To claim the prize, the experimental cars must hit a long list of performance and efficiency targets. Each vehicle’s efficiency is measured on a track and on a dynamometer.

A dynamometer is like a treadmill for a car. It's useful because road tests inevitably have variables that affect a car's performance. Bumps, potholes, even the heat of the day can change the results. A dynamometer puts each car through exactly the same test under identical conditions.

That's where we come in.

Above: The Electric RaceAbout, built by students at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, uses a 32 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery. The two-seater uses four motors, one per wheel, with a total output of 268 horsepower. It recharges in 5.5 to 6 hours.

Photo: Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National Laboratory

Authors: Mike Duoba, Argonne National Laboratory

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