This production all-electric go-kart just set a new speed record
Published on Sep 21, 2023 at 4:05 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Sep 22, 2023 at 11:11 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of blasting a go-kart around the track.
Even with a limited power output of 10 hp, they’re plenty fast due to the fact they’re so light.
So you can imagine how terrifying it’d be being behind the wheel of a go-kart with 44 horsepower.
READ MORE! This custom-built racer just smashed the world record for acceleration
A 44-horsepower all-electric go-kart is apparently fast enough to set a new speed record.
That’s what Latvia-based Blue Shock Race is claiming anyway.
Their lightly modified production go-kart, powered by a 25-kilowatt electric motor, apparently reached a top speed of 163 km/h (101.3 mph) to set the record.
The record was broken on a 1,936-foot (590-meter) straight section of Gortlandring circuit’s southern loop in Sweden.
Drawing juice from a 5.4 watt-hours swappable battery pack, the 265-pound (120-kilogram) go-kart was piloted by Swedish driver Leo Obrant.
“I have raced internal combustion engine karts, but the top speed in races for those is about 130-140 km/h,” Obrant said.
“I have never driven a go-kart this fast”.
The company’s all-electric go-kart lineup offers everything from kid-focused 2 hp motors to a 44-hp option.
In other words, the kart that set the new speed record, can actually be purchased.
According to their website, that top-of-the-line model can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) in about 3 seconds.
To put it into perspective, that’s around the same time as it takes the McLaren Senna to complete the dash.
That being said, the go-kart has a top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph), which is nowhere near the Senna’s 340-km/h (208-mph) top speed.
How the go-kart managed to reach 163 km/h is unclear, buit it might just be a case of the software limitation being removed.
The price for a full kart using the same CRY32-S15 chassis as the record-setting single-seater is $13,900.
The powertrain alone costs $10,700, but it can be fitted on any standard chassis.
While the production go-kart sounds epicly fast, it’s not quite as fast as the custom-built racer that recently set a new acceleration record, going from 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) in less than a second.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
