The first car to break 100 km/h was electric, in 1899

On 29 April 1899, Belgian driver Camille Jenatzy drove a bullet-shaped electric car called La Jamais Contente to a record 105.88 km/h (65.79 mph) on a road at Achères, west of Paris. It was the first time any road vehicle had officially exceeded 100 km/h — and the car was powered entirely by batteries. ^[1][2]

The car was built by Jenatzy with the Compagnie Internationale d'Electricité and looked like a torpedo on wheels, with a lightweight alloy body and two direct-drive electric motors. Its power came from a large bank of lead-acid batteries, and the record was set over a flying kilometre on a straight country road. ^[1][3]

Why electrics led early

In the 1890s, battery-powered cars were quiet, clean and simple compared with noisy, smoky petrol engines that needed hand-cranking. Electric taxis and delivery vehicles were common in cities, and electric cars held many early speed and distance records. ^[2][4]

Petrol overtakes

Within a few years, petrol cars became faster and cheaper to run. The internal combustion engine improved quickly, while batteries remained heavy and slow to recharge. By the 1910s, petrol had won the market, and electric cars largely disappeared from roads for most of the 20th century. ^[2][4]

1. 1899

   Camille Jenatzy sets the first 100 km/h record in La Jamais Contente, an electric car.

2. 1902

   Petrol cars begin to exceed Jenatzy's speed, as internal combustion engines improve.

3. 1910s

   Electric cars fade from the market as petrol becomes dominant.

4. 1990s–2000s

   Modern electric cars return with new battery technology.

The 1899 record is a reminder that electric propulsion was once at the cutting edge of speed. It took more than a century, and new battery chemistry, for electric cars to become a serious alternative again. ^[2][4]