What's that? Could it be the whip-crack of range anxiety being dragged out back and shot? Why yes, a German vehicle named Schluckspecht ("heavy drinker"), created by students at the University of Applied Sciences in Offenburg, just smashed through the 1,000-mile barrier on a single charge.

Of course, the car traveled on average only 28 miles per hour throughout its 36-hour run. And the record-breaking run was made possible by an ultra-lightweight frame and complete lack of an interior engine or transmission (the car was driven by a pair of small, hub-mounted electric motors in its wheels). So it's more of an exercise in learning and blue-sky thinking than a production-ready vehicle.

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