The Fastest Electric Car In The World, Uncovered!

• by Matt Penny
• April 30, 2021
• 13 min read

Let’s say this right off the bat, the world’s fastest electric car isn’t what you might expect but will no doubt face heavy competition as EV technology evolves over time.

After all, EV technology has given carmakers from all backgrounds a new lease on life in terms of how they approach acceleration (torque) and speed.

Speed and electric cars run in parallel alongside one another, especially when it comes to premium electric cars like the NIO EP9 and the fastest Tesla model in the updated Tesla Roadster (2022 edition).

Most electric car brands aim to break speed records. It’s turned into a different kind of race entirely, one we follow very closely here at E4TP.

Speaking of races, the introduction of electric vehicles has led to many organised competitions that pit the best against the best. Extreme E, for example, is a high-octane electric off-road series that takes place all over the world.

And then there’s Formula E, which is like Formula 1 only with an electric twist. It goes without saying, but most of the vehicles featured in these competitions are all fighting to be the world’s fastest electric car.

We’re actually going to cover one of these Formula E hypercars later, so stay tuned.

In fact, there are many contenders to the accolade of the world’s fastest electric car. Today we’ll be looking at all of them while giving you facts and other notable tidbits. Most of the electric cars featured are ridiculously expensive but still fun to look at, kind of like most cars.

Some aren’t even for sale but worth reading up on regardless.

Read on for our breakdown of the world’s fastest electric car and so much more!

Fastest Electric Car Contenders

Generally speaking, electric cars offer a sustainable alternative to gas-guzzlers by reducing local air/noise pollution and significantly reducing costs. Premium electric cars, like those about to touch on, aren’t for everyone.

Why? Because the price is set very high, and when are you going to be in a situation where travelling over 260mph is acceptable? Granted, it would make the morning commute less of a drag.

Most of the cars you’re about to see aren’t even out yet, so you’re staying ahead of the curve in a way. This means that most of the speeds shown are estimated and might vary once released, but having seen tests, interviews and concepts, we trust their estimates tenfold.

Know that the vehicles you’re about to see are in no particular order, not the order of fastest electric car first and so on.

NIO EP9

The NIO EP9 looks like a high-end sports car because it is one, so it comes as no surprise that it can achieve a top speed of 217mph.

It’s a four-wheel-drive type of car fit for two passengers, running on powerful lithium-ion batteries, the same batteries found in most NIO vehicles.

Here’s a fun fact: the EP9 stands for Electric Performance 9. Want another fact? The NIO EP9 has set the record for fastest lap by an electric vehicle at multiple tracks across the world. Tracks the EP9 has dominated include:

• Circuit of the Americas (Texas, US)
• Circuit Paul Richard (Le Castellet, France)
• Shangai International Circuit (Shanghai, China)

Max range on the NIO EP9 can take you up to 265 miles on a single charge. Chinese automaker NIO takes it up another level by letting owners swap out their batteries.

This cuts down the time it takes to charge, as you’re never without a full charge. NIO’s battery swap stations have given them quite the USP, alongside manufacturing an important name in the conversation of the world’s fastest electric car.

We could easily see a car like the NIO EP9 featured in a Fast & Furious movie.

It’s one of the leading cars mentioned here that emotes that classic sports car feel; even its chassis is made out of carbon fibre, like with most luxury automobiles.

Max Speed: 217mph
0-60(mph): 2.7 sec
Price: $1,200,000 (£1,040,000)

Spark SRT05E

As we said initially, electric has transitioned into the world of competitive racing, and what would our list be without mentioning at least one of these racing cars. FIA Formula E cars are made with speed in mind, each run on a 270bhp electric motor, capable of reaching 174mph.

It’s not the fastest electric car in the world, but fun to watch regardless!

People watch these competitions for the sport, but most fail to realise that every competitor is on an even playing field to some extent. In other words, only one type of body is allowed; all that changes is the paint job, motor and driver. Honestly, do yourself a favour and check out a Formula E race before passing any judgement.

Spark Racing Technology supplies the chassis, a motorsport manufacturer who also work on the SUVs you see in those Extreme E competitions. They’ve really cornered the market, so to speak, on electric racing parts.

The all-weather tyres featured in Formula E races are supplied by Michelin, who should require no formal introduction.

Max Speed: 174mph
0-60(mph): 2.8 sec
Price: N/A

Genovation GXE

Genovation was the first electric car company to craft a street-legal all-electric car that broke the 200mph barrier.

