Skip to main content

Electrified Corvette takes off like a rocket at Cape Canaveral, sets speed record

Someone built a 200-mph electric Corvette, and that someone isn’t Chevrolet.

Maryland-based Genovation Cars has been electrifying ‘Vettes for the past couple of years, and one of its creations just hit a major performance milestone. During supervised tests at the former Space Shuttle landing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Genovation Extreme Electric (or GXE, for short), reached a top speed of 209 mph.

Recommended Videos

Genovation says that is a top-speed record for an electric car. It should know, as it set the previous record of 205.6 mph last year, and a record of 186.8 mph before that. The company claims to have set the record for electric cars in the standing mile as well, at 190.4 mph.

The GXE is based on a C6-generation Corvette Z06, which came from the factory with a 7.0-liter V8 that produces 505 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Genovation replaced that with electric motors producing a combined 700 hp and 600 lb-ft. of torque, plus a 44-kilowatt-hour battery pack to power them. Genovation also claims a 150-mile range (up from the previously quoted 130 miles) for normal driving, and says the GXE has a 50/50 front-rear weight distribution, which helps with handling.

While it is a modified version of an existing design, the GXE hints at a different route automakers could take with production electric performance cars. The Tesla Model S P100D, Lucid Air, and Faraday Future FF91 all have more power than the GXE, but they are all cushy luxury cars, and thus weigh substantially more. The Tesla Roadster was the last electric sports car to sell in large numbers, although Chinese startup NextEV and Croatian firm Rimac are trying to revive the concept with their Nio EP9 and Concept One, respectively.

Even if an automaker doesn’t step up and build a high-performance electric sports car, you may be able to get your hands on a Genovation GXE. The company is accepting pre-orders for 75 production vehicles, although it is unclear when deliveries will begin.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
I tried an e-bike for the first time and now I’m hooked
It’s not about being a 'bike person', it’s about finding small upgrades to everyday life
A woman sitting on the Aventon Pace 4

Before this year, I’d never even touched an e-bike before, and the thought of riding one was never on my radar. With life already in constant motion thanks to two toddlers, biking wasn’t something I ever considered adding to the mix.

I’d always assumed e-bikes were for hardcore commuters or serious cyclists, not someone like me. I wasn’t looking for a big lifestyle change. I just wanted a quicker way to get to the park so we’d have more time to play before dinner.

Read more
This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern
Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

Read more
Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride
A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis. 

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

Read more