Far from the fury of traditional race-tracks, spectators got a glimpse of the future as they watched electric cars rev up, and silently bomb off around the Mason-Dixon Dragway.

Reaching speeds of more than 160 kilometres an hour, the cars, motorcycles and tricycles provided an eye-opener for bemused crowds at the Maryland track, more used to the dust, dirt and smells of gas-fuelled dragsters.

"Seeing them run for the first time today definitely scared me because their times are kinda close to some of my times," said drag racer Travis Beall. "Every year they are getting faster and faster."

Such meets are helping electric cars shed their old-fashioned, stuffy image as the preferred vehicle for those who don't mind moving at a snail's pace.

At one recent weekend meet about 20 enthusiasts tried out their electric vehicles, racing them furiously, but silently, around the quarter-mile asphalt track.

Over in a grassy field, tech geeks and speed freaks alike checked out the electric vehicles, from sports cars to three-wheelers that more resembled UFOs than serious speed machines.

"People laugh at electric cars and say they are golf carts, but they're not," said Jo Reyes (43) from Maryland, a former Ferrari mechanic who now builds electric vehicles.

"We've come a long way. Look at these Teslas here, they will spank Ferraris."

The National Electric Drag Racing Association sponsors contests like these across the United States and, according to non-profit organisation Plug-in-America which promotes electric cars, there are roughly 5350 highway-capable vehicles on the road.

These electric drag racers hope to gain more fans by showcasing the latest models, like the Tesla Roadster, a $109 000 sports car which can go over 100 miles per hour. A dark red model won the all-electric competition here, clocking it at 103.9 miles per hour.

Electric vehicles race under three categories: "Production EVs," cars originally manufactured with electric power systems; "Conversion EVs," internal combustion engine cars converted to electric; and electric motorcycles.

I make this look good — on page 2!

AFP

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