The Extreme Electric Car was able to hit 205.6mph back in 2016 — they’d then break their own record in 2019 with an impressive 211.8mph. These records, albeit impressive, are limited to street-legal electric cars only.

It’s for this reason alone that we haven’t given them the world’s fastest electric car award.

The Genovation GXE may look like a Corvette, but it’s a hell of a lot faster; it cares more about the environment as an electric too. The range is limited, which is the only true pitfall of a vehicle like this (limited to around 175 miles).

Production-ready versions can exceed 220mph, according to Genovation.

Its aluminium frame allows it to travel faster, which is the hallmark of most all-electric cars. The powertrain used in the GXE is made by Genovation, a dual-stack that combines two motors in a single shaft. Weight distribution is key when creating the world’s fastest electric car. Genovation would certainly agree; remember, they have set records.

Max Speed: 211mph
0-62(mph): 3 sec
Price: $750,000 (£540,000)

© Credit to Lotus

Lotus Evija

British automaker Lotus has had a long-standing history with high-performance cars, ranging from the Exige to the Evora, but none were electric like the Lotus Evija.

This sports car can generate 1972 horsepower and 1254 Ib-ft of torque — it’s an all-electric type of vehicle, too, not a hybrid like many predicted before the initial announcement.

Only 130 Lotus Evijas will be made, that’s it. Think you can afford it? Estimates have the Evija selling for around $2.3 million, so you might want to start putting coins in your piggy bank. Lotus has recently announced plans to shift gears, producing nothing but electric vehicles within this decade.

The Lotus Evija only needs around 3 seconds to go from stationary to nothing but a blur (0-60mph). Lotus has said the Evija can travel “over 200mph” but has not specified the exact number. Until then, we’ll just have to wait and see. Could the Lotus Evija become the fastest electric car in the world?

We’ll find out this year when it makes its grand debut.

Max Speed: 200mph
0-62(mph): 3 sec
Price: $2,300,000 (£1,660,000)

Tesla Roadster (2022 Edition)

The mighty Tesla is known for designing/manufacturing practical electric vehicles, but they always have speed in mind. Take the updated Tesla Roadster, for instance, a sure-fire contender of the world’s fastest electric car, said to travel up to 250mph, according to sources.

Max range of the new Roadster is around the 620-mile mark — making this electric car somewhat of a juggernaut.

Moreover, the 2022 model can go from 0-60mph in less than 2 seconds, which is mind-blowing but expected from Tesla. It gets better; Tesla has said the new Roadster can go from 0-100mph in as little as 4.2 seconds, powered by three electric motors and a 200kWh battery pack.

How is it able to move so fast? A lightweight chassis is an integral part of the puzzle, thus spreading the weight better, bringing the battery closer to the ground. It’s just simple physics: the better centre of gravity a car has, the better the performance.

The updated Roadster will be the fastest Tesla model there is once released. Right now, the Tesla Model S Plaid is the fastest electric car in the Tesla catalogue, with a 200mph top speed (depending on the right tyres).

It will be one of the fastest electric cars in the world once released and one of the cheapest when you compare it to some of the other vehicles we’ll be covering below.

Max Speed: 250mph
0-60(mph): 1.9 sec
Price: $200,000 (£150,000)

Aspark Owl

Admit it; you knew we’d have to mention supercars like Aspark Owl as soon as we said we’d look at the world’s fastest electric car.

This is an all-electric hypercar from Japan, complete with four-wheel drive and 2,000Nm of torque; let’s say that again, 2,000Nm of torque. Aspark did say they wanted to make the fastest accelerating electric car in the world…

There are two motors in the front and two in the rear of the Aspark Owl. Every motor works in constant harmony with the other to attain a top speed of 248mph. It’s one of the fastest electric cars in the world, initially unveiled at the Dubai International Motor Show.

If you thought the NIO EP9 downforce design was impressive, wait till you see the body of the Aspark Owl. It’s a two-seater electric car that simulates the feeling of lying down. We say that because it’s so low down, you’re practically horizontal when getting in.

The 69kWh lithium-ion battery isn’t as powerful as, say, the updated Roadster or the NIO EP9, but what did you expect from a car optimised for acceleration? Bruce Wayne would drive this sort of car; that’s how unique it is.

Max Speed: 248mph
0-60(mph): 1.7 sec
Price: $3,200,000 (£2,800,000)

Rimac C-Two

Croatian car company Rimac is in pole position with an electric automobile capable of hitting speeds of up to 258mph, beating the updated Tesla Roadster by a mere 8 miles. Again, like the Roadster, these are estimates as the car is due to launch in 2022.

