204mph! Drayson Racing’s EV breaks world land speed record

By Nick Jaynes July 2, 2013

Drayson Lola EV — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Believe it or not but 1974 was the last time a lightweight all-electric vehicle made a world record top-speed run. That year, the Battery Box General Electric EV made a 175mph EV run. No one has come close since.

That is, until now. Drayson Racing Technology sent its Lola B12 69/E all-electric, lightweight racecar to 204.2mph on a racetrack at Royal Air Force Elvington in Yorkshire, England.

What man dared break the world speed record for a lightweight EV? Lord Drayson, who previously served minister in England’s Labour government.

“What it, I hope, shows to people is just what the future potential of electric cars is,” Lord Drayson said in a BBC interview. Drayson went on to say that he hopes to show the viability of EV tech and also the U.K.’s dominance as an EV tech leader.

What qualifies the Lola as a lightweight car? According to the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) world electric land speed record guidelines, the car has to weigh in below the 1,000kg (2,204lb) mark, without the driver.

We’ll give Drayson credit for his run but we’re not so sure that a top-speed run will give EV tech much credibility. Consumers aren’t concerned with speed but rather range. Seeing what Nissan’s recently unveiled ZEOD Le Mans endurance EV racecar can do, however, should make a big statement for the fledgling powertrain tech.

We will have to wait just shy of a year for that, though. So there’s plenty more time for other EV enthusiast to do some more EV stunts in the name of furthering the technology.

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Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…

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