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You’re looking at the world’s fastest electric kart – and it’s a Linde. The Guinness Book of Records has officially recognised the Linde E1 e-kart as the world title holder.

Race driver Andreas Wolf produced more acceleration than any other electric vehicle in the world has ever done to put the E1 into the Guinness Book of World Records. His feat, performed at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany during an ADAC GT masters race meeting saw him accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds on the first run and 3.5 seconds on the second run. Guinness World Records judges determined the final figure of acceleration based on an average of the runs, making 3.4 seconds the new record to beat for the fastest 0-to-100km/h acceleration by an e-kart.

Even more impressively, the feat was achieved by applying the advanced technologies at the heart of Linde’s latest E20 to E50 electric forklift range. “Our E1 kart has exactly the same ‘genes’ as our new series of electric lift trucks,” said Eric Hock, engineer in charge of Electronic Engineering at Linde. “Its lift motor, power units, display, steering system and software are identical with those installed in these e-trucks.”

Based on a racing chassis of kart class KZ 1&2 and equipped with standard components, the Linde E1 leverages the full power of Linde drive technology. Linde Material Handling has been developing electric lift trucks for more than 40 years and has a reputation for innovation, economic efficiency, performance capability and the sustainable use of resources. The creation of the E1 kart as an engineering exercise confirms Linde’s leadership in drive technologies which are becoming increasingly more in demand. “The acceleration force of the Linde E1 is absolutely awesome,” record attempt driver Andreas Wolf commented. “I can easily picture myself working on an electric lift truck having the same technology when I have finished my racing career,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

The record setting performance established a new category for Guinness Book of World Records officials who had carried out their own research when informed of Linde’s planned attempt with the E1 kart. Based on calculations made from its research, the Guinness Book of World Records organisation notified Linde that the E1 would have to hit 100km/h in 7.0 seconds for its times to be recognised as a world record. Andreas Wolf’s time of 3.4 seconds in his first run at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany demonstrated that this would not be a problem. As news of the world record performance spread around the world, one motorsport website comment took a slightly different approach to the E1 kart’s achievement. “I am a safety official at a club-level kart race track and I can say that I would welcome all-electric karts,” an enthusiast wrote. “Though the noise and smell of race day is part of the charm, after a while the constant buzzing of 125cc 2-stroke motors and fumes can give one a headache.”