---
title: "Electric Corvette Obliterates Speed Record at Kennedy Space Center"
description: "Yes, that's an electric C6 Corvette. And, yes, it's very, very fast."
date: "2016-03-07"
modified: "2016-03-07"
authors:
  - name: "Will Sabel Courtney"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/will-sabel-courtney"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/2458/electric-corvette-obliterates-speed-record-at-kennedy-space-center"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Chevrolet News"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Racing"
tags:
  - "Chevrolet"
  - "Corvette"
  - "Coupe"
  - "sports car"
  - "World Record"
---

# Electric Corvette Obliterates Speed Record at Kennedy Space Center

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/030716-ev-speed-record-hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

It takes a lot for us to forgive the defiling of a C6 Corvette Z06. That 7.0-liter, naturally-aspirated LS7 V8 is one of the sweetest engines ever shoehorned into an American coupe, so if somebody's going to pull it out, they'd better have a damn good reason. Like, say, trying to break a world speed record.

And Genovation Cars didn't just try. They succeeded. Their electron-powered Corvette Z06, a.k.a. Genovation eXtreme electric," or "GXE" for short, has [shattered the world record for Top Speed Street Legal Electric Car by cracking off a 186.8-mph run.](<https://www.genovationcars.com/news/gxe-breaks-speed-record/>) That's nearly 10 miles an hour faster than the previous record, held by a Finnish electric car prototype. Even cooler, the team set the new record on the three-mile long runway of the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds, a former space shuttle runway at the Kennedy Space Center.

Thanks to its largely-made-in-America combination of electric motors, batteries, management systems and inverters, the GXE is significantly more potent than its original 427-powered configuration. The GXE's motors generate a total output around 700 horsepower and 600 pound-feet, according to Genovation. (The C6 Z06 cranked out 505 hp and 475 lb.–ft.) Genovation says the GXE will go around 130 miles on a charge—not exactly Tesla Model S range, but still more than enough to zip down to the A&P and back at a buck-eighty.

The record-breaking GXE is still a prototype. But hey, Genovation built a car that set a new world record. That alone is enough to launch them above the crowds of tiny wanna-be sports car makers.

https://youtube.com/embed/vKC8k3ISEpY

## Author
Will is the former managing editor of *RIDES Magazine* and the former online editor for *0-60 Magazine*. He has worked for *Time Out New York* and *Rolling Stone*, and was the creator of *College Cars Online*, the first automotive blog specifically targeted at college students and young professionals.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/willsabelcourtney>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/willscourtney>)