0 to 60 in 3.45 seconds ... in an e-kart

Woo … we have a new world record for an electric vehicle: fastest 0-to-60-mph acceleration by an electric kart.

Powered by a Saft lithium-ion battery, Linde Material Handling’s E1 electric kart went from sitting still to speeding along at 60 mph in just 3.45 seconds. Guinness World Records was on hand at the Motorsport Arena in Oschersleben, Germany, to record the performance, having just opened up the new record category for the first time.

According to Guinness rules, the first record would be established as the average acceleration time of two runs in opposite directions. Driver Andreas Wolf, representing Linde Material Handling’s partner in the attempt — Germany’s automotive club, ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.) —  zipped from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds on the first run, and in 3.5 seconds on the second run.

So now the challenge is on: Which electric kart (or electric lift, Linde’s specialty) maker will attempt to break the record next? Whose battery will prove to have the most pedal-to-the-metal power? And is this the future of cleaner, greener auto racing? Watch out, F1 and NASCAR.