► We list the quickest-accelerating EVs
► Spoiler alert: they’re faster than ICE cars!
► The fastest electric cars dip under two seconds
These days, electric supercars are the performance kings. It seems we can’t go a week without at least one manufacturer releasing a new electric car with a ludicrously quick 0–62mph time – and now, the best electric cars are nipping at the heels of Formula One racers.
Tesla is a prime example of the rate of progress in the performance EV world. Just when we though the Model S couldn’t get any faster, Elon Musk unveiled a new variant with the automotive equivalent of warp drive to smash the previous car’s acceleration times into obscurity.
Because electric motors deliver their torque instantly (unlike a petrol engine which needs to climb into the upper echelons of the rev-counter before delivering its peak torque), it’s quite easy to make an electric car accelerate quickly.
Even a run-of-the-mill family car like the Kia EV6 (which is one of our best electric SUVs) can get from 0–62mph in around five seconds. That was hot hatchback territory a few years ago, and supercar levels of performance a couple of decades ago. Today’s pure-electric hypercars can tackle the sprint in less than two seconds!
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the fastest electric cars that are either on sale now or will be in the very near future, ordering them according to their 0–62mph (or 0–60mph) times. We’ve also included a couple of electric prototype race cars that you can’t buy, but which have deeply impressive performance figures. Buckle up…
The fastest EVs of 2023
McMurtry Speirling
- 0–60mph: Under 1.5 seconds
- Top speed: 150mph (in hill-climb trim)
- Price: Prototype – it’s not for sale
We’re kicking things off with a car you couldn’t buy even if you had the means – the McMurtry Spierling. It’s a tiny single-seat electric racer which smashed the outright hillclimb record at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, stealing the crown from the Volkswagen ID. R.
McMurtry says this pocket-sized 1,000bhp Exocet missile can get from 0–60mph in less than 1.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 150mph – but the latter figure was limited by its close-ratio hillclimb gearing. Its stellar performance at Goodwood was partly due to its vicious turn of speed and partly thanks to its unusual downforce-generating fan, which works in the same way as system found on the infamous Brabham BT46B Formula One car.
The Spierling can generate 2000kg of downforce standing still, which is double the car’s kerb weight. Then, there’s some traditional aero appendages on the front and rear to balance the car out in the corners. Oh, and did we mention that it was designed and built in Britain? It’s a striking entry in our list of the fastest electric cars 2023.
Read more on the McMurtry Speirling
Aspark Owl
- 0–60mph: 1.69 seconds
- Top speed: 249mph
- Price: £2.5m
Aspark unveiled the Owl back in 2020, with the bold claim that it’s the fastest-accelerating electric car in the world. And while the Speirling would eat it alive on a racetrack, there isn’t any else with a license plate that’ll escape it. Aspark’s claims have since been proven and the Owl’s 0–60mph time has been verified.
The Owl is powered by a compact 64kWh battery pack and four electric motors which deliver a combined output of almost 2,000bhp. Coupled with a lightweight carbon fibre body, that’s enough poke for a 0–60mph time of 1.69 seconds and a 0–186mph time of 10.9 seconds. Top speed is 249mph.
To put these figures into perspective, Ferrari‘s latest petrol-powered supercar, the 296 GTB (which is undoubtedly a very fast car) covers the 0–60mph sprint in just under 3.0 seconds and tops out at 205mph. Scared yet?
Aspark says the Owl will also cover 280 miles on a single charge, but we have to wonder just how gently you need to drive it to make its small battery go that far. The slippery body and a roofline that’s one whole inch lower than that of an original Ford GT40 may have something to do with it.
Read more on the Aspark Owl
Rimac Nevera
- 0–60mph: 1.85 seconds
- Top speed: 258mph
- Price: around £2m
The Nevera is the second car to come from Croatian EV manufacturer Rimac – and it’s as much a toy for wealthy buyers as it is a marketing project for the firm’s technology. Rimac has already signed EV-focused partnerships with Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Automobili Pininfarina, while Porsche owns a 45 percent share in the company.
The Nevera itself is melting pot of extraordinary performance figures. Power has increased massively over the original Rimac Concept One, jumping from 1,073bhp to 1,888bhp. This, plus all-wheel-drive and a sophisticated launch control system, results in a 0–60mph time of 1.85 seconds.
