Fastest electric cars 2024
Monstrously powerful and packed full of tech, EVs can be a force to be reckoned with. We run down the fastest of all time
We’re rather fond of combustion power at evo, but there’s no denying that the electric car can be seriously capable in the right form. The inherent benefits of an all-electric powertrain help EVs excel off the line, with ordinary combustion power simply no match in 2024.
There are a number of factors that contribute to an EV’s off-the-line prowess, but sheer power output, instantaneous delivery of that power, and sophisticated traction management are key. High kerb weight is something that the vast majority of electric cars are still plagued with, and while this isn’t good for lap times and engaging dynamics, it too can aid traction from a standstill.
With almost every manufacturer now having turned its attention to electric power in some form, the technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before. We run down the fastest accelerating production EVs on the market.
> The fastest ever Nürburgring lap times
Fastest accelerating electric production cars (0-62mph)
1. Rimac Nevera – 1.81sec
The Rimac Nevera was launched in 2021 as a successor to the Concept One, producing an incredible 1888bhp and 1742lb ft of torque from its quad-motor setup. At 1.81sec, the Croatian hypercar covers the 0-62mph sprint five hundredths sooner than its Pininfarina sibling, likely down to calibration of its traction and stability control systems and marginal differences in weight. Not only is it the fastest EV on sale in 2024, the Nevera is one of the most engaging EVs we’ve sampled to date.
2. Pininfarina Battista – 1.86sec
Given its shared underpinnings with the Nevera, it should come as no surprise that the Battista sits alongside it in this list. While its vital hardware is near-identical to that of a Rimac Nevera, a bespoke, in-house exterior and interior design, and its own dynamic development make it a unique car to drive. Both it and the Nevera boast equally bonkers performance figures but this slight difference in set-up has knocked it slightly behind its Croatian relative. The result is a 1.86-second quoted 0-62mph time, enough to make it the second fastest production electric car on sale in 2024.
3. Lucid Air Sapphire – c2sec*
Unlike the first two entrants in this list, the Air Sapphire takes the form of a practical four-door saloon. Despite this, California-based Lucid decided to give it the same 1200bhp output as the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, courtesy a trio of electric motors – the marque says the motors are capable of producing over 2000bhp, but limited output due to battery constraints. The result is a claimed 0-60mph time of 1.89sec (c2sec 0-62mph), 0-100mph in sub-4sec and a ¼-mile time of less than 10. Despite these ludicrous numbers, our drive proved it’s far from a one-trick pony.
4. Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach Package – 2.2sec
Now officially the fastest four-door production EV around the Nürburgring, it’s clear that the Taycan Turbo GT means business. A £186,300 four-door electric saloon without back seats will be difficult to justify for most but if you’re looking for one of the fastest road cars ever to hit our roads, it certainly fits the bill. Thanks to the use of a new 900 ampere ‘pulse inverter’ and more efficient semiconductor material for the rear axle motor, the Turbo GT produces 1093bhp, enough for a 2.2sec 0-62mph time and a 190mph top speed. It even covers 345 miles (WLTP) on a charge.
5. Tesla Model S Plaid – c2.2sec*
Before the Rimac Nevera came along, the Tesla Model S Plaid led the way for road-going EVs as the fastest model on sale. Much like the Lucid Air Sapphire, it utilises a triple-motor setup, producing a peak output of 1020bhp. The result is a mind-boggling 9.23sec claimed ¼-mile time (the Bugatti Chiron covers the same distance in 9.4sec), a top speed of 200mph and a 0-60mph time of 1.99sec – this is with a US-style one foot rollout, however, making standstill to 62mph closer to 2.2sec. The Plaid is also the cheapest model on this list by quite some margin at £113,480.
Notable mentions
The Japanese Aspark Owl would make it to the top of this list with a claimed 1.72sec 0-62mph time, but much like the elusive Tesla Roadster, a distinct lack of production-spec customer cars means it can’t be categorised as a production car – while it has been in development for seven years (and supposedly in production for four) not a single customer car has hit the road. The long-awaited Tesla Roadster would be better still, with ‘gas thrusters’ said to help it achieve a sub-1sec 0-60mph time, but we’ll have to see this for ourselves to believe it. One car that definitely is real is the McMurtry Spierling, and while it’s not a production car, it can achieve a stunning 1.4sec 0-60mph time thanks to unique fan-induced ground effects.
