John Surtees pilots electric Ginetta G50EV through Channel Tunnel

Electric cars have been around for over 100 years, and Britain's Beaujolais Burlington Run has been going on for 37. The Channel Tunnel between the UK and France (a.k.a. "The Chunnel") turns 15 this year. On Tuesday, motor racing legend John Surtees added a bit of history to all three items by being the first person to drive a production car through the tunnel (usually, it's just trains and service vehicles down there). The F1 World Champion's vehicle of choice was an all-electric, all-sexy Ginetta G50EV.

Ginetta Cars has been making vehicles for 51 years, but the G50EV is something new. It's Ginetta's first EV, and is really the company's first entry into the "low carbon vehicle arena" full-stop. The car's three battery packs drive the rear wheels with a brushless DC motor in honor of Ginetta's sports car heritage. Officials say that the G50EV can go up to 120 mph and has a 250-mile range – plenty to cover the Chunnel's 31 miles.

[Source: Telegraph | Images: Adrian Dennis/Getty]