---
title: "Watch This Electric Van Beat a Tesla and a Ferrari In a Drag Race"
description: "Forget Eleanor. Meet Edna."
date: "2016-07-15"
modified: "2016-07-15"
authors:
  - name: "Brendan McAleer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/brendan-mcaleer"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/4429/watch-this-electric-van-beat-a-tesla-and-a-ferrari-in-a-drag-race"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "News"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "drag racing"
  - "Electric Cars"
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "Tesla"
---

# Watch This Electric Van Beat a Tesla and a Ferrari In a Drag Race

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/071516-edna-van-hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com\</em\>*

Never mind the controversy over Autopilot—here's something to really wipe the smile off Elon Musk's face. Say hello to Edna, [a 900-hp electric cargo van that can outrun a Tesla](<https://www.yahoo.com/news/atieva-electric-van-smokes-tesla-163509756.html>)—or a Ferrari—in a drag race. Think of this electric van as a battery-powered version of [the infamous XJ220-powered Ford Transit](<https://www.greatbritishsportscars.net/xj220-transit-van/>).

Edna is a test-bed vehicle, used by Silicon Valley automotive start-up Atieva to test its electric motors, software, and batteries. Sooner or later, some version of [Edna's powertrain will likely be found stuffed into a luxury sedan](<https://blog.atieva.com/introducing-edna/>); in the meantime, however, the company is testing it out in a cargo van, which gives engineers plenty of room to work on cooling, wiring, and the like for the system's twin electric motors and 87-kWh battery pack.

But just because it's a test mule doesn't mean it lacks kick. As a demonstration of what the company's powertrain is capable of, Atieva lined boxy Edna up against [a Ferrari California T](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/2350/critics-notebook-2016-ferrari-california-t>) and the current EV holeshot champ, [a Tesla Model S](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/753/10-things-i-hate-about-my-tesla>), for a drag race in the California desert. (To be fair, it's unclear whether the Model S in question is [the top-spec P90D version](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/3186/tesla-model-s-p90d-ludicrous-proves-tesla-is-the-new-apple>).)

The cargo van's claimed 0-60mph of 3.08 seconds may technically fall behind a full-bore Model S on its best day, but considering we're talking about a white shipping container on wheels, it's safe to say Edna effectively out-ludicrouses Tesla's Ludicrous Mode. That's the kind of speed you wish FedEx would display when trying to get your latest Amazon order on the doorstep.

Atieva is still very much a nascent company; the start-up has yet to build a factory, let alone a production car. And it's safe to say the odds are stacked against them. As the world has seen time and time again, turning a newborn performance car company into a profitable enterprise isn't easy. But if a van that can out accelerate a McLaren F1 doesn't make you send some good vibes Atieva's way...maybe you should go buy a Westfalia, or something.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/173957873

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