Move over Tesla: the fastest street-legal EV is now a Corvette Z06

By Miles Branman Updated March 9, 2016

corvette fastest street legal ev gxe 3 — Genovation eXtreme Electric Corvette

When you think of fast electric vehicles, the Tesla Model S and its “Ludicrous Mode” probably come to mind, and rightly so. With the equivalent of 762 horsepower in the Model S P90D and a 0 to 60 mph time of just 2.8 seconds, few supercars could even match the electric sedan’s performance.

But what about top speed? That’s been a tough nut to crack for electric vehicle manufacturers because while instant torque helps an EV rocket off the line, all that “electric juice” runs thin as the runway gets longer. That’s where Genovation Cars comes in.

The EV tuner took a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and turned it into the “Genovation eXtreme Electric,” or GXE for short. While testing the reborn ‘vette at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds/Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, Genovation brought the sports car to a top speed of 186.8 mph. While even the regular Corvette can manage that feat these days, in the world of street-legal EVs, that figure is massive. In fact, it was nearly 10 mph quicker than the previous record holder at 177 mph.

Watch the video on Genovation’s Facebook Page.

The new record was certified by the International Mile Racing Association and the vehicle has earned the official title of, “Top Speed Street Legal Electric Car.”

The GXE capitalized on the Corvette Z06’s light body as a platform to incorporate an innovative electric powertrain good for over 700 hp and 600 pound-feet of torque. Genovation claims the prototype has a 50:50 weight distribution and a range of 130 miles during “normal driving operation.” I’m guessing drag racing doesn’t fall under that category.

“We are thrilled that the result of our development testing led to the setting of this record. Based on our experience so far, we believe the car to be extremely robust as we set the record on our first day of testing,” said Genovation CEO Andrew Saul. The company added that its work on the GXE isn’t finished and it expects the EV to reach higher levels of performance very soon.

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GMC poured all of its truck-making expertise into the Sierra EV pickup

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The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks are twins, and that will continue to be the case when they go electric.
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The Sierra EV updates the design language of the internal-combustion GMC Sierra for the electric age. A big grille is no longer needed for cooling, but it’s still an important styling element that designers didn’t want to break away from, Sharon Gauci, GMC executive director of global design, explained to Digital Trends and other media in an online briefing ahead of the truck’s reveal. The grille shape is now outlined in lights, with an illuminated GMC logo.
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