Forget the combustion engine, the electric motor is back and here to stay. Here are five of the fastest electric cars that really fly the flag.
Once the antithesis of what it means to be a petrolhead, there are now some truly incredible electric cars out there that make almost all combustion engines look embarrassingly slow. Here are five of the fastest electric cars that do just that – and without emitting even a puff of nasty emissions.
5) Jaguar I-Pace Concept
At the bottom of our list in terms of speed, but by no means is the Jaguar I-Pace a slouch. It is, in fact, able to blast from 0-60mph in around four seconds, with two electric motors (one on the front axle and one on the rear) generating a tyre-shredding 395bhp and 516lb/ft (700Nm) of torque.
The top speed is unknown, but we do know its 90kWh battery should be good for 220 miles, especially as it is liquid-cooled to ensure it operates efficiently regardless of the weather. That is the EPA rating, by the way, and not the wishy-washy NEDC that means very little in the real-world. Here’s hoping the production car is as capable when it arrives in 2018.
4) Renovo Coupe
Though by no means the quickest, the Renovo Coupe is probably the prettiest. Even the ‘engine’ bay is striking. Based on a 60s Shelby Daytona, this is an old-school classic given a modern-day powertrain capable of serious performance.
Try to find the floor with the accelerator and 0-60mph comes and goes in 3.4 seconds, with a staggering 1,000ft/lb (1,355Nm) of torque giving the tyres a lot to contend with. Its twin axial-flux motor setup provides 500hp, giving the typical V8 a run for its money in all but that lovely engine roar.
3) Tesla Model S / Model X
When most manufacturers were still contemplating a future without the combustion engine, Tesla had already built a car. A car with immense speed. The Model S P100D, for instance, manages 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds and it can blast between 45 to to 65mph in 1.2 seconds. Just think about that.
Even the top speed is on par with most German powerhouses that are restricted to the same 155mph as the Model S. The range, meanwhile, is more than 250 miles so, if you do drive carefully, it can go further than any other production electric car on earth.
As for the heavier, larger Model X, it is only slightly slower, which is a small price to pay for those who need greater interior space and seating for seven adults. Plus the doors open vertically (when they aren’t broken), which is neat in itself.
2) Rimac Concept One
Croatia has never really been a great car-producing nation, but Rimac has helped put it on the map with a truly astonishing electric machine known as the Concept One, which was unveiled as a concept back at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
This rather stylish beast promises to be the ‘supercar of the future, today‘, which is a lofty claim but then we would be bullish if we had a 0-62mph time of 2.6 seconds, 1,088 horsepower, 1,180lb/ft (1,600Nm) of torque and a top speed of 220mph. Anyone got a spare US$980,000 lying around?
1) NextEV Nio EP9
The NextEV Nio EP9 is arguably the fastest electric car on the planet because it has proven itself to do more than go fast in a straight line. In 2016 it became a record-holder at the Nurburgring, bettering the Nissan GT-R, Lamborghini Aventador and Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package version.
To put its 1,735kg kerb weight into perspective, it weighs 100kg less than a Porsche 918 Spyder. Power and torque come in at 1,341bhp and 1,091lb/ft (1,480Nm), respectively, helping propel the car from 0-62 in 2.7 seconds and 0-124mph in 7.1 seconds. 0-186mph takes 15.9 seconds and a quarter-mile is dispatched in 10.1 seconds. Just to top it off, it maxes out at 194mph.
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