This go-kart has more torque than a Fiesta ST

This is the ‘e-kart’, an electric go-kart developed by Bosch, together with the FIA, the German Motorsport Association and go-kart manufacturer Mach 1 Kart. And yes, it really does have (marginally) more torque than one of our favourite hot hatches. 

It is also faster. Bosch says 0-62mph takes “less than” five seconds, which means the e-Kart could comfortably see off a six-cylinder BMW 440i or V6 F-Type. The top speed is 80mph, and Bosch Motorsport VP Dr. Klaus Böttcher says they’ll “continue testing” the e-kart to “further explore [its] capabilities”. 

The powertrain is based on Bosch’s Boost Recuperation System (BRS) – a kind of hybrid system that offers a torque boost under acceleration and efficiency gains – which it says will be production ready by early next year. There’s a 48-volt lithium battery and two starter-generators delivering a total of around 27bhp, plus sensors and a bespoke ECU tying everything together. 

Pity it’s just a prototype, built to “lay the foundations for 'electrifying' performance kart racing”, because we quite fancy it.