Rimac also says the Nevera will get from 0–100mph in a scarcely believable 4.3 seconds. 186mph is dealt with in 11.8 seconds, the quarter-mile is over and done with in 9.1 seconds and top speed stands at 258mph. But, if you’re a little lighter on the throttle, Rimac also says its electric hypercar will cover 403 miles between charging stops. Which it should, considering the battery is a whopping 120kWh unit.
Read more on the Rimac Nevera
Tesla Roadster
- 0–60mph: 1.9 seconds
- Top speed: 250mph+
- Price: £189,000
The second-generation Tesla Roadster was unveiled back in 2017 – but it still hasn’t gone on sale yet. Despite this, Tesla says the car will be able to sprint from 0–60mph in under two seconds and reach a top speed of more than 250mph, making it comfortably one of the fastest electric cars in the world. It’ll also have a maximum range of 620 miles, thanks to it enormous 200kWh battery pack. We’ll see how many of those claims the company can fulfil once you can actually buy one.
Tesla also says the Roadster will dash from 0–100mph in 4.2 seconds and tackle the quarter mile in just 8.8 seconds, both of which undercut the Rimac C_Two. Like the rest of the brand’s ultra-high-performance cars, it’ll have four-wheel drive and, like the original Tesla Roadster from the early 2000s, it’ll have a detachable roof.
Unlike its rivals, the Roadster will almost enter the realm of affordability, too. UK prices for the limited edition Founders Series (that’s Tesla’s name for its first-off-the-block cars) will start from £189,000. Reserving one now means you’ll have to cough up £38,000 up front.
Read more on the Tesla Roadster
Deus Vayanne
- 0–62mph: ‘Less than 1.99 seconds’
- Top speed: 248mph
- Price: TBC (but likely to be ruinously expensive)
The who what now? Exactly – we were as surprised as you when the Deus Vayanne exploded onto the scene at 2022 New York Auto Show, with the company’s marketing types making outlandish claims about its capability. The Austrian start-up brand has positioned the car as a rival for the likes of the Lotus Evija, Aspark Owl and Rimac Nevera. That means it’ll be frighteningly fast.
Deus has promised that the Vayanne will produce more than 2,200bhp and 1,475lb/ft of torque. The brand hasn’t confirmed a fixed 0–62mph time, but executives have said they want the car to be able to cover the sprint in less than two seconds. Oh yes, and it’ll have a top speed of 248mph.
First deliveries are set to arrive in 2025 so, if you’re in a position where you can afford one, you’ve got a quite a while to wait before you can have it on your drive. However, if you do want one, you’ll have to move quickly because Deus is only planning to build 99 examples.
Read more on the Deus Vayanne
Tesla Model S Plaid+
- 0–60mph: Under 1.99 seconds
- Top speed: 199mph
- Price: £139,980
We mentioned this one at the top of the page. Tesla recently launched an even faster tri-motor version of the Model S, kicking out 1,006bhp and posting a 0–60mph time of less than two seconds. The maverick American EV brand wasn’t happy with that, though, and took the car to to tackle some track records too.
The brand’s CEO Elon Musk claimed on social media that an unmodified Tesla Model S Plaid lapped the Nürburgring in just over seven-and-half minutes, which is a new record for production EVs. Or at least it would be if the time was officially verified by an independent timer. Which it wasn’t.
This rather unsteady record claim notwithstanding, the Plaid’s performance figures are still deeply impressive for a large saloon weighing over two tonnes. Tesla also says the car can cover 396 miles on a single charge and dispatch the quarter mile in 9.23 seconds.
Read more on the Tesla Model S Plaid +
Automobili Pininfarina Battista
- 0–60mph: Under 2.0 seconds
- Top speed: 217mph
- Price: around £2m
Winner of CAR Magazine’s inaugural “most syllables in a vehicle’s name” award, the Automobili Pininfarina Battista is an electric hypercar that shares some of its drivetrain components with the Rimac C_Two. Thankfully, the bits the Italian brand kept were the 120kWh battery pack and quartet of electric motors.
Unlike its rivals, the Battista features classic supercar styling rather than design language inspired by the intermingling of the Millennium Falcon and a Tie Fighter. It’s also really rather fast. Pininfarina says it’ll get from 0–60mph in less than two seconds before reaching a top speed of 217mph.
