The nonequilibrium quasiparticle distribution effected in the superconducting mixed state at high vortex velocities leads to highly nonlinear current-voltage (IV) characteristics, as discussed theoretically by Larkin and Ovchinnikov. In the temperature regime near Tc, at a maximum vortex velocity vφ^‧an electronic instability takes place and the sample switches into a state with higher electric resistivity. This effect has been observed using epitaxial c-axis oriented films of YBa2Cu3O7-δ. In the temperature regime T << Tc a logarithmic singularity appears in the IV characteristics at an electric current I^*, which originates from the contraction of the vortex core first discussed by Kramer and Pesch. This singularity has been observed in epitaxial c-axis oriented Nd1.85Ce0.15CuOx films. Both effects, at T ≈ Tc and T << Tc depend sensitively on the inelastic quasiparticle scattering rate Tin^-1, and experimental values of Tin^-1 as a function of temperature can be extracted from these experiments.