![Aspark's next evolution of the OWL Hypercar becomes world's fastest EV at 438.7 km/h [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/06/Worlds-fastest-EV-Aspark-OWL-track.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Aspark’s next evolution of the OWL Hypercar becomes world’s fastest EV at 438.7 km/h [Video]
There’s a new “world’s fastest EV” in town, and it’s a familiar name if you follow Electrek. Japanese car manufacturing and engineering firm Aspark has developed an upgraded version of its ultrafast (and ultra-expensive) OWL hypercar with the help of Italy’s Manifattura Automobili Torino and took the EV to the track where it clocked in at a top speed of nearly 439 km/h.
Aspark is a vehicle engineering and design company founded in Osaka, Japan, nearly 20 years ago. During its run, much of its focus has surrounded one specific hypercar – the OWL. It would be thirteen years after Aspark was founded that it caught our eye, when it put a prototype of the OWL out on the track to try and beat the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of Tesla’s second-generation Roadster.
While we still await the arrival of a production-ready Tesla Roadster, the exclusive OWL hypercar has hit the market. It has held the title of the most expensive EV in the world (2.9 million euros each) for several years—at least until Automobili Pininfarina debuted its topless Barchetta EV for 4.4 million euros last summer.
Since beginning limited-run production in Italy, the original Aspark OWL can deliver a total output of 1,980 horsepower (1,456 kW), 1,920 Nm (1,416 ft-lb) of torque, and 250 miles (400 km) of range. We’ve seen the hypercar cruising around Europe, make its way to Japan, and this past March, begin sales in the US.
That version of the EV remains one of the world’s fastest, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 1.72 seconds and reaching a top speed of 260 mph (413 km/h). As a result, the OWL has already garnered two Guinness World Records in the UK: completing an eighth of a mile at an average speed of 192.03 mph (309.02 km/h) and a quarter mile at an average speed of 198.12 mph (318.85 km/h).
Today, Aspark has shared video footage of a new version called the OWL SP600, hailed as the world’s fastest EV after recently achieving a blistering top speed of 438.7 km/h or 272.6 mph.
The Aspark OWL SP600 becomes world’s fastest EV
To prove its new owl-eyed electric hypercar is, in fact, the fastest EV in the world, Aspark documented its day at the track alongside the team from its development and engineering partner Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT), who built the commissioned vehicle in Italy.
The Japanese company describes the OWL SP600 as “an evolution of the original Aspark OWL,” complete with bespoke Potenza Race tires from Bridgestone. Leading up to the record-setting attempt, Aspark says it put the OWL SP600 through a specific campaign of wind tunnel validation activities and several days of track testing with professional driver and Nurburgring 24h winner Marc Basseng.
On June 8, 2024, the Aspark OWL SP600 achieved a top speed of nearly 439 km/h at Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) in Germany. It was validated using Racelogic V-Box, a high-precision GPS-based measurement device provided by the ATP.
Leading up to the attempt that certified it as the world’s fastest EV, Aspark says the OWL consistently top speeds of 420.8 km/h (261.6 mph), then 430 km/h (267 mph) before the final 438.7 km/h run. Aspark CEO Masanori Yoshida spoke about the record achievement in EVs:
It has been about 10 years since we started working on the OWL Hypercar. We aimed for the World’s fastest accelerating car, then attempted and achieved the top speed world records today with our new hypercar OWL SP600. This technical capability inspires all involved to personal excellence and to challenge and grow in leaps and bounds into the future.
You can watch footage of the record-setting day in MAT’s video below:
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Environment
U.S. crude oil falls below $60 a barrel to lowest since 2021 on tariff-fueled recession fears
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025.
Pavel Mikheyev | Reuters
U.S. oil prices dropped below $60 a barrel on Sunday on fears President Donald Trump’s global tariffs would push the U.S., and maybe the world, into a recession.
Futures tied to U.S. West Texas intermediate crude fell more than 3% to $59.74 on Sunday night. The move comes after back-to-back 6% declines last week. WTI is now at the lowest since April 2021.
Worries are mounting that tariffs could lead to higher prices for businesses, which could lead to a slowdown in economic activity that would ultimately hurt demand for oil.
Oil futures, 5 years
The tariffs, which are set to take effect this week, “would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year,” according to JPMorgan. The firm on Thursday raised its odds of a recession this year to 60% following the tariff rollout, up from 40%.
Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
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The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
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