Electric go-karts have the green light to zip around a new track at Central City Fun Park in Surrey.
The Italian-made OTL racers were plugged in and ready for racing last week.
"These go-karts have the ability to go up to 70 kilometres an hour, but obviously we can't let people go that speed in here," said operator Glen Vilio.
"We drop the speed so it’s safe, but still fast. They’re fully electric and we plug them in between races."
With the arrival of go-karts, the indoor fun park is confirmed as B.C.'s largest, at close to 125,000 square feet.
"The space wasn’t big enough before to have go-karts, but with the expansion we did last year, we now have the size in here," said Erik Vilio, who operates Central City with brothers Glen and Steve.
"Every major fun park has go-karts, and we want to be a major fun park. We’re the biggest in B.C., and second in Canada. Only West Edmonton Mall is bigger than this."
The go-karts race in the original Central City Fun Park location, which opened in 2020 at 11125 124 St.
Last fall, all the games and "Roller Disco" rink, along with many more attractions, were moved two doors west, in the same building where a church and storage facility was located, next door to The Hive climbing centre.
On the new track, up to eight go-karts can race at one time. Riders must watch a safety video before racing, and helmets are mandatory along with a signed waiver.
So far, the fastest lap is just under 25 seconds.
"People can race as a family at a lower speed, or they can go full speed at age 16 or older," Erik Vilio explained. "Kids aged 12 and under can ride in the double go-karts we have, four of them."
Right now, an opening-month special is $12 per race, or 30 credits on a fun park swipe card.
In Whalley, the Vilio brothers previously operated Central City Arena for eight years, in the former Stardust roller rink building, until their lease ended in 2018. That's when planning began for their Central City Fun Park in Bridgeview.
