Forget about Tesla Motors or other similar zero-emission vehicles because the world speed record for electric vehicles has just been smashed by a tiny British car from the 70s.
Assembled in 120 units on the Isle of Wight during the oil crisis era, the Enfield 8000 originally boosted just 8 horsepower, but in the meantime, it underwent a few major revisions and is now powered by 188 lithium-ion battery cells, built into enclosures under the hood and boot.
These batteries, which are normally found running the miniguns and starting the engines of a Bell Super Cobra attack helicopter, generate 2,000 amps and 4000 volts and provide the juice needed for a pair of DC 9-inch motors to drive the rear wheels.
The man behind the project is motoring journalist and former Fifth Gear presenter Jonny Smith, who rescued the Enfield four years ago and restored it, before adding the 21st century technology.
“The car never feels like it is out of its comfort zone. To be honest I have disconnected the speedo, and just drive it by feel. You quickly forget how small it is when the lights go green. The instant electric torque delivery is something I have never experienced in over 15 years of driving and testing sports cars“, Jonny said.
In the hands of its owner, the 2.8-meter (112 inches) long vehicle ran a quarter mile at Santa Pod in just 9.86 seconds, at an average of 121 mph (195 km/h). Jonny Smith smashed the previous world record, which stood at 10.25 seconds, set by an old electric converted Datsun.
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