E-car world record
19.01.2011
The ministry sponsored DBM Energy with 275,000 euros - Audi A2 with a lithium-metal-polymer-based battery drove 600 kilometers without charging from Munich to Berlin at the end of October. DBM rejected doubts of the ADAC about the circumstances of the journey.
Arson is possible
On December 12th, DBM's successful car was destroyed in a fire in a Berlin warehouse. The car may have been arson. This could not be ruled out, the company said on request and thus confirmed dpa information.
The loss of the Audi A2 has only now been announced by DBM. 'We were urged by the investigating authority not to provide any information in order not to endanger the ongoing proceedings,' emphasized DBM. A spokesman for the Berlin police said that he could not provide any information because of the ongoing investigation.
The homepage of DBM is de facto shut down except for a longer message - there it is admitted that the media hype and the numerous inquiries are small Companies would have overwhelmed. They want to reposition themselves in the first quarter and professionalize the structures.
The battery is now being checked
The ADAC has been criticizing the circumstances of the record drive for weeks. The car disappeared from the journalists' field of vision for around 30 minutes while driving from Munich to Berlin. In addition, no notary was there. DBM announced that around 30 eyewitnesses had accompanied the car from Munich to Berlin. The GPS data available to the dpa show that there was no longer stop, for example to recharge or change the battery.
DBM announced an independent range check after the ADAC had doubts about the record drive: 'A corresponding request to Dekra for the end of February 2011 has already taken place. ' The experts from the Federal Institute for Material Safety and Research have also been investigating the components of the record battery since January 17th.
