This record breaks the previous world record, also held by Aerovelo’s Eta of 86.65mph / 139.45kph, set last September.
Analysis of the vehicle performance showed that Eta requires less than 198 watts of pedal power at 90 km/h, which translates to a 9,544 MPGe highway fuel efficiency. According to Aerovelo, this is the highest per-passenger MPGe of any existing transportation technology at this speed.
“The efficiency of this vehicle seems impossibly high: it’s a powerful example of the massive change we can achieve with existing technology in the near future,” said Aerovelo co-founder Cameron Robertson. “Eta’s performance is a testament to the passion and engineering the team devoted to this endeavour, and showcases what can be achieved when we seek to do more with less.”
Aerovelo cofounder Todd Reichert used Eta to set 2 consecutive human-powered world records this September. Reichert achieved 88.26 mph/142.04 kph on September 14th, 2016 and 89.59 mph/144.18 kph on September 18th, 2016.
Held the week of September 12-16, 2016, in Battle Mountain, Nevada, the World Human Powered Speed Challenge draws designers and athletes from around the world to test their high-tech speed bikes on highway 305 - the straightest, flattest and smoothest road surface in the world. The International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA) sanctions all records.
Eta is sponsored by Google, which came on board to support the project after Aerovelo’s Atlas Human-Powered Helicopter won the AHS Igor Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Challenge in 2013 (the prize had been founded in 1980). Their support allowed Aerovelo to focus full-time on the bike. The project also received incredible funding and support by other sponsors including The University of Toronto, GMC, Paterson Composites, Visual Unity and many others.
For more record-breaking engineering, find out what’s inside Siemens’ record-breaking electric aircraft motor.