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The World's Quickest Electric Car on 1/8-Mile Posts Incredible Time

It's no secret anymore that electric cars can make very powerful drag racing machines, and we have a certain Tesla Motors to thank for that. The Model S has quickly made a name for itself in the 1/4-mile races where it can easily beat ICE cars with fewer doors and a lot more racing credentials.
TC-X, the world's quickest electric car 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
TC-X, the world's quickest electric carTC-X, the world's quickest electric carTC-X, the world's quickest electric carTC-X, the world's quickest electric carTC-X, the world's quickest electric car
However, watch any race featuring a Tesla and you'll see that the EV gets well ahead off the line, but as the end of the track draws closer, the competitor usually starts to do the same. That's because the real secret of battery-powered cars is a mixture of delivering the torque from 0 rpm and making sure it reaches the wheels in the most efficient way possible, eliminating tire spin.

That means the shorter the race, the higher the chances for the EV to win, which makes it somewhat surprising that we don't see more Teslas dueling Hellcats and whatnot in 1/8-mile races. When we do see them, though, the most potent version - the Model S P100D - usually posts times in the mid-seven seconds region, which is more than decent.

This electric vehicle, however, is a purpose-built monster of a dragster that just happens to be completely silent as well. It's made by two Danish cousins, hence the name of their enterprise: True Cousins. The car was called TC-X, and it actually became the quickest electric car (it has a full body and doors that open, making it fall in the 'door-slammer' category rather than a Funny Car) back in 2015.

That run saw the TC-X complete the 1/8-mile race (201 meters) in 5.74 seconds, which was impressive even before hearing what lies underneath that streamlined body. The record-holding vehicle is powered by two (modified) forklift motors and has a 960-cell Lithium-Ion battery.

Now, the two cousins are back at it and, after continuously improving the vehicle, they managed to break the record once more. The TC-X flew over the 1/8-mile distance in just 4.89 seconds (4.9 for the second run) with a trap speed of 233.09 km/h (144.83 mph). You can see the two runs recorded in the video below, and no matter how many of these EV drag runs we see (or how many times we travel by train), we still can't get used to the eerie silence.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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