Electric Cars: Breaking Speed Records Since the Very Beginning

Electric cars have been associated with speed records since the dawn of motoring. While today’s electric hypercars are celebrated for shattering performance barriers, many enthusiasts don’t realise that the very first recorded land speed records were set by battery-powered machines.

At the turn of the 20th century, electric vehicles were at the forefront of automotive technology. On December 18, 1898, French driver Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat drove a Jeantaud electric car to the world’s first official land speed record, hitting 39.24 mph (63.13 km/h) outside Paris. Not only did he set the first benchmark, but his record ignited a heated rivalry with Belgian engineer Camille Jenatzy.

Jenatzy’s famous bullet-shaped car, “La Jamais Contente”, became a legend in 1899 when it achieved a then-staggering speed of 65.79 mph (105.88 km/h)—the first vehicle in history to break the 100 km/h barrier. Both men repeatedly traded the title, improving their machines and tinkering with aerodynamics. These early electric racers were meticulously tuned and often rebodied for enhanced speed, foreshadowing the importance of streamlined design in land speed record cars.

For several years, electrics dominated the record books. Their surprisingly advanced powertrains and torque characteristics made them ideal for short, intense runs. Paris even operated fleets of electric taxis at the time, hinting at how forward-thinking the technology was. Only in the early 1900s did petrol and steam engines finally surpass batteries in outright performance, as range and refuelling advantages took precedence over speed alone.

Jump forward to the present, and the electric car’s legacy in speed is alive and well. Modern EVs like the Rimac Nevera, Aspark Owl, and BYD Yangwang U9 Xtreme are not only out-accelerating petrol-powered supercars, they’re also setting outright speed records for road-legal cars. Cutting-edge battery chemistry, instant torque, and finely-tuned aerodynamics have brought electric power back to the top of the performance charts.

From pioneers like La Jamais Contente to the hypercars of today, the story of electric vehicles is inseparable from the relentless pursuit of speed. As the electric revolution continues, it’s clear that battery-powered cars have always had a need for speed—and they’re not done rewriting history yet.