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Watch a Corvette Z06 break the electric car top speed record

A video of a Corvette Z06 breaking the all-electric street-legal car top speed record has been released on YouTube.

The clip shows a Z06 without its usual 7.0-litre LS7 engine under the bonnet. Instead it has what its maker calls ‘an array of inverters, batteries and electric motors’, which work together to create more than 700hp and 600lb/ft of torque.

Every single horsepower is available in an instant, such is the nature of electric motors, helping the quietest Z06 ever go from 0-60mph in three seconds before reaching its record-breaking top speed of 186.8mph.

We say record breaking in the International Mile Racing Association (IMRA) sense and not the Guinness World Records because it was only recognised by the former. Now its makers have a bit of paper with the words: “Top Speed Street Legal Electric Car.”

The run, with Johnny Bohmer at the wheel, took place on the 23rd of 2016 at the Nasa Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The previous record was 177mph and set by a prototype car from Finland.

The Genovation GXE Z06 is said to have a driving range of 130 miles, a low centre of gravity and 50:50 weight distribution, making it somewhat similar its petrol counterpart. But it does cost a lot more, at £204,995 if you supply the Z06. Or £235,000 if you don’t.

It’s well worth watching just how fast electric cars can be, even if this particular Z06 costs twice that of a similarly powerful Tesla Model S dual motor and the rock music gets in the way a bit.

On the subject of mental electric vehicles, check out the dinky but fierce Flux Capacitor complete a quarter-ile faster than most petrol cars.

Video: Genovation GXE Breaks Electric Vehicle Speed Record

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