Electric cars are no longer the mysterious, physics defying machines people thought they were. In fact, we’d hazard to say that they’re becoming relatively common place. Before, seeing a Tesla rolling around was something impressive, like the first kid to have an iPhone at school. Nowadays, everyone and their mother are jumping ship to EV cars with their low maintenance and wallet friendly “fuel” consumption. In fact, several major automotive manufacturers now offer electric-only models in their lineup now that Tesla has cracked open the market.

Even the notion of electric cars simply being bog standard commuter cars was shattered when Tesla unveiled their “Ludicrous Launch” mode which spawn a flood of youtube videos with passengers freaking out at the sheer acceleration. However a new startup has their crosshairs firmly affixed on Tesla has come to challenge for the electric speed demon crown. Lucid Motors has just released footage of their prototype Lucid Air sedan reaching a staggering 235 mph at the Ohio Transportation Research Center.

Lucid Air hitting 235mph during top speed testing at the Ohio Transportation Research Center

Granted, the prototype was specifically calibrated for top speed testing sporting a stripped out interior and all speed limiters disabled. The production model is sure to have a far more manageable speed along with door panels and a dashboard. Regardless, this is an impressive, and very important, step in the right direction for EV cars. For a long time now, proponents of gasoline powered automobiles worried about the death of “fun and sporty” cars thanks to ever tightening emissions regulation and safety standards. Now though, with Formula E growing in popularity and companies like Lucid Motors building purpose-driven speed machines like the Lucid Air, it seems like automotive enthusiasts are here to stay, albeit more quietly.