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MAGNETO TO ELECTRIC

LE MANS CENTENARY CELEBRATION

Electric power was one of the earliest avenues open to automobile manufacturers – and, as celebrated in this category, it’s come full circle today

Words Jack Phillips

Electric Motoring Is All

the rage today, but it’s been a long time coming. The earliest Land Speed Record runs were conducted under electric power, which was one of the three avenues for automobiles in the fledgling years of the car, along with steam and petrol.

The latter won out – but the mastering of electricity was still vital to momentum, because without the magneto no pre-war car would run. The Bugatti Type 35 and 37 that were so prevalent in racing, such as the 37 in action today from the Picardie

Grand Prix, needed a bolt to get going. Today, manufacturers such as Bicester Heritage resident Polestar are leaning on electricity more than ever, and the results are spectacular. The Polestar 2 BST Edition, on track as the course car and during the demo runs, can hit 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds. That’s exactly the same as a Ferrari F40, one of the greatest-ever supercars – yet the 2 carries a family and luggage with it. It is performance that Bugatti greats Tazio Nuvolari, W Williams, Louis Chiron and the likes could never even dream of.

BELOW Polestar 2

BST Edition is the latest in a long history of EVs.