Five Jet Electravans 600 at the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, circa 1981. The mini vans were at the start of a three-year project of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Energy to to test electric engines and to find ways to conserve fuel. The vans were powered by 17 six-volt batteries. They had a top spped of 100 km/h, a range of circa 70 km and a recharge took eight to 16 hours. Jet Industries produced electric cars in Austin, Texas (USA).