Ken Block has some fun in the world's first electric rallycross car

We've seen Ken Block behind the wheel of some incredible machines over the years. One thing that those vehicles have in common is that they are all powered by high horsepower internal combustion engines. The video at the bottom of the story shows Block testing and hooning the world's first all-electric rallycross car.The vehicle is called the Ford Fiesta ERX, and the video shows that it's seemingly just as fast as its internal combustion brethren. It certainly doesn't have the same sounds. We're used to seeing Block blasting around a track with flames shooting from exhaust pipes and a high revving engine whaling in the background.

Since the Ford Fiesta ERX is all-electric, there are no engine sounds. All we hear is the sound of tortured tires screaming on the pavement and gears whining as the drivetrain does its thing. The car produces 600 horsepower and over 800 pound-feet of torque. The vehicle requires no clutching and no shifting.

The great thing about electric vehicles on the road and in a performance environment is that all the torque the electric motors produce is available as soon as you step on the pedal. The car has a trio of electric motors with one in the front and two in the rear.

It can reach 60 mph in 1.8 seconds and has a top speed of around 150 mph. It was built by a company called STARD, which is an Austrian motorsports engineering company. One downside for racing is that the electric powertrain makes the car heavier than its internal combustion contemporaries and changes the weight distribution. Block will be driving the vehicle in the Project E racing series.