Drayson Racing Breaks World Electric Land Speed Record (VIDEO)

Jun 26, 2013 10:01 AM EDT | Matt Mercuro

Drayson Racing Technologies has broken the world land speed record for a lightweight electric car.

Using its Lola B12 69/EV vehicle, Drayson broke the record by hitting a top speed of 204.2 mph at a racetrack at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire.

The speed beats the previous record of 175 mph, which was set by Battery Box General Electric in 1974 according to High Gear Media.

The world land speed record for an electric car, which stands at 307.7 mph, was set by French firm Venturi in 2010. Drayson Racing's record is for an FIA-sanctioned vehicle.

Drayson Racing was founded in 2007 by Paul Drayson, who was then a minister in the Labour government. Drayson himself was behind the wheel of the Lola during its record breaking run.

The company, which operates out of Kidlington, Oxfordshire, works with others to "develop more sustainable automotive technologies and uses motorsport competitions" according to High Gear Media.

Drayson Racing isn't the only company hoping to accomplish something through EV racing however.

Last week Nissan unveiled the Zeod RC, a vehicle that can switch from electric power to petrol according to a company press release.

The company is planning on entering the vehicle into next year's Le Mans 24 race, saying the race could act as a "challenging test bed" for technology that could be used in road cars.

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