La Jamais Contente Electrifies Speed

The first road vehicle to exceed 100 km/h (62 mph) was an electric car named La Jamais Contente. In 1899, Belgian driver Camille Jenatzy drove the torpedo-shaped vehicle at 105.882 km/h (65.792 mph) near Paris, breaking the previous land-speed record. Despite this achievement, gasoline-powered vehicles soon overtook electric cars and dominated the following century.

Previous Fact Next Fact