Electric Vehicles (EVs) have nothing to envy Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) ones. Most EVs nowadays are silent, comfortable and technological, but they can also be quite fast. This is the result of using electric engines that convert around 77% of the stored electricity into power for the wheels. All this power allows electric vehicles to feature high top speeds and accelerations that can compete against the most powerful ICE vehicles. Let us see some examples of this and find out how fast electric vehicles can be.
What Top Speed and Acceleration Can You Expect from an EV?
The average top speed for all-electric vehicle models is close to 111 mph, however, nowadays many EVs can go faster than that to an average of 140-160 mph. On the other hand, the average acceleration for most EVs is 0 to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. This is better compared to recently released ICE vehicles that take in average slightly more than 5 seconds up to 7 seconds, except for sport cars.
Is Top Speed Limited by EV Manufacturers? Why?
Yes, battery electric automobile options in the market have software limiting the top speed that the vehicle can achieve. This is necessary because extremely high speeds place heavy stress on the vehicle and its components. Since battery electric vehicles feature delicate components like the braking system and the Lithium-Ion battery, limiting the top speed is a priority for manufacturers. Limiting the speed allows to:
- Preserve battery charge.
- Protects the regenerative brake system.
- Provide safety to components and passengers.
- Make up for vehicle weight.
- Prevent rapid tire damage.
Top 5 Fastest Electric Vehicles Under 200 mph
There are many highly engineered battery electric car options featuring a combination of electric engines that can reach great top speeds and accelerations. In this section, we list and briefly review the top 5 fastest EVs featuring a top speed under 200 mph.
1. Tesla Model S Plaid
The Tesla Model S Plaid is one of the best EVs manufactured by Tesla. This Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) implements a combination of three electric engines that boost the EV with an overall electrical power of 760 kW, delivering 1,020 horsepower (HP) to the wheels. These three engines give the EV enough power to reach a top speed of 175 mph and an acceleration of 0 to 62 mph in just 2.1 seconds.
Can the Tesla Model S Plaid go faster than 175 mph?
It is important to mention that this vehicle is only limited to 175 mph. However, Tesla claims that the Model S Plaid can reach up to 200 mph with a software update. It seems that the battery vehicle manufacturer was not only proven right but its expectations were exceeded, since Ingenext, the Canadian tuners, modified the software to remove its limitation, taking the EV up to 216 mph, a surprising new record for this vehicle.
2. Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance
The Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance is a highly engineered battery-electric vehicle featuring two engines to power the four wheels. These engines amount to an electric power of 828 kW, a mechanical equivalent power of 1,100 HP to the wheels. Thanks to these engines, the Lucid Air Dreaming Edition Performance can reach a top speed of 168 mph, going from 0 to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds.
3. Lucid Air Grand Touring
The third place goes for the Lucid Air Touring, a battery-only electric vehicle combining high aesthetics, comfort, and a superior performance. This EV features an AWD system featuring one front permanent-magnetic engine and a rear one, for an electric power of 597 kW, transferring 801 HP to the wheels. This EV can achieve 168 mph, accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds.
4. Tesla Model X Plaid
The Tesla Model X Plaid is the second battery-powered electric vehicle by Tesla on the list. This masterpiece of electrical and mechanical engineering is designed with three engines, delivering an electric power of 760 kW that converts into a mechanical power of 1,019 HP. These engines boost the EV to a top speed of 163 mph and an acceleration of 0 to 62 mph in 2.6 seconds.
5. Tesla Model 3 Performance
The fifth place for the top 5 high speed electric car models goes to another Tesla: The Tesla Model 3 Performance. This variation of the Tesla Model 3 features an induction AC motor at the front and a permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor at the rear, for combined electric power of 377 kW and mechanical power of 506 HP. The Tesla Model 3 performance can reach a top speed of 162 mph and go from 0 to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds.
What Are Some EV Hypercars/Supercars That Go Beyond 200 mph?
Most high-end and luxury electric battery vehicle models reach a top speed below 200 mph, however, this is not the limit for electric vehicles. Electric hypercars and supercars can go much faster than that.
Aspark Owl
The Aspark Owl is one of the best engineered hypercars ever created, featuring an astonishing cost above the $3 million. This EV hypercar produces an insane amount of mechanical power at 1,984 HP thanks to the implementation of four electric motors, one per wheel. The charging gear for this vehicle takes only 80 minutes to fully charge the 64 kWh EV battery.
This full electric sport vehicle can reach a great top speed of 249 mph, surpassing most supercars in the list. The acceleration is perhaps the most surprising feature, reaching 0 to 60 mph in just 1.7 seconds.
New Tesla Roadster
The 2023 Tesla Roadster promises to be the new marvel of electric vehicle engineering, improving the already astonishing features of its predecessor. There is little information on the inner engineering of the new Roadster, but Tesla claims that this full-electric vehicle will reach a top speed surpassing 250 mph and the acceleration is improved, achieving 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds.
Rimac Nevera
The Rimac Nevera is not simply a supercar or a hypercar, but the fastest electric vehicle ever created in the EV industry, featuring a unique engineering and design. This EV implements four carbon-sleeved permanent-magnet AC synchronous motors, one per wheel. Each front motor generates 295 HP, while the rear ones generate 644 HP, delivering a total of 1,813 HP to the whole vehicle.
This highly engineered EV with its 1,813 HP can reach a top speed of 258 mph, something groundbreaking in the EV automotive industry. The Rimac Nevera also features a far-from-shy acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in 1.85 seconds.
