Electric vehicles are getting fast - really fast. Tesla's upcoming Roadster is seriously resetting the score on what it means to be a fast EV. Gone are the days of the early electric vehicles when they were the weak feeble cousins of the "real" diesel and gasoline-powered cars. Now electric vehicles are gearing up to leave them in the dust.
A quick look at this list and one can't help but notice that most of these fastest electric cars hit production in 2020, or will go into production very soon in 2021 or 2022. Just how striking is how this demonstrates the sheer pace of development in the electric car industry. Combustion engines see only small and incremental improvements spread out over time, while EVs are powering ahead with each successive generation being leaps and bounds ahead of the last.
10 Tesla Roadster - 250 Mph
Tesla's Roadster is an unmitigated marvel of engineering, of course, it will come with a hefty price tag. With a top speed of 250mph, this will, hands down, be the fastest mass-produced streetcar on the market. It is 50 miles per hour ahead of its next rival - another Tesla.
Not only does the Roadster set the record for highest top speed, but it also breaks the record for any car unmodified car legally on the road with an acceleration of 0-60mph in just 1.9 seconds.
9 Tesla Model S Plaid - 200 Mph
Tesla's Model S is another of the very best electric vehicles out there with a top speed of 200 miles per hour it will leave everything else eating its dust - saving only for Tesla's upcoming Roadster.
Also boasting a range on a single charge of 416 miles and a 0-60 miles per hour acceleration of 1.99 seconds, the Model S is third to none.
8 Lucid Air Dream - 168 Mph
Just breaking into the top three and dislodging the Model X (so that Tesla doesn't get to claim all three top slots) is the upcoming Lucid Air Dream. The models are now about finalized and their brand-new factory is now ready to start work on Lucid Motors' first luxury electric vehicles.
The Lucid Air Dream will be able to zip along at 168mph and notably comes with a range on a single charge of in excess of 500 miles - meaning that it will have the longest range of any EV if it sees production before the Roadster.
7 Tesla Model X - 162 Mph
Tesla — dominating this list as it does — also sports the Model X with a top speed of 162mph. Boasting much of the best of Tesla's engineering the Model X is not only an incredibly fast vehicle but also a smooth ride with highly automated systems.
The Model X like all Tesla's vehicles boasts superfast charging and very long ranges as well as a raft of other design and engineering marvels.
6 Porsche Taycan Turbo S - 161 Mph
Porsche's first all-electric vehicle and already one of its most popular vehicles since its debut last year. Incidentally, the Taycan represents the first European car to make the list. The Taycan Turbo S reaches speeds of up to 161 miles per hour.
As of the first quarter of 2021, the Taycan is also the fastest fully electric vehicle actually in production. A position it is expected to lose big time within months.
5 Kia EV6 GT - 162 Mph
The Kia EV6 GT is set to start rolling off the assembly line next year and is Asia's first contribution to this list of the world's fastest fully electric road vehicles with a max speed of 162 miles per hour.
It also boasts a range of about 250 miles and a 0-60 miles per hour acceleration of 3.4 seconds.
4 Audi e-tron GT RS - 155 Mph
Also hailing from Europe and showcasing the best of German engineering, the Audi e-tron GT RS reaches a top speed of 155 miles per hour. As Audi pivots toward the electric vehicle market, it is investing heavily in developing the e-tron.
The e-tron claims a max range on a single charge of 250 miles and a 0-60 miles per hour acceleration of 3.2 seconds.
3 Tesla Cybertruck Tri Motor - 130 Mph
Set to be the fastest fully electric truck on the market, Tesla's Tri-Motor Cybertruck will hit speeds of up to 130 miles per hour. It also claims a range of 500 miles on a single charge - meaning it may also briefly claim the status of the longest range EV on the road depending exactly on when the Lucid Air and Tesla's Roadster go into production.
Tesla's Cybertruck is unlike anything out there. No other EV truck comes close to matching its performance.
2 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT - 124 Mph
The Ford Mustang Mach - E GT will reach speeds of up to around 125 miles per hour. Additionally, its max range is 255 miles, and its 0-60mph time is around 3.7 seconds.
While this is still very fast, being just half that of the Tesla Roadster and substantially less than the Lucid Air or other Tesla Models, it shows just how the traditional automobile manufacturers are struggling to keep up with these Silicon Valley startups.
1 BMW i4 - 124 Mph
Like the Ford Mustang Mach - EGT, the BMW i4 will have a top speed of around 125 miles per hour but a slightly longer range of 280 miles on a charge.
The BMW i4 is set to start rolling out the factories later this year and will be BMW's fully electric vehicle flagship.
In conclusion, the fastest electric cars are fast, and they are getting faster. Each year makes a big difference in the development of electric vehicles.