Electric Cars
Electric-powered cars are not a new invention — the first car to reach 100kph was electric, in 1899. The technology then fell behind combustion engines for over a century before returning as a genuine performance competitor in the 2010s–2020s.
The First Electric Speed Record (1899)
Belgian inventor Camille Jenatzy built La Jamais Contente (“The Never Satisfied”) — a torpedo-shaped, single-seat electric vehicle with a cylindrical body and conical nose and tail. On April 29, 1899, it became the first car to break 100kph (62mph). It was fully electric.
This is the opening paradox of automotive history: the gasoline era displaced electric cars completely for a century, yet the first automotive speed record was electric.
Why Combustion Won (for 100 years)
Energy density: gasoline stores roughly 50Ă— more energy per kilogram than early battery technology. Range, refuelling time, and infrastructure all favoured combustion. Electric cars were used for city delivery and low-speed applications throughout the 20th century but were not competitive in performance cars.
The Electric Performance Return (2010s–2020s)
Formula E (2014): The first official fully electric motorsport championship. Proved that electric powertrains could be competitive at racing speeds.
Performance hypercars embracing electric or hybrid drivetrains:
- McLaren Speedtail (2020) — hybrid
- Aston Martin Valkyrie (2020) — hybrid
- Porsche 918 Spyder — hybrid
- Ferrari LaFerrari — hybrid
- Koenigsegg Gemera (announced 2020) — hybrid four-seater hypercar
- Rimac C2 (Nevera) — pure electric, >1,000hp
- Pininfarina Battista (2020) — pure electric, 1,900hp
Quote from Pininfarina CEO Michael Perschke: “Electrification unlocks the door to a new level of performance and a zero-emissions future.”
The Performance Advantage
Electric motors produce maximum torque from 0 rpm — unlike combustion engines which need to rev into their powerband. This gives EVs superior acceleration characteristics. The limitation remains energy storage density for sustained high-speed runs (the same physics that stopped Jenatzy’s 1899 record car from being practical).
Adrian Feeney (SAE-A): “Don’t be surprised if someone is already out there aiming to top 500kph, and don’t be too surprised if it turns out to be electric.”
Full Circle
The 1899 electric car that first broke 100kph, and the 2020 electric hypercars threatening 500kph, bracket a century of combustion dominance. The same physics that made electric uncompetitive in 1910 (battery density) is the engineering frontier being solved in 2020.