Electric car sets 624-mile record

An electric car fitted with a special lithium ion battery created by Japanese company Sanyo has travelled 624 miles on a single charge.

The record, which was set at the Japanese race circuit of Shimotsuma, took 27 hours to complete, with 17 different drivers taking the wheel.

However, the car travelled at just 25mph throughout the test.

The test run was organised by the Japan Electric Vehicle Club, which plans to approach the Guinness Book of World Records to officially recognise it as the world's longest electric car journey.

The previous world record for distance travelled on a single charge was 345 miles, which was set last November by the same team.