Many of you reading this will know Rimac as the company famous for Richard Hammond’s crash in 2017. Whereas we know them as the company making headway in the fastest electric car in the world competition.

The car that crashed was known as the Concept One; the Rimac C_Two is an entirely different beast, made entirely from scratch.

It’s powered by four in-wheel motors, giving drivers up to 2,300Nm of torque. This torque makes it a split second faster than the fastest Tesla model we’ve just mentioned above. And yes, we’ll continue to make comparisons between the two, as they’re very similar and come out in the same year.

Where the Tesla beats the Rimac C-Two is in range and battery power. The Rimac C-Two has a 120kWh battery that gives you around 400 miles in driving range before needing a top-up. However, this electric car comes with rapid charging; it only needs about 30 minutes to charge the battery by around 80%!

Max Speed: 258mph
0-60(mph): 1.85 sec
Price: $2,000,000 (£1,440,000)

© Credit to Venturi

So… Who Wins The Fastest Electric Car Race?

After all that, you might be asking yourself: “so what is the world’s fastest electric car then?”

The answer might shock you unless you’ve kept up with your electric vehicle news over the past few years. That’s right, the record was set years ago, and not one automaker has been able to beat it — not yet, anyway.

EV is great for the environment, yes, but it’s also great for motor-heads looking for some fast vehicles that seemingly defy the laws of physics. We’ve shown many unique rides here today, some for sale, others that are upcoming, but none as quick as the fastest electric car in the world.

Someone get the champagne and podium ready! Drum roll, please…

Buckeye Bullet 3

So, who takes the top spot as the fastest electric car in the world?

The gold medal goes to the Buckeye Bullet 3 (VBB-3), an electric vehicle that was made for breaking records (literally). Ohio State University developed the car alongside Venturi, a French company with a vested interest in the electric mobility field.

Two electric drivetrains helped push the VBB-3 to a max speed of 342.144mph back in September of 2016!

This feat took place at the Bonneville Salt Flats, otherwise known as a massive stretch of nothingness in Utah. Generally speaking, electric drivetrains are a lot simpler than your bog-standard car, preserving more energy with a lot less lag. In other words, there’s not a lot holding them back, letting them roam free for the most part, as proven by the VBB-3.

You might have heard of the VBB-3 already, as it made many headlines for breaking the fastest electric car record.

Yes, we know. It isn’t technically an electric car per se, but who can deny its influence on other companies occupying the EV space?

We can all but guarantee that the tech used in the VBB-3 has been looked at by top developers/engineers at companies like Tesla and Aspark.

It’s like we said, this is a race, with the winner receiving all bragging rights as the owner of the world’s fastest electric car! The team behind the Buckeye Bullet 3 are currently working on a follow-up that is expected to break the 400mph mark. In other words, these other carmakers better get a move on.

Max Speed: 342mph
0-60(mph): N/A
Price: Priceless

Fastest Electric Car FAQs

So now you know what the fastest electric car in the world is, are you satisfied or left with more questions? In this final section, we’ll be covering some of your frequently asked questions, the kind you should know if you’re going to tell your friends about the NIO EP9 or Rimac C-Two.

Why are electric cars so fast?

Electric cars are fast because they can go full pedal to the metal without shifting a single gear. The chassis, or body, used in electric cars are a lot lighter than their gas-powered counterparts.

Moreover, weight is equally distributed due to the heaviness of the battery, meaning the car is lower to the ground, thus providing better grip and control.

What is the fastest electric car from 0-60 (mph)?

The Aspark Owl is the fastest electric car in terms of acceleration. This electric sports car can go from 0-60 (mph) in 1.72 seconds, as mentioned above. Aspark created this car to be an accelerating monster, and it doesn’t disappoint.

What is the fastest electric car in the world?

The fastest electric car title belongs to the Buckeye Bullet 3 — if you consider it an electric car, that is. It currently holds the record for travelling 342.144mph across Bonneville Salt Flats in 2016. In the same year, Genovation would be the first street-legal electric car company to break the 200mph barrier with their Extreme Electric Car.

Matt Penny

Since a young age, Matt has been enthusiastic about technology and the role that electric power will play in the future of transport. In particular, he is passionate about electric motorcycles and electric motorsport and looks forward to seeing those two fields grow in the coming years. When not behind a screen, you can find Matt watching the rugby or lost in a good book.

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