Several companies are developing electric supercars but, for now, the fastest one of all is a modified Corvette.
Maryland-based Genovation Cars built an electric Corvette called the GXE, and that car just hit 211.8 mph at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That’s the same as a Ferrari SF90 Stradale. Genovation claims that is also a world record for a street legal electric supercar, but the company was competing against itself. The GXE set the previous record of 210.2 in September 2019.
The GXE boasts 800 horsepower, which is 45 hp more than the 2019 Corvette ZR1 — the most powerful production Corvette ever. The GXE is also based on the same C7-generation Corvette platform as the ZR1, rather than the mid-engined Corvette C8. However, the GXE is a hair shy of the ZR1’s 212-mph top speed — for now, at least. Genovation claims the electric car is capable of more than 220 mph. It will need that kind of speed to beat an upcoming crop of electric supercars.
Croatian firm Rimac claims its Concept Two will reach 258 mph, while the Japanese Aspark Owl boasts a claimed top speed of 248 mph. Running prototypes of both cars exist, but no customer cars have been built, and their manufacturers’ top-speed claims have not been independently verified. The second-generation Tesla Roadster has a claimed top speed of 250 mph, but the car hasn’t gone into production yet. The same goes for the Lotus Evija, which will surpass 200 mph, according to its maker.
The Bugatti Chiron remains the fastest car in the world, having achieved 304 mph in August 2019. A handful of other automakers are eyeing the 300-mph barrier, but with gasoline rather than electric power. While electric motors can produce absurd amounts of horsepower (of the cars listed above, the GXE is the least powerful), heavy battery packs put electric cars at a disadvantage when it comes to weight.
The GXE isn’t exactly a stripped-down track car, either. It comes with adaptive suspension, a 10-speaker JBL audio system, and 10.4-inch central touchscreen. Genovation plans to build a limited production run of 75 cars, with the first customer deliveries expected in 2020. The company previously quoted a price of $750,000, which could buy you 12 gasoline-powered 2020 Corvettes.
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