Factory Five BEV 818 Runs 9.8 Seconds at 129.6 MPH!

Last September, we told you about Chris Tapp’s 818 build. Chris at Tapp Auto in Ontario, Canada installed a Chevy Volt batteries with a Tesla S electric motor into a Factory Five 818C and ran a 10 second 1/4 mile. After updating the P85 engine of the Tesla sedan, Road & Track reports that Chris recently clicked off an amazing 9.869 second 1/4 mile at almost 130 MPH. Check out the video. Congrats Chris on this exceptional build!

Read the article on Road & Track’s website here.


Chris ran a 10.1 second 1/4 last year with the car still in red gel-coat. The car is now finished in a nice metallic silver.


Here’s the video of the 9.8 second run. The car is amazingly quiet as it sprints down the track.


Here’s the cockpit view of the same 9.8 second run.

You can see more videos on Chris’ YouTube channel.

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