What is the World’s Fastest Electric Car – and the Runner Ups?

Electric vehicles (EVs) have progressed significantly in the past few years for being the fastest in accelerating and reaching the highest speed from the instant you step on the accelerator.

Tesla knew this better and was the first to introduce the world’s fastest EV in 2011 and release acceleration and maximum speed. Later, many manufacturers realized the advantage of acceleration in an EV and started offering new models with a performance worthy of combustion engine supercars.

Many of these manufacturers are, in fact, start-ups that seem to unseat manufacturers like Tesla and Ferrari. Yes, we are talking about Rimac, a Croatian car manufacturer who has never ceased to amaze gearheads in the past few years.

All this information makes you wonder what the world’s fastest electric car is. What are the top fastest EVs in the world today? Do they all exhibit mind-blowing speeds? This article will answer all these questions and talk about EVs already circulating, have just hit the road, or the fastest future models, which their manufacturers will soon introduce.

But before that, let’s discuss why electric cars offer superior acceleration and pick-up that has nothing in common with petrol cars. Let’s find out by studying a little about the characteristics of EVs.

Acceleration of EVs

EVs acceleration is more efficient as compared to thermals of comparable power. The fact is that the power curve of an electric motor is not at all the same; the maximum torque is present from the first turn, and it only decreases after that (the maximum power arrives very quickly and decreases slowly).

A heat engine has its torque and power curve, which arrives roughly towards the middle of the speed range. It goes up, then down, with maximum torque and power, which are only reached over a small portion.

Basically, an electric motor’s power/torque curve is kind of a downward slope, and the curve of thermal looks like a hill going up and down. Thus, from the moment you step on the accelerator, you have a lot of power on an electric car (guaranteed catapult), but it takes time to reach the optimal speed on a thermal car.

Indeed EVs are the queens, but at top speed, they reach the limit earlier, and still, no electric car has earned the title of the fastest car in the world. So, are EVs slow? Let’s discuss!

Check out, Should I Buy a Used Electric Car?

Electric Cars – Why Are They Slower?

They are certainly not. The proof is with certain manufacturers who tackle head-on records held by thermal cars.

But let’s look at their technical sheets and examine the data of the production models, comparing them directly with gasoline (but also diesel) models of similar characteristics.

You will find that if they are undisputed queens in the 0 to 100 km/h, their top speed is almost always lower. Why?

Electric mobility was indeed born with a different purpose. So making hypotheses on the performance of a technology whose first objective is to offer more efficient and “clean” transport can seem almost contradictory—and so is talking about top speed as more attention turns to safety that promises much tighter limits in the future.

That aside, there are always technical and practical reasons why the fastest electric car has not surpassed the speed of the fastest fuel cars.

As noted repeatedly, one of the many advantages of electric cars over others is that they can do without the gearbox. Electric motors offer maximum torque from the start and can reach speeds high enough to guarantee a sufficient speed arc.

However, as the revs (revolution of an engine per minute) increase, the engine’s performance becomes a little less regular. So, for this reason, the speed is often limited, even electronically, to lower values.

Above all, consumption increases exponentially, risking compromising the already limited range.

It would be necessary to have a gearbox with at least two different ratios to get a higher speed on an electric car, one of which would be overdrive to increase speed by exploiting the low-medium revs of the engine.

This is also the case for certain particularly efficient models such as the Porsche Taycan, capable of going up to 260 km/h, and certain hypercars or racing cars, which must reconcile high performance and maximum autonomy.

And that’s what ZF has done recently, developing a two-speed engine-box combination capable of improving both performance and mileage.

The fact that EVs can deliver maximum power from zero rpm, makes them some of the fastest cars in the market to date. Below is an exhaustive list of the World’s fastest EVs that can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just a few seconds, in the most environmentally friendly way. Keep reading!

Read Electric Car or Gas Car: Which is a Better Option?

Fastest Electric Cars in the World

There are already supercars or hypercars that exceed 1,000 hp of power and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in two seconds or less on the market.

But the list below talks only about the fastest electric cars that are some of the most beautiful vehicles in the world today you can dream of. They may be prototypes or limited editions, but it is worth knowing them.

However, for a car to be classified as fast, not only its ability to accelerate must be measured, but also the top speed it can reach.

For this reason, and according to the official technical data provided by the car manufacturers themselves, we selected the three fastest electric cars of the moment and have discussed them in order starting from the fastest EV, followed by the runner-ups!

So, according to the data for measuring the ability to accelerate in less time from 0 to 60 miles per hour (or up to the approximate 96-97 km/h), the ranking of the fastest one hundred percent electric cars of the moment would remain like below:

1. Rimac Nevera – the Fastest Electric Car in the World (1.85 Seconds)

Rimac Nevera has recently reset benchmarks for electric hypercars and has beaten the fastest EV in the world. The Croatian manufacturer, Rimac, has recently heralded its Nevera car with exceptional performance and acceleration of 100 km in 1.85 seconds, having a horsepower of 1914, four magnet motors on each wheel, and a top speed of 412 km/h, making it faster than Formula cars 1.

The Rimac Nevera is a great marvel of Rimac Automobili among the fastest electric cars that accelerate in less time. For the Rimac, up to four electric motors are announced that in total add up to more than 1,900 CV of power and nothing more and nothing less than 2360 Nm of torque.

Thanks to this power, it can accomplish 0 to 100 km / h in 1.97 seconds, 0 to 300 km/h in 9.3 seconds, and finally reach the top speed of 412 km/h! It is not yet available in the market, and its production will begin very shortly; and, its price?

It is only for the wealthiest economies since the advertised rate starts at just under $ 2.5 million.