The four motors have a combined output of 1,400kW, which equates to 1,877bhp in old money. If you’re prepared to baby it, Pininfarina says you’ll also get 280 miles out of the battery pack. It is quite a niche offering, though – just 150 examples will be built, each costing around £2 million. Maybe buy a lottery ticket and wish for some good fortune.
Read more on the Automobili Pininfarina Battista
Volkswagen ID. R
- 0–60mph: Under 2.25 seconds
- Top speed: 170mph
- Price: Prototype – it’s not for sale
The ID. R has been around for a few years now, but its performance figures haven’t become any less impressive with age. This bantam-weight electric track racer produces 671bhp and has a 0–62mph time of 2.25 seconds. It’s quick, but certainly a good indicator of how hard the winds of progress blow. Look at the number of road-legal hypercars above it in this list.
During the past few years, Volkswagen has hoovered up several accolades with the ID. R, including record-setting times at Pikes Peak, the Nürburgring and Goodwood – and it took until 2022 for the latter time to be bested.
Read more on the Volkswagen ID.R
Faraday Future FF91
- 0–60mph: Under 2.4 seconds
- Top speed: 155mph
- Price: around £90,000
It would be fair to say EV start-up Faraday Future has had a tough time bringing its first car to market. Years of ups and downs (along with a fair share of corporate controversy) have cast doubt on the company’s ability to deliver more than once. But now, with former BMW i boss Carsten Breitfeld at the helm, the brand says the FF91 is almost ready for production.
The FF91 is a Model X-sized SUV but, rather than daft gullwing doors and a seven-seat layout, it features svelte lines and luxurious, business class-style seating. It’s also supposed to blistering quick. Originally, Faraday Future said the car would have a 0–60mph time of 2.39 seconds, but the company has since revised that estimation to 2.2 seconds, thanks to the car’s all-wheel-drive system and 1050bhp output.
Faraday Future is also claiming a range of over 350 miles from the car’s 120kWh battery pack, which should make it a useable EV for travelling long distances in. In this company, it doesn’t even look that expensive – the FF91 will have a price-tag of between £90,000 to £170,000 depending on options.
Read more on the Faraday Future FF91
Lucid Air
- 0–60mph: 2.5 seconds
- Top speed: 168mph
- Price: around £130,000
The Lucid Air is destined to arrive in the UK at the end of 2023 – and it’s looking to give the Porsche Taycan a severe thrashing. The brand’s bosses say that the top-spec Air Dream Edition will have an output of 1,080bhp and a 0–62mph time of 2.5 seconds. And look at it! It’s a saloon car, but it’s faster to 62mph than a McLaren 720S.
Top speed stands at 168mph, while the car’s 113kWh battery is said to deliver a 517-mile range according to the American EPA testing regime. It’s yet to pass through European WLTP homologation, which means that range figure could change by the time the EV makes the trip across the pond.
Read the full Lucid Air review
Tesla Model X Plaid
- 0–60mph: 2.5 seconds
- Top speed: 163mph
- Price: £97,890
Tesla’s ludicrous 0–60mph times aren’t limited to its smaller cars. Even the tank-like, two-and-a-half tonne Model X Plaid SUV posts a time of just 2.5 seconds. That’s mostly because it shares the same tri-motor powertrain as the Model S Plaid (above), which kicks out an impressive 1,006bhp. Top speed is 163mph.
Because it’s an enormous SUV, it’s a bit more practical than the Model S. It’s a true seven-seater with a maximum range of 333 miles – and then there’s Tesla’s spectacular “falcon-wing” rear doors, which will never fail to cause a scene when dropping the kids off at school.
Read the full Tesla Model X review
Nio EP9
- 0–60mph: 2.7 seconds
- Top speed: 196mph
- Price: £2.5m
The Nio EP9 was developed with the help of the Chinese brand’s Formula E team – and a race team is a good place to start if you want to make a quick car. It’s powered by four electric motors which produce one megawatt of power. That equates to 1,341bhp and allows the EP9 to sprint from 0–62mph in 2.7 seconds.
Other impressive performance figures include its 7.1-second 0–125mph time and its near 200mph top speed. Nio also says the car will cover 265 miles on a charge if you’re delicate on the throttle.
