The batteries ran out of juice after about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kilometers), but it was enough to net the team a Guinness World Record. So how fast did it go? Those tiny batteries were enough to propel the racer to an average speed of 65.5 miles per hour (105.95 kilometers per hour) and a top speed of 75.8 miles per hour (122 kilometers per hour). Once he was inside, the crew placed the plastic and carbon fiber body over him. The battery pack was placed in the rear of the vehicle right behind driver Takashi Sudo, who reclined flat on his back to pilot the car. That's right - imagine a battery pack consisting of 200 of the same batteries you use in your clock radio being used to bring a vehicle up to highway speeds! In this case, the racer used 192 AA batteries. That small size was necessary to get the car up to speed - Panasonic wanted 65 miles per hour (104.6 kilometers per hour) - on the relatively small amount of power that AA batteries can provide. This vehicle was built more along the lines of a soapbox racer than a typical street car, and through the use of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber, it weighed a scant 83 pounds (38 kilograms). Sitting just inches off the ground at 1 foot, 10 inches (56 centimeters) in height, it looked more like a long, low-riding bullet with tires than a car. The car was built by Panasonic engineers and students from Osaka Sangyo University, and it was quite different from the cars we drive to work everyday.
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