Read How to Charge Your Electric Car On Road-Trip

Rimac Nevera, a Real Electric Missile

Rimac Nevera has been declared as a real electric missile that surpassed and raised the bar, redefining the standard for electric cars.

When the manufacturer first unveiled their C 2 model, it seemed that nothing could ever come close to that cutting-edge electric powertrain and extreme performing car. But they exceeded their own set benchmark with the Nevera.

What did Rimac do to Leave Behind its C 2 Model

In this case, Rimac announces that it has managed to improve aerodynamic efficiency by 34% compared to the first prototypes, thanks to work on the air intakes and the rear diffuser.

Many aero elements are also active, such as the front spoiler or the rear spoiler. The mechanic and braking system cooling has been optimized by 30% at low and 7% at high speeds.

But one of the most important elements is the monocoque structure largely in carbon, integrating the battery and forming the largest piece of carbon fibers ever designed in the automotive world.

It has 2200 layers of carbon and 222 aluminum inserts forming a structure of only 200 kg and envelops the battery for unprecedented rigidity. The battery is thus located at the heart of Nevera for an optimal weight balance.

In the end, thanks to its four electric motors allowing torque vectoring without the aid of traditional stability programs, the Nevera has an actual sporty behavior and has also integrated a “drift” mode.

Check out, 10 Electric Cars That Are Worth Buying (under £30,000)

2. Tesla Model S Plaid – the First Runner Up! (2 Seconds)

The second place in the ranking of electric cars that spend less time accelerating from 0 to 96 km/h is the Tesla Model S Plaid, which hit the market last month.

Its three engines can add together more than 1,020 CV of power, a whole arsenal for this authentic missile in an “elegant” saloon format. It just takes 1.99-2 seconds to reach 96 km/h from the moment you press the accelerator.

Tesla Model S – The Queen of Speed

With the Plaid version of the Model S, Tesla has not done things by halves. Tesla Model S has been the queen of speed since it arrived in 2012, and its latest Model S Plaid became one of the fastest EVs.

Thus, its powertrain of more than 1000 horsepower allows it to swallow 0 to 100 km/h in just over 2 seconds, enough to make it the fastest production electric car when it was first introduced, later left behind by the Remic Nevera.

The technical sheet of the Tesla Model S Plaid focuses on the characteristics of this 100% electric car (dimensions, engine, power, torque, etc.), its pure performance (standing start or 0 to 100 km/h, maximum speed, etc.), its performance on the circuit and its price.

With over 1,000 horsepower delivered by a new three-engine powertrain, it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.99 seconds. A somewhat misleading feat because Tesla cites acceleration times recorded between 9 and 96 km/h. The Tesla Model S Plaid is currently offered at a starting price of $ 1.4 million.

Resolutely Sportier

Along with these new features, Tesla brings in some relatively understated exterior updates that give the Model S Plaid wider hips and a sleeker hood.

The updates are brief but are sufficient to modernize the car. The most prominent design update is on the interior.

There is always a sleek interior which nevertheless loses the screen positioned in portrait mode. Now it is oriented in landscape and looks bigger. Rear passengers now have a small screen mounted in the center console.

However, there is still a significant modification in this cabin: the steering wheel! It becomes rectangular and takes the design of the controls of an airplane. Enough to modernize everything and, above all, break the codes!

With such performances announced for the Model S Plaid, people can lose no time to test them to find out if the Californian manufacturer has successfully brought more than 1000 horsepower to the ground and sprayed the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h.

Read Which electric car has the longest range?

3. Lucid Air Dream Edition – the Second Runner Up (2.5 Seconds)

And the third step of the podium is for the unknown Lucid Air Dream Edition, with its almost 1,100 hp of combined maximum power.

This new electric car will go on sale shortly and takes the same time to accelerate (2.5 seconds from 0 to 96 km/h) as the impressive Tesla Model X Plaid SUV and has the same power and technical scheme as the Model S Plaid.

The Lucid Air, an American electric sedan unveiled at the end of 2020, is available in two new “Dream Editions,” emphasizing performance and range.

The sleek zero-emission car, which may well be one of the Tesla Model S’s more serious contenders, leaves its customers more choice when it comes to configuration.

These are still only provisional data, but the young firm Lucid has decided to announce the characteristics of its large sedan Air Dream Edition.

Originally announced at 1080 hp of cumulative power thanks to its Dual Motor technology (all-wheel drive), the Lucid Air thus climbs to 1111 hp of power for more than 1000 Nm of torque in the “Dream Performance” version (0 to 100 km / h in 2.5 seconds).

This power peaks at 933 hp for more than 1000 Nm of torque in the “Dream Range” version (0 to 100 km / h in 2.7 seconds) to promote greater autonomy. The latter would thus reach more than 500 miles (approximately 800 km) in total, in the best case, of course.

If these figures are to be believed, the future of the electric car, therefore, seems to be secure! The only downside: the price of the Lucid Air Dream Edition sedan, displayed at the price of $ 169,000.

It’s a little more expensive than the Tesla Model S Plaid. Deliveries of both versions of the Lucid Air Dream Edition will begin later this year in the US.

Related Posts:

• Electric Cars vs Hybrid Cars: A Comparison
• 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Purchase an Electric Car
• Are Electric Cars Better for Environment
• Are Electric Cars Cheap To Insure?
• Do Electric Cars Depreciate Faster?

Our Final Thoughts!

For a long time, the two true protagonists, Tesla and Porsche, occupied the majority of privileged positions with various versions of their electric car models. But, now the recent models, Rimac Nevera by the Croatian manufacturer and the no less spectacular Lucid Air Dream Edition by Lucid Motors, have taken the top positions, leaving others in awe.

You must be surprised to know the top 3 fastest EVs globally and their extraordinary features, giving them more than enough power, maneuverability, and speed.