In the not too distant past, automotive industry folks from every walk of life fretted endlessly over the proliferation of the electric vehicle,->ke1030 declaring over and over again that the age of internal combustion was coming to a close and that the way of life humanity had had known for over a century was about to meet an abrupt end. Nowadays, you still hear from that glass-half-empty crowd every so often, but their outcries are a bit muted in the face of the numerous opportunities presented by battery power. So fear not, my fellow speed lovers – the baby won’t get tossed with the bath water when it comes to velocity and electron-powered propulsion, as demonstrated in this infographic. 

Standouts include the 204-mph Lola B12/69 EV race car, the 270-mph Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3, and the 202-mph Bullet remote control car (that’s right, an RC car that breaks 200 mph. Check it out here). But the electric craziness isn’t relegated to just land craft – there’s also the 203-mph Rutan Long-ESA airplane and 187-mph Cigarette Racing/AMG Electric Drive speedboat.

The infographic was created by PureDrive Batteries Limited, a U.K.-based provider of batteries for cars, motorcycles, RVs, boats, and mobility vehicles. Considering where the world seems to be headed, it’s probably a good business to get into.

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Why it matters

At this point, it’s probably safe to assume the old way of thinking about electric vehicles has changed substantially. Tesla is often cited as a main driver of this shift, but credit should also be paid to the countless other manufacturers pushing the limits of what can be done with the EV.

For example, back in 2012, Mercedes->ke187 dropped four electric motors into the SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive to create a 740-horsepower supercar->ke177 capable of hitting 60 mph in under four seconds. Electric power is also a huge deal in racing, from Le Mans->ke1591 to Formula 1,->ke190 not to mention the all-electric Formula E->ke4660 series. And who could forget the huge range of hybrid->ke147 sports cars->ke506 we now have the chance to ogle, including the McLaren P1,->ke4608 Porsche 918,->ke3629 LaFerrari,->ke4626 and BMW i8?->ke4622

The thing is, the electric car isn’t exactly a new concept. In fact, a third of the cars on the road in the early 1900s were EVs. But as the internal combustion engine improved, electric power was dropped.

Now it’s back, but the old concerns remain, most prominent of which are a lack of range and long recharge times. But the technology to alleviate these issues is in constant development, so we could see EVs hit the mainstream with even more gusto some time in the near future. (You can read my full article on the topic of EVs here.)

For now, though, it’s important people see things like this list. If they can make an electric golf cart hit 119 mph, then I really think we have nothing to worry about.