The automotive world is undergoing some major changes at the moment. The world we are living in as a whole is constantly changing, and car companies need to adapt to this new world and just how different it actually is. Electric vehicles are now becoming the norm, with most car manufacturers pledging to ditch the internal combustion engine in favor of electrification, or at the very least hybrid power. This trend also means that the world of performance cars is changing too.
For as long as we can remember, performance cars have been all powered by screaming V12s and V10s or rumbling V8s, maybe even a V6. But as we are slowly seeing, electric supercars and hypercars are now entering the fray. The likes of Rimac have appeared to stun the performance car world, and even the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini are slowly adding electrical components to their supercars. They are showing that the world of performance is no longer exclusively held by those with just an internal combustion engine. Electric hypercars and supercars are very much the future of high performance, whether we like it or not.
The Current Crop Of Electric Hypercars
Rimac are a company that are really leading the way when it comes to these electric hypercars. The Nevera is their latest creation, with its 120 kWh battery pack and four electric motors. This helps to make it the most powerful production car on the planet, with 1,914 hp and 1,741 lb-ft of torque. The car borders on utterly crazy, and of course being electric it has the option of being all-wheel drive as well. The Nevera also features some of the cleanest design work of any hypercar currently available, electric or otherwise.
More electric monsters are on the way though. The Estrema Fulminea is another machine coming from the works of Automobili Esterma, with its 100 kWh battery pack hopefully allowing it to produce 2,040 hp. Then there are more mainstream companies like Lotus with the epic Evija, one of the most beautiful upcoming hypercars. It also offers ludicrous power levels of 1,972 hp, and before too long this stunning machine will be in production. The top speed is set at around 200 mph, right up there with the best of the hypercar world, so the future is looking good for electric hypercars.
The Technology Involved Is Rapidly Advancing
Years ago, you would be quickly laughed out of the room for thinking these levels of performance would be possible with an electric car. Battery technology for years has confined us to more mundane EVs, before Elon Musk and Tesla really got the ball rolling. But the evolution of the cars from Rimac, from the concept one to the Nevera show just how fast the technology has come on. The Nevera can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 1.85 seconds, that’s faster than near enough every internal combustion engine hypercar and supercar ever made.
The range of these machines is also now very impressive. While higher levels of performance will drain the battery faster, a range of around 340 miles is more than any of us could have hoped for even just 10 years ago, with the Evija having a bit less at 350 miles. Battery and electric motor technology has come a long way from the days of the early Tesla Roadster, with ranges now on a par with gasoline powered cars, and battery technology allowing for huge levels of power. This will help to alleviate a lot of the range anxiety that many of us face when driving an EV.
Faster Than Their Gasoline Powered Rivals
Another reason why these cars are now the future of high performance is simply because they can now match and beat their closest ICE rivals. The Bugatti Chiron SS and Koenigsegg Regera for example are both firmly in the sights of Rimac and the Nevera. What’s perhaps most intriguing too is that Rimac now owns Bugatti, so what might happen there is going to be truly fascinating. Rimac and Bugatti one day might crush all of their ICE powered rivals. Of course, there are also some more practical reasons why electric hypercars are the future of performance.
Allowing Us To Go Fast In A More Eco-Friendly Way
The age of the ICE is slowly coming to an end, and to help our planet, we have to convert to electric if we want to keep going fast. Emissions are a more practical reason why electric hypercars are the future. We can’t escape that. True, the technology isn’t exactly perfect, but it is slowly getting there. Even muscle cars aren’t immune to electrification, with Dodge recently unveiling the Charger Daytona SRT Concept that brings the loud muscle car into the modern world. The future is very much electric, and it will be fascinating to watch it unfold.
Sources: Rimac