Drag racing has always been a constantly-evolving sport, with new advances constantly pushing the envelope of what’s possible in just a quarter-mile of asphalt. The newest front in drag racing is the rise of electric vehicles, which are using the natural advantages of electric motors to make good progress in knocking down one elapsed time and speed record after another.
The latest big news comes from Autoblog Green, which reports that an electric motorcycle team run by Shawn Lawless has broken the 200 mph barrier in the quarter-mile.
The Lawless Rocket is an all-electric motorcycle, and this weekend it was ridden by none other than Top Fuel Motorcycle legend and all-time record holder Larry “Spiderman” McBride to a top speed of 201.37 mph in just 6.94 seconds. This run came after a series of successive runs that came closer and closer to the 200 mph barrier. The just-under-7-seconds run makes the Lawless Rocket the quickest EV in the quarter-mile.
There’s plenty of competition for title of world’s quickest EV though, from the Killacycle to Lightning Motors, all of whom are chasing the same records as Lawless. As for the four-wheeled competitors, there’s an electric Camaro, an electric Beetle, and an electric Datsun, among many others that are vying to be the fastest, and quietest, drag racers in the world.