This is a Margay Go Kart that has been rebuilt with a full electric drivetrain, including a QS Motor 3000 watt mid-drive electric motor, a controller module, as well as forward and reverse settings.
Thanks to the lack of an internal combustion engine, this kart is much quieter than its non-electric two-stroke contemporaries, and it benefits from the excellent torque characteristics of electric motors.
Thanks to the lack of an internal combustion engine, this kart is much quieter than its non-electric contemporaries, and it benefits from the excellent torque characteristics of electric motors.
History Speedrun: Margay Go Kart
Margay Racing was founded in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1964 by Elmer Freber – it initially operated under the name Mar-Kart. The company’s early success came from a patented quick-change gearbox that allowed racers to swap gears more efficiently – a key advantage allowing racers to switch out gearboxes and match their ratios to the specific track where they would be racing.
Not long after this, Margay acquired the assets of King Kart, a move that instantly expanded its chassis lineup significantly and boosted its production capacity.
By the late 1960s, Margay had firmly established itself as one of America’s leading kart manufacturers. Its early “New Breed” chassis became a benchmark for US sprint racing, known for its good balance and tuneability. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Margay’s designs evolved with the sport, competing successfully in WKA and IKF events while always further refining chassis geometry and materials to keep pace with international karting developments.
The company’s headquarters have remained in St. Louis, where it continues to produce race-ready frames and parts. Under the leadership of Keith Freber, Margay has focused on both competitive racing and accessibility, launching the Ignite spec racing series to encourage equal competition using standardized Margay chassis and Briggs & Stratton 206 engines.
This Margay go-kart was refinished and converted to electric power under current ownership after being acquired in 2022. Its tubular steel frame has been repainted in black and fitted with a QS Motor 3000 watt mid-drive electric motor paired with a PMSM 72 volt, 450 amp controller.
Margay now stands as the longest-running American kart manufacturer still in operation, with a heritage that spans six decades of grassroots and professional racing.
The 3000 Watt Electric Margay Go Kart Shown Here
This Margay go-kart was refinished and converted to electric power under current ownership after being acquired in 2022. Its tubular steel frame has been repainted in black and fitted with a QS Motor 3000 watt mid-drive electric motor paired with a PMSM 72 volt, 450 amp controller.
The setup drives the rear axle through a 4-series chain and it has both forward and reverse. An aluminum chain guard is included, and the seller notes that the power system is tunable if the new owner wants to tinker with it and boost performance a little.
The staggered-width 5 inch wheels are shod with Bridgestone slicks with white lettering, while braking is handled by an MCP hydraulic disc mounted at the rear with a matching master cylinder. It has a chrome rear bumper and polished spindles, with the aluminum floor pan supporting a RAEV battery pack.
The setup drives the rear axle through a 4-series chain and it has both forward and reverse. An aluminum chain guard is included, and the seller notes that the power system is tunable if the new owner wants to tinker with it and boost performance a little.
The driver sits in a black fiberglass bucket seat engraved with “PL” on the backrest. A steering yoke fronts the seat, flanked by twin pedals, go and stop as you would expect, with the accelerator connected to the electronic control module. Above the column sits the power button, while a digital display below provides real-time readouts including speed, odometer, drive mode, and battery state of charge.
This unusual electric kart is now being offered for sale out of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey on Bring a Trailer and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
