Greatest distance covered in an electric vehicle in one hour (prototype)

The greatest distance covered by an electic car in an hour is 199.881 km (124.2 miles) by Oscar De Vita (Italy) driving the Bertone ZER (Zero Emission Record) prototype at the Nardo circuit, Italy on 2 October 1994. The streamlined car was also the first electric vehicle to break the 300 km/h (186 mph) barrier and set an outright speed record for electrical vehicles (since broken) of 303.977 km/h (188.894 mph). The Bertone company is famous for designing cars for other manufacturers such as Ferrari and Bugatti. However, the company also produces its own concept cars such as the ZER.

Electric vehicle speed records are especially challenging because although electric engines have the potential to reach speeds equal to their internal-combustion counterparts, their "fuel" - banks of batteries - is bulky and heavy.