If you’re more liberal with your application of the go pedal (and you’re armed with titanium-grade willpower), you’ll be able to motivate the EP9 round the Nürburgring at record-setting pace. Nio claimed a new record for production electric cars at the track in 2017, posting a time of 6:45.9 minutes.
Read the full Nio EP9 review
Porsche Taycan Turbo S
- 0–62mph: 2.8 seconds
- Top speed: 162mph
- Price: £135,326
Stepping away from electric hypercars for a moment, we have the decidedly more sensible – but still blisteringly quick – Porsche Taycan. Specifically, the Turbo S model which boasts a 0–62mph time of 2.8 seconds thanks to its 93.4kWh battery pack, all-wheel-drive and a peak power output of 751bhp.
Uniquely, the Taycan employs a two-speed gearbox, where the first gear is only used to launch off the line as quickly as possible, before shifting to the second gear which is used for the rest of the time.
Unlike most mainstream EVs, the Taycan runs on 800-volt architecture which means it’s also quick at charging. Find a suitably rapid charge point, and it’ll take around 21 minutes to top up the range from 24 to 188 miles. Maximum range for the Turbo S is 235 miles. We reckon its easily one of the best family electric cars on sale today.
Read the full Porsche Taycan Turbo S review
Lotus Evija
- 0–60mph: Under 3.0 seconds
- Top speed: 200mph+
- Price: £1.5m
Yet another member of the sub-three-second club, the Lotus Evija will be one of the world’s most powerful road cars when production begins by the end of the year. Lotus says it’ll have an output of 1,970bhp.
Power for the system is supplied by a fairly modest 70kWh battery pack which was developed in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering. The battery supplies four electric motors. There’s one mounted at each corner of the car sending a little over 490bhp to each wheel.
However, we suspect Lotus is sandbagging when it comes to the Evija’s performance figures. An “under three-second” 0–60mph time and “over 200mph” top speed seems a little undersold given the vast amount of power on tap. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the former closer to two seconds, and the latter closer to 250 than 200.
Lotus also says the Evija will stick to the company’s trademark mantra of “adding lightness,” tipping the scales at 1680kg. For an electric car, that’s impressive. The brand is also hoping for a conservative 250 miles of range.
Read more on the Lotus Evija
Rivian R1T / R1S
- 0–62mph: 3.0 seconds
- Top speed: 125mph
- Price: around £53,000
The Tesla Model X’s size and performance are already incongruous, but the electric vehicle start-up Rivian soon plans to push that boundary further. The company’s upcoming R1S SUV and R1T pick-up truck (both of which will be based on the same platform) will offer 0–60mph times of 3.0 seconds and pass the 100mph barrier in under seven seconds.
These figures are for the range-topping example of each vehicle, which have 135 kWh batteries, ranges of around 310 miles and a total power output of 753bhp. Rivian will also offer a huge 180kWh battery, but this is purely for range instead of performance, with 410 miles and 700 horsepower being the expected figures.
Production is expected to begin later this year, and prices start at a modest $69,000.
Read more on the Rivian R1T and R1 S
- 0–62mph: 3.2 seconds
- Top speed: 162mph
- Price: £52,000
Who’d have thought a sensible family car would match a McLaren F1 to 60mph? That’s exactly what you get with the Tesla Model 3 Performance, along with seating for five, boots in the front and back, a 162mph top speed, and a range of up to 329 miles using the WLTP standard.
The Model 3 is the smallest of Tesla’s current offerings and is quickly becoming a mass-market success, thanks a starting price of less than £40,000. But if you want the F1-matching Performance version, you’ll be looking at £52,000.
Read the full Tesla Model 3 Performance review
Audi RS e-Tron GT
- 0–62mph: 3.3sec
- Top speed: 155mph
- Price: £111,900
Finally, and notice how we are still comfortably below five seconds, we have the Audi e-Tron GT. It might share the same bespoke J1 electric platform as the Porsche Taycan, but it’s a completely different prospect. The Audi’s performance isn’t delivered in bottomless servings like the Porsche – it’s progressive rather than instant. Pretty damn comfortable, too.
The WLTP range is 283 miles – if you want more you could always go for the regular e-Tron, which has an official range of up to 296 miles. Admittedly, you’ll need to “make do” with a 0–62mph time of 4.1 seconds on that car, though.
Read the full Audi RS e-tron GT review
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