First electric Ferrari faster than original: 'It absolutely decimated it'

[Joe Capitalist]

Gasoline cars are a thing of the past. Electric cars are the future.

Purists may be horrified by the thought of an electric Ferrari, but can speed win them over?

After thousands of hours of restoring and modernizing one of Ferrari's luxury sports car, Californian Eric Hutchison accomplished the unthinkable and created the very first -- and, as it turns out, fastest -- electric 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS.

"I really was dying to know how this 308 compared to a stock 308," Hutchison, of electric car conversion specialist Electric GT, tells CNN Supercharged.
"We had a professional driver drive both cars in a timed environment on the same track -- about a mile and a half -- and the professional driver did that lap in 1:26 with a gas Ferrari."
Next up was Hutchison's electric creation.
"The electric car absolutely decimated the gas car," he says.
"Watching the professional driver off the line, the electric car left like a 25-foot burn out as he was just gripping for traction."
The so-called 308 GTE finished the same track 10 seconds faster.

The electric Ferrari created by Eric Hutchison is 10 seconds faster than the original gas version
It cost him $10,000 to buy from a junk yard after being destroyed in an engine fire
In 2016, Ferrari boss Sergio Marchionne said an electric Ferrari would be "obscene"
(CNN)Purists may be horrified by the thought of an electric Ferrari, but can speed win them over?

After thousands of hours of restoring and modernizing one of Ferrari's luxury sports car, Californian Eric Hutchison accomplished the unthinkable and created the very first -- and, as it turns out, fastest -- electric 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS.
California-based company Electric GT turn 1978 Ferrari 308 into an electric car.

"I really was dying to know how this 308 compared to a stock 308," Hutchison, of electric car conversion specialist Electric GT, tells CNN Supercharged.
"We had a professional driver drive both cars in a timed environment on the same track -- about a mile and a half -- and the professional driver did that lap in 1:26 with a gas Ferrari."
Next up was Hutchison's electric creation.
"The electric car absolutely decimated the gas car," he says.
"Watching the professional driver off the line, the electric car left like a 25-foot burn out as he was just gripping for traction."
The so-called 308 GTE finished the same track 10 seconds faster.

The "308 GTE" was 10 seconds faster than the classic gas sports car.
The "308 GTE" was 10 seconds faster than the classic gas sports car.
The opportunity for speed is what makes the car a perfect vehicle to transform, according to Hutchison.
"The Ferrari makes a great candidate for conversion because when you're converting the car to electric you're adding power, you're doubling the power, you're doubling the torque," he says.
"This car was meant for speed. It might not have been engineered for this much speed, but it handles it really well. This car actually goes so much better and it feels natural with this amount of power in it."

The roar of Hutchison's car, which has three batteries -- one in the front and two in an L-shaped configuration where the gas tanks used to sit -- has been replaced by a quieter electric hum.
"There's something very calming about sitting in a car when it's not making any engine noise," he explains.
"You put your foot down on the pedal in this car, it elicits fear, it's scary, it launches, it explodes and that there's no noise and then you put your foot down and you hear your tires ripping.
The adrenaline of getting in an electric car with this much power on a Ferrari frame is phenomenal. Indescribable.

"The adrenaline of getting in an electric car with this much power on a Ferrari frame is phenomenal. Indescribable."
But is it comparable to an original Ferrari?
"Not by any means," Hutchison admits. "It's a whole different experience.
"The association with noise and shifting is an automotive experience ... the symphony changes tremendously and the car -- the feeling, the motors -- sound much more like a jet engine when they fire up.

[Bourbon]

Thanks ... now I really feel Old.



But I really like the New one ...

[Joe Capitalist]

Thanks ... now I really feel Old.



But I really like the New one ...

Have you ever ridden in or driven a Tesla? I have and I'll tell you there's NO COMPARISON between it and an internal combustion engine car.
The electric car is smoother, faster and easier to maintain. In 10 years, there'll be more electric cars on the road than old gasoline cars.

[Bourbon]

Have you ever ridden in or driven a Tesla? I have and I'll tell you there's NO COMPARISON between it and an internal combustion engine car.
The electric car is smoother, faster and easier to maintain. In 10 years, there'll be more electric cars on the road than old gasoline cars.

Yes, my Brother In Law has both, a the S P100D and X P100D ...

You'll let off the peddle out of fear long before getting to top speed

[Joe Capitalist]

Yes, my Brother In Law has both, a the S P100D and X P100D ...

You'll let off the peddle out of fear long before getting to top speed

What's a "peddle"?

[Bourbon]

What's a "peddle"?

It's how you sell gas pedal ... I thought you knew that?

[Joe Capitalist]

It's how you sell gas pedal ... I thought you knew that?

It's how you sell gas pedal?

[Celticguy]

A souped up electric vs a stock gas....