Top electric car Nürburgring lap times
The fast electric car was known as something of a one-trick pony in the not-too-distant past, producing quick acceleration times and not much else. In the past few years, manufacturers have proven that this is no longer the case, with EVs of various shapes and sizes achieving outright lap times to concern accomplished combustion-powered equivalents.
Until we see a breakthrough in battery technology, EVs will always have to manage a higher kerb weight than ICE alternatives, and while it’s improving every year, performance longevity over a full Nordschleife lap is also lacking in most cases. Regardless of their downfalls though, electric cars are beginning to offer truly impressive performance outside of 0-62mph times, as is clear from this all-time list of the fastest electric cars to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife:
1. Volkswagen ID.R – 6:05.336 – 2019
Launched in 2018 as a one-off flagship for Volkswagen's fledgling EV lineup, the 670bhp, aero-led ID.R went on to break numerous lap records around the globe. First up was Pikes Peak where it achieved a staggering 7:57.148 time, making it not only the fastest EV up the famous hillclimb, but the fastest car of all time. The ID.R then achieved a 6:05.336 time at the Nürburgring, making it second only to the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo with its outright 5:19.546 lap record. It also broke the hillclimb record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2019 (before being deposed by the McMurtry Spieling in 2022).
2. Lotus Evija X – 6:24.047 – 2023
The Lotus Evija hypercar is set to rival the excellent Rimac Nevera when it hits the road later this year, but until we put it through its paces in the real world, its track-only relative offers a first taste of the performance on offer. The one-off Evija X prototype utilises the same production underpinnings and 1972bhp powertrain as the road car, but a bespoke carbonfibre body and extreme aero package are designed help it excel on track. While it missed out on the outright EV record, a 6:24.047 time is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, and Lotus even believes it has more to give...
3. Nio EP9 – 6:45.900 – 2017
Two years earlier, the Chinese Nio EP9 took to the Ring for its record attempt, achieving a 6:45.900 lap with Peter Dumbreck at the wheel. While it has significantly less aero than the ID.R, the EP9 boasts an incredible 1341bhp quoted output, although Dumbreck believes it was likely running at a far lower 900bhp figure for most of the lap…
4. Rimac Nevera – 7:05.298 – 2023
The Rimac Nevera makes its second appearance on this page as the third fastest EV to officially lap the Nürburgring, with Martin Kodrić covering the north loop in just 7:05.298. This time makes it the fastest production EV around the circuit to date, and unlike some record cars, it was even fitted with road-legal Michelin Cup 2 R tyres at the time of the attempt.
5. Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach Package – 7:07.55 – 2024
Porsche’s divisive Taycan Turbo GT is not only one of the fastest accelerating production EVs, but also the second fastest production EV to lap the Ring. Lars Kern achieved a 7:07.55 lap earlier this year, a whole 25.75 seconds quicker than the Taycan Turbo S and just 2.2sec behind the much more powerful (and expensive) Rimac Nevera.
6. Toyota TMG EV P002 – 7:22.329 – 2012
One somewhat unknown record lap was set by Toyota’s experimental TMG EV P002 back in 2013, with Jochen Krumbach lapping the Nordschleife in a respectable 7:22.329. Like the Volkswagen ID.R, the model was built as a one-off prototype to demonstrate its abilities on various circuits around the globe, with it later competing in Pikes Peak in 2013. Power output was modest at 469bhp (in Nürburgring trim), but a lightweight, bare bones construction and high downforce configuration made it the fastest EV around the circuit at the time.
Notable mentions
Not only is it one of the fastest accelerating production cars ever to hit the road, the Tesla Model S Plaid Track Package is also one of the fastest around the Nürburgring with an official 7:25.231 lap time. Hyundai’s fascinating Ioniq 5 N also managed a 7.45.59 lap with motoring journalist and racing driver Christian Gebhardt at the wheel, impressive considering the slower 7:50.230 lap Mercedes-Benz set with the SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive in 2013. Hyundai has mentioned that its own N engineers have set even faster times in the Ioniq 5 N during testing.
