YOU EITHER GET IT OR YOU DONT

No one could have guessed that in the rush to produce viable electric cars, the supercar market would become the natural home for this 'green' technology.

But after the Tesla and Fisker Karma, and on the same day we are telling you about plans from an ex-McLaren designer to produce an electric supercar, we have also learned that American supercar company SSC (Shelby Supercars) claims to have created the world's fastest production electric car.

The Ultimate Aero EV is an electric version of the company's supercar, the Ultimate Aero, which currently holds the record for the world's fastest road car at 255mph. This electric version showcases a new electric powertrain that the company has developed, and apparently produces 1,000 bhp with a planet-moving 800 lb-ft of torque - available, of course, the whole way through the rev-range.

The resulting 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds and an estimated maximum speed of 208mph suggest a car that, at least on paper, offers a serious electric alternative to traditional petrol-powered supercars - though if it's as quiet as the Tesla, that colossal power will create a very strange sensation.

SSC has until now remained a small outfit on the fringes of the supercar world, but with this new piece of tech, the company seems to have its sights set on a much broader market.

They say that the AESP (All-Electric Scalable Powertrain) will be available with a range of power outputs for different applications, including a 200 bhp version for small to midsize cars, a 500 bhp version for SUVs and pickups, and up to 1,200 bhp for trucks, buses and military vehicles.

But probably the most remarkable claim coming from SSC is that the Ultimate Aero EV will be able to fully-charge in just 10 minutes from a 220v outlet - and with that tiny sip, the supercar will apparently be good for a range of 150-200 miles.

A pre-production version of the Ultimate Aero EV should be ready for the second-quarter of 2009, and according to SSC deliveries of full production versions could begin before the end of the year.

It all sounds far too good to be true, but SSC is promising a broad programme of demonstrations and media campaigns in the near-future, so keep an eye out to watch these incredible claims get tested. We'll certainly be watching very closely.

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