The ongoing automotive transition from gasoline to electricity is progressing sprightly, as automakers are pushing their EV game to the limits and breaking speed records day by day. Whether you like it or not, screaming V10 engines and their symphonic exhaust notes are being replaced by buzzing electric motors and their contrived soundtracks. However, the performance advancements of EVs are undeniably evident, and they are now faster than ever. We even got to see hefty, production-spec electric pickup trucks and SUVs darting to 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds, which is practically impossible for their gasoline-powered competitors.
However, the stumbling block keeping EVs inferior is the arguable fact that they only excel in initial acceleration. After rocketing to 60 mph, electric cars tend to struggle to attain a soaring top speed compared to traditional V12s and V10s. But things are changing, and today we have put together the fastest electric cars that according to zeroto60times.com and fastestlaps.com can not only teleport to 60 mph but also keep up the pace and pierce through the quarter-mile mark.
10 2023 Rivian R1T – 11.6 Seconds
Kicking off the speed-run-marathon with the only pickup truck on the list, the 2023 Rivian R1T is an exceptionally practical truck filled to the brim with the latest and most advanced tech. However, the pace at which it puts sports cars to shame is the jutting factor that makes it really special. Charging to 60 mph in a mind-blowing 3.1 seconds and cutting across the quarter-mile mark in just 11.6 seconds, the Rivian R1T is currently the fastest pickup truck you can buy.
9 2023 Tesla Model 3 – 11.5 Seconds
From the new kid on the block to the baby speedster made by the pioneers of electric cars, the 2023 Tesla Model 3 is the smallest and least expensive car the brand produces, but that doesn’t make it slow or prosaic. Taking a cogent 3.5 seconds to achieve the 60 mph speed and flying past the quarter-mile mark in 11.5 seconds, this little EV is seriously fast.
8 2023 Audi RS E-Tron GT – 10.9 Seconds
If a Tesla is too bland and boring for you, or if you think they lack enough luxury for the price paid, this Audi might entice you. Powered by two electric motors, the 2023 Audi RS e-tron GT has a peak output of 637 horsepower, which is transmitted to the wheels via the Quattro all-wheel-drivetrain. This setup enables it to gallop to 60 mph in just under three seconds, while passing through the quarter of a mile takes an iota less than eleven seconds.
7 2023 Porsche Taycan Turbo S / Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo – 10.5 Seconds
Porsche further elevates the EV driving experience with the 2023 Porsche Taycan Turbo S. While it is based on the same platform as the Audi RS e-tron GT, the Taycan Turbo S is significantly more powerful and Porsche offers it in two flavors – a sedan and a Cross Turismo wagon.
It engenders a colossal output of 750 horsepower from a dual-motor setup powering all four wheels. The Taycan Turbo S can take you to 60 mph in an eye-watering 2.5 seconds, and it swishes over the quarter-mile mark in 10.5 seconds.
6 2017 Nio EP9 – 10.2 Seconds
Moving on from Stuttgart to Shanghai, Nio is a Chinese multinational automaker specializing in manufacturing high-performance EVs. Their latest and greatest electric hypercar is the Nio EP9, which has some serious vigor under its hood.
Hold tight before you learn that this monstrous electric hypercar has four electric motors working in tandem to produce a gargantuan output of 1,341 horsepower. This along with its paramount aerodynamics allows it to attack and conquer the quarter-mile in 10.2 seconds, while 0-60 mph is a paltry 2.4-second job.
5 2023 Tesla Model X Plaid – 9.8 Seconds
Back to the best-selling electric vehicle brand to greet the only SUV among these lightning-fast EVs. The 2023 Tesla Model X Plaid is a six-seater family vehicle with more than a thousand horses leashed to it, waiting eagerly to go supersonic each time you step on the throttle. This Tesla SUV effortlessly flies to 60 mph in around 3.3 seconds while pushing your soul out of you and continues to maintain the momentum to pass the quarter-mile in less than ten seconds.
4 2023 Tesla Model S Plaid – 9.2 Seconds
The flag bearer of the supreme ev-maker, the 2023 Tesla Model S Plaid is not just the most tried and tested member of the Tesla lineup, it’s also the brand’s most powerful offering. Three electric motors with a combined power output of 1,020 horsepower slickly propel this supercilious beast to 60 mph in just 2.1 seconds, while the quarter-mile time is a solid 9.2 seconds. The Model S continues setting benchmarks in acceleration, posing a cosmic threat to its competitors.
3 2023 Lucid Air Sapphire – 9.1 Seconds
If you’re unaware of Lucid, they are the best new thing to arrive in the EV landscape, and it wouldn’t be surprising if this brand emerges to be the Tesla killer. The 2023 Lucid Air Sapphire is the brand’s state-of-the-art luxury high-performance sedan, which produces a ginormous 1,200 horsepower from its tri-motor setup.
This bejewels the title of ‘the most powerful sedan in the world’ upon the Sapphire. Blasting off to 60 mph in a neck-breaking 1.89 seconds and flitting through the quarter-mile in just over nine seconds, the 2023 Lucid Air Sapphire stands triumphantly among the fastest production electric cars.
2 2022 Pininfarina Battista – 9.1 Seconds
A monumental collective effort of visionaries across the globe resulted in the formation of this ferocious beast. Automobili Pininfarina is a hypercar manufacturer based in Germany currently under Indian ownership, while they were founded as a part of Carrozzeria Pininfarina, an Italian car design firm. Named after their founder, the 2022 Pininfarina Battista is the brand’s first product, a hypercar producing 1,877 horsepower and blasting off across the quarter-mile in 9.1 seconds.
1 2022 Rimac Nevera – 8.5 Seconds
Talking about setting speed records, let’s discuss the quickest of them all. A modded-out 3,300-horsepower Dodge Viper named Juggernaut currently holds the record of the fastest quarter-mile time, set at 6.68 seconds, while the fastest 1/8-mile car is the handmade TC-X electric (4.89 seconds).
This is where the 2022 Rimac Nevera comes in with its absolutely bonkers four-motor powertrain churning out 1,877 horsepower. The Nevera in its stock condition cuts through time and space, achieving 60 mph speeds in just 1.85 seconds and transcends the quarter-mile in just 8.5 seconds.
