Nissan Leaf has sold fairly well, despite having a limited range of only 47 to 105 miles per charge. If this new car can double that range, hopefully it can more than double the rate of adoption.

[via AutoBlog]

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