British carmaker Jaguar has smashed speed records with a battery-powered boat.
British carmaker Jaguar has smashed speed records — with a battery-powered boat.
The Jaguar Vector Racing V20E craft cleared two legs of the 1km Coniston Water circuit in Cumbria, England, at 88.6mph (142.6kph). It smashed world and national electric speed records, beating the previous electric best of 76.8mph (123.6kph) set 10 years ago.
The powerboat was produced by car manufacturer Jaguar in collaboration with experts from the technology companies Vector and Williams Advanced Engineering. Its electric motors were powered by two 320kg batteries punching 220kW.
Jaguar Vector Racing CEO Malcolm Crease hailed the record-breaking run, saying: “After 12 months of hard work, this is a fantastic result for the team and our partners and a great first step in bringing the power and versatility of electrification to the marine industry.”
The carmaker’s e-speed accomplishment comes months after they announced they would stop launching new vehicles with combustible engines after 2020, and instead focus on producing fully electric or hybrid models.