"Scalding A Quarter-Mile In An Electric Ford Pinto"

"When we of think of an electric car, many of us think of hybrids like the Prius. We certainly don't think of a souped-up muscle car. But on racetracks in Portland, Ore., and elsewhere, electric drag-racing pioneers are beating their gas-guzzling counterparts.

Mike Willmon's 1978 Ford Pinto can go from zero to 60 in about 3.5 seconds -- just like the $1 million Ferrari Enzo. The Pinto has also run a quarter-mile -- the dragstrip benchmark -- in less than 12.5 seconds.

'I tore it all down, took the front end down, took the engine. The infamous exploding gas tank is gone,' Willmon said. 'Now, the batteries take up the back trunk area where the gas tank used to be, as well as the back seat area.'"

Colin Fogarty reports from the Northwest News Network for NPR August 24, 2009.

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