Factory Five BEV 818 Runs 9.8 Seconds at 129.6 MPH!

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Dave Lindsey in What's New

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.

Latest Factory Five News

Ken R. Graduates his Mk5 Build and Attends First Car Show!

November 12, 2026

“Getting into a Roadster you built for yourself, the way you wanted it, and driving down the road is amazing!” – Ken R. I hope things are going well for you and the Factory Five Team. I have completed my MK5 Roadster build and currently working on title/ registration here in Texas. It turned out exactly as I imagined it. At my car’s 1st local show, I was explaining it was the new version from FFR and several people asked me what number kit it was. Does FFR keep track of what number in manufacturing order of MK5s customer kits are?… Read More »

Thank You to All of Our Veterans

November 11, 2026

A Message from the Crew at Factory Five “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is one of the most famous phrases contained in the United States Declaration of Independence. It was signed in 1776 by our country’s forefathers, and these rights have not been dishonored in over 200 years because of the people who protect and serve our country. On Veterans Day it is important to honor those who fought for our rights and independence. They are a true inspiration, and we are forever in debt for their selflessness in fighting for our country. Factory Five would like to honor… Read More »

Bethany’s Mk4 Build Continues While She also Leads the Tufts Racing Team

November 10, 2026

Bethany’s first ever car is a Factory Five Mk4 Roadster she built herself! After a couple years of challenging mechanical engineering school while also leading the Tufts Racing Team, her car is almost ready to hit the pavement with fresh paint! While her build progress has been slower than she hoped as she’s continued her studies, she and her classmates have grown the Tufts Race Team from a small group of 5 to over 50 students! She’s here this week working on her race chassis with one of our engineers, Colby. We have LOVED following along with Bethany and can’t wait… Read More »