Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout

Infobox Book
name = Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout
orig title = Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout, or, The Speediest Car on the Road
translator =


image_caption =
author = Victor Appleton
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = Tom Swift
genre = Young adult novel Adventure novel
publisher = Grosset & Dunlap
release_date = 1910
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 200+ pp
isbn = NA
preceded_by = Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat
followed_by = Tom Swift and His Wireless Message

"Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout", or, The Speediest Car on the Road, is Volume 5 in the original Tom Swift novel series published by Grosset & Dunlap.

Plot summary

Tom Swift enters an upcoming race with his specially-designed prototype electric race car. But as he makes the final preparations and adjustments, days before the race, he discovers a plot that would bankrupt not only his family, but also everyone else that relies on the local bank (which is the target of a nefarious bank-run scheme). Tom must solve the mystery and stop the criminals behind the plot before he'll test himself on a 500 mile race against some of the best cars and skilled drivers in the United States.

Inventions & Innovation

Tom Swift invents a ground-breaking, powerful new rechargeable battery with half the recharge time (allowing Tom to leave other battery-powered race cars far behind while at the track).

More importantly, Tom has taken electric vehicles to a whole new level with his convertible sports car, both with the inclusion of his revolutionary battery, but in other wonderful design features as well. His custom vehicle was designed from the ground up for performance and speed, with a top rate of 100mph and a range of 400 miles (on a single charge). Even almost 100 years later, electric cars can't match what Tom designed in his spare time. His aerodynamic convertible was painted a glossy purple that was sure not to be overlooked when barreling down the speedway.

* [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/950 Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout e-text at Project Gutenberg]