Electric cars have come a long way in the last decade or so and they promise to go a lot further in the decade that lies ahead. Electric cars are achieving acceleration speeds, ranges, and other advances never before seen. Some of the sports cars, both those already on the market and those soon to be on the market, would have been hard to believe possible just 10 years ago. But such is the pace of development in the EV world.
Electric sports cars are now going toe to toe with their combustion engine cousins, and in the years that lay ahead, they are certain to leave them in the dust. Combustion engine technology is set to stagnate as companies pull the plug on their R&D and proceed to mightily invest in the development of EVs. EV sports cars are at the forefront of that development. Here are the best electric sports cars we know of today.
8 Tesla Roadster
Tesla's Roadster is just a marvel of engineering - as is its accompanying lofty price tag. The Roadster (when it hits production) will smash previous ranges for a fully electric car with a projected range of up to 620 miles on a single charge.
Not only that, but it also boasts the fastest 0-60 mph acceleration of any legally unmodified road vehicle in the world, with a mere 1.9 seconds, as well as a top speed of 250 mph.
7 Mercedes-Benz EQ
Mercedes-Benz EQ is a series of fully electric vehicles with their first model debuting at the Paris Motor Show in 2016. Mercedes Benz has big plans for this series and plans to develop 10 EQ models by 2022. Included in the series is everything from luxury SUVs to tiny Smart cars.
These include the EQ Silver Arrow concept that is meant as a futuristic electric racing vehicle. With its unique body shape reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s and the single center seat it truly makes for an interesting design.
6 Porsche Taycan
The Porsche Taycan is the electric sports car flagship by the German company Porsche. Almost immediately after it hit the market its sales contributed 7.4% of all Porsche's cars sold. The Taycan will compete with the likes of Tesla's Roadster and the Lucid Air.
The Taycan claims a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds and a maximum EPA range of around 365 miles. The Taycan is Porsche's first fully electric car and represents a repositioning of Porsche into the high-end electric sports market.
5 Jaguar I-Pace
The I-Pace represents Jaguar's strong repositioning into the EV market as it transforms itself into a premium and high-end EV sports car manufacturer. In its first year, the I-Pace became one of the more highly acclaimed production cars ever made.
The I-Pace is Jaguar's first electric SUV and the first SUV from any premium European carmaker. By the end of 2020, Jaguar had sold more than 32,000 I-Paces in Europe, although only just over 4,500 in America. North American deliveries of the I-Pace commenced in 2018.
4 Lucid Air
Lucid Air hails from Lucid Motors and is the new startup's first vehicle to see mass production later this year. Whereas Tesla is more positioned toward the premium end of the EV market, Lucid is going for the luxury end.
The Lucid Air boasts a range of up to 517 miles on a single charge using the EPA test cycle, although it advertises a more conservative range of 406 miles. Lucid Air squarely sits at the cutting edge of technology.
3 Spark SRT05e
The Spark SRT05E has the distinction of being the first Formula E car capable of completing a full race distance. Constructed by Sport Racing Technology, it is also the base car for all manufacturers and teams for the FIA Formula E Championship.
The Spark SRT05e is set to be succeeded by the Spark Gen2EVO for the 2022-23 season which will actually be more fragile in a bid to push racers driving too aggressively.
2 Volkswagen I.D. R
The Volkswagen I.D. R represents a return of Volkswagen to motorsport events since it pulled out of such events following the emissions cheating scandal. The I.D. R is Volkswagen's first electric racing car.
This prototype is part of Volkswagen's I.D. Project with the R series designed specifically for competition in motorsports events.
1 Apex AP-0
The upcoming Apex AP-O was first announced in 2020 by Apex Motors - a British/Hong Kong Sports car company. It is currently expected to first see production in 2022. One of its primary features is a claimed curb weight of only 1200 kg owing to its monocoque carbon chassis.
The AP-O boasts a top speed of 190 mph and an acceleration of 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds, thanks to a 650 bhp rear-mounted electric motor pumping out 580 Nm of torque.
In conclusion, there are many high-performance electric sports cars on the market - or very soon to be on the market, and they are only getting better. Much better!