Electric Car Cruises 249 Miles To Set Record

A Geo Metro converted by a Massachusetts company to run on electricity set a world record by traveling 249 miles without recharging in a five-day electric car race that ended on Friday in Portland, Maine.

The car used a type of battery that General Motors Corp. will use in its EV-1 electric car this year, which will more than double the car’s range compared with the lead-acid batteries it uses now.

The record set in the race was for “production models,” which means that at least five of the vehicles have been sold. Vehicles in the production category are capable of doing 70 mph.