Electric car races electric motorcycle

September 22, 2010

If it is true that technology developed for the race track filters its way to the cars we see on the road, then a recent ‘race’ between a Citroën’s Survolt concept supercar and an Agni Z2 electric sports motorcycle may be a sneak preview of the showroom of the not-too-distant future.

No word on which of the two vehicles won the contest, which tool place at Thruxton race track, but with a top speed of 162mph it is likely that the Citroen triumphed over the motorcycle.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), a breakdown company that covers more electric vehicles in Britain than any other provider, said: “Nobody needs a car that can exceed 162mph, but the battery technology on the track may prove useful in smaller, more practical cars.”

PerformanceCitroen SurvoltAgni Z2
Power62kw 300bhp50kw 65bhp
Top speed162mph125mph
0-60mph<5secs<4secs
The ‘race’Electric car vs electric bike

The man who couldn’t wait for an electric sports car

Car manufacturers promise a big future for alternative-fuelled vehicles and produce concept designs with alarming regularity, but judging by the number actually on the road, you could be forgiven for thinking that battery-powered transport will never amount to more than the electric quadricycles that have found a niche market in London.

One man who was not prepared to wait for a fast electric car to reach the showrooms was John Wayland, an American engineer who has spent the last 15 years quietly developing a street-legal electric car that now regularly outpaces petrol-powered sports cars on the race track.

DIY electric racing car

A fast electric car that actually works
The White Zombie car is built around an innocuous-looking 1972 Datsun and is powered by 60 batteries driving two motors from forklifts. It takes about 20 minutes to charge the car, and it has a range of 40 miles. Watch the car in action in this short film…

Information correct at time of publication.

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