Chevrolet eCOPO Camaro Runs A Pure Electric 9-Second Pass

The 800-volt system produces 600 lb ft of torque instantaneously.

The all-electric racer breaks into the 9s

Some might have been shocked when Chevrolet debuted the eCopo Camaro at last year’s SEMA show -- an all-electric drag-racing machine just doesn’t seem like a place Chevy would venture. Though to anyone paying attention to the growing grassroots drag-racing efforts -- and Tesla Model S sedans walking Dodge Challenger Hellcats for fun -- it makes a lot of sense. 

Chevrolet's electric eCOPO Camaro concept could revolutionize drag racing. With two Borg Warner electric motors under the hood driving the rear wheels through a torque-converter automatic transmission, the 700-hp beast does the quarter in the high nines at trap speeds as fast as 140-plus mph. The NHRA is said to be "receptive" to the concept.

Watching the video, it’s obvious that the folks at Chevy weren’t messing around with the eCopo Camaro: It comes out of the hole with the wheels in the air and keeps pulling until the car breezes past the beams. Despite the fact that the car is undeniably quick, there is something strange about a car launching as violently as this Camaro without any engine noise. But with neighborhoods constantly getting closer to racetracks, this surreal silence could become a selling point for the future of the sport. 

There are two battery packs in the back seat and two in the trunk.

For those unfamiliar with the eCopo, here’s a little refresher: It’s an all-electric, 700-hp drag car that can rocket over a quarter-mile from a standing start in, as we now know, 9.837 seconds. That’s not bad. It’s also not as quick as the stock machines that Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge are pumping out of the factory and taking straight to the drag strip. 

GM vp of performance vehicles and motorsports Jim Campbell said, "We're always looking to innovate."

As we’ve seen with battery and motor technology, the eCopo Camaro could only be a stepping-off point for quicker cars in the near future. Hell, you should probably expect an all-electric class heading to the NHRA sooner than that. Until then, hit the link to watch this Camaro silently hustle.

SOURCE: AUTOWEEK

AUTHOR: Wesley Wren