The run from zero to 60 MPH is the international unit of measurement for quickness. And a team of students from the Netherlands just shattered the record in a homemade electric car.
The team from the Delft University of Technology made the dash from 0-100 kmh (0-62 mph) in 2.15 seconds, enough to beat the previous record for an electric vehicle of 2.68 seconds. But that's not the impressive part. The team also eclipsed the quickest production car, the insanely lightweight, 500 horsepower Ariel Atom V8, which clocked a time of 2.3 seconds in 2010.
"We thought that under these conditions we’d be happy with 2.30," team manager Tim de Moree said. "But we really didn’t expect 2.15."
Despite putting power to all four tires through wheel-mounted electric motors good for a combined 135 HP, the DUT12 comes in at a featherweight 320 pounds. The TU Delft's record run was also helped by its driver, Marly Kuijpers -- she's the lightest member of the team.
Photos: DUT Racing
