Top 10 best electric sports cars 2024

However, our money (quite a large chunk of it in fairness) would go on the 590bhp GTS, which combines more than enough poke with suspension settings designed to delight keen drivers. It will also travel the best part of 300 miles on a charge, which means more time driving.

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2. Audi RS E-tron GT

The first electric car to wear Audi's RS initials is, deep down, the Taycan in a different suit. It uses the same powerful electric motors (one per axle) and the same three-chamber air suspension and, of course, the underlying architecture is shared. As such, the battery pack is also carried over, meaning a WLTP range of up to 285 miles with the potential for 350kW ultra-rapid charging.

What this all means is that, firstly, the RS E-tron GT is enormously quick. In fact, the flagship version develops 612lb ft and 637bhp and will accelerate to 62mph in comfortably less than 3.5sec. Better still, it handles well, albeit not with quite the same level of panache and engagement as its Porsche cousin, particularly in terms of steering. Yet it's not far off, and the trade-off is a more relaxed gait than the Taycan when you're mooching, which considering the refinement benefits of an EV makes the Audi an equally appealing proposition.

3. Lotus Evija

All the recent Lotus headlines have been about the Emira, the British brand's Porsche 718 Cayman-chasing sports car. Yet this machine is also being heralded as the firm's last to feature a petrol engine, with future models favouring ultra-rapid charging over unleaded. The first hint of what we can expect has already been given by the Evija, an electric hypercar being produced in a limited run of 130.

The bald statistics are somewhat mind-numbing. Lotus itself was recently surprised to find that the car's four motors together deliver 2011bhp, rather than the 1973bhp it had previously quoted. That acts against 1680kg, which is relatively light in EV terms, so performance will feel like freefall, we imagine. Actual performance figures are thin on the ground, but Lotus expects a sub two seconds time for the 0-62mph sprint and a top speed the naughty side of 200mph. Oh, and there's also talk of an attempt on the Nürburgring EV lap record, which given the Evija's low(ish) weight and incredible power should be a foregone conclusion.

That said, Lotus is tuning the car for handling and dynamism more than raw statistics, so the power delivery is said to crescendo, rather like any naturally aspirated engine would. Just how much the Evija bottles traditional Lotus traits remains to be seen, but if any of the upcoming electric hypercars can truly appeal as a driver's car, Hethel's effort is probably our best bet.

4. Pininfarina Battista

Much like the relationship between the Taycan and RS E-tron GT, the Pininfarina Battista shares much hardware (and software) with the Rimac Nevera, but for the purposes of differentiation, it's being presented as the more outwardly luxurious, more GT-oriented machine of the pair.

Even so, this is no soft-centred cruiser, as the raw statistics reveal. With 1900bhp and 1696lb ft on offer from its four motors, it's perhaps no surprise to find it can do 0-186mph in less than 12sec and 217mph all out - although even these numbers pale into insignifance alongside the £2 million asking price.

Yet there's more to it than just statistics, because the Battista handles with surprising delicacy and poise too, feeling every bit as thrilling through the corners and it does down the straights. It even managed encourage our inscrutable editor-at-large, Matt Prior, to laugh out loud when he sampled it on track, which says a lot about its considerable abilities.

In the metal (and carbonfibre, obvs), the Battista is beautifully wrought both inside and out and largely Italianate, despite the fact that the company is now based in Munich and the parent company - Mahindra - is Indian. The engineers and trimmers themselves, however, include alumni from Pagani and the Mercedes-AMG Project One hypercar, meaning there's no lack of talent on display here.

5. Rimac Nevera

Few car makers have made such a big impression in such a short space of time as Rimac. In little more than a decade, the Croatian firm has grown from the garage of Mate Rimac into a company that's now partly owned by Porsche and planning the future of Bugatti. That's quite the meteoric rise.

The crowning achievement of the young Rimac empire is the Nevera, which is the follow-up to the Concept One and C_Two show cars, the former having arguably kick-started the electric hypercar trend with its 1073bhp output and £670,000 asking price when it debuted in 2017. Just 150 examples of the Nevera will be made, almost all of which are apparently spoken for. It's appeal has only been enhanced by many by its recent record-breaking EV top speed run, when it topped 256mph.

The hardware is compelling, if somewhat eye-watering. The car is built around a composite tub, and there's an electric motor for each wheel, with independent single-speed gearboxes at the front and two two-speed dual-clutch 'boxes for the back axle. The aim is to ensure the Nevera can make the most of its 1888bhp and, more important, its mountainous 1696lb ft.

With double-wishbone suspension, torque vectoring, and the potential for level four autonomous driving, the car has the works - and an eye-watering £1.8 million price tag to match. It finishes just below the closely related Battista mainly because we've spent more time in the Italian version.

6. Maserati Granturismo Folgore

Over the decades, there have been many false dawns for Maserati, but somehow the iconic Italian brand has failed to move out of the shadows of its early-1950s heyday, when its cars were winning Formula 1 world championships on the track and the hearts of enthusiasts on the road. Yet while this recent attempt to reset and go again could ultimately flatter to deceive once more, there are reasons to be hopeful that this time the Modenese maker is finally on the path to success. 

First up, there was the lauch last year of the sensational MC20 supercar, then it pulled the covers off a new mid-sized SUV (crucial for sales success) and now there's the all-new Granturismo, a coupé that's designed to do exactly what it says on the tin. More importantly, it's the first Maserati to get the all-electric treatment. Known as the Folgore (that's thunderbolt in English), its based on all-new, largely aluminium platform that's designed to work with both ICE and BEV powertrains.

It has the raw statistics: with a tri-motor set-up (two at the back for torque vectoring and one at the front), it delivers 751bhp for 0-62mph in 2.7sec and a 199mph top speed. What's more, it's battery (83kWh for a claimed range of 280 miles) has been designed in an elongated H-shape layout, with the centre section slotting down the spin of the car. Not only does this deliver a lower seating position, but it also centres the masses and helps to give the car greated agilty.

We've only driven the car on track so far, but the results are extremely promising. The incredible acceleration you expect, but it's the car's ability to to turn in sharply, rotate quickly aroun the apex and exit with a delicious rear-biased attitude means it's good to drive.

7. BMW i4

BMW is no stranger to electrified sports cars, its ill-fated i8 combining daring supercar looks with a powerful, high-tech, plug-in hybrid powertrain and a genuinely entertaining driving experience. However, the i4 is the firm's first stab at a proper hig-performance electric machine - and it's not a bad effort.

Unlike the i3 and iX, the i4 isn't built on a bespoke EV platform, but instead uses a version of BMW's CLAR architecture (in essence, this is an electrified 4 Series Gran Coupé). There's an entry-level rear-drive eDrive40 model that's brisk enough, but for true bar-room bragging rights, you need the M50, which features a twin-motor set-up that packs a hefty 536bhp punch for a M4-baiting 0-62mph time of 3.9sec.

Despite a kerb weight that's 300kg the wrong side of two tonnes, the BMW handles with surprising agility and control, its powerful motors and clever software allowing some tail happy action if you're in the mood. It's not as fun as an M4 Competition, but it feels just as fast and what it lacks in outright poise and precision it gains in comfort and refinement.

As a first attempt at a fully electric driver's car, the M50 is pretty much on target, but bear in mind that the cheaper and slower (but lighter and with less adhesive tyres) eDrive40 actually has the sweeter and more approachable handling balance, plus it will go further on a charge at 367 miles. As a driver's car it's the better bet, and the fact you're saving a few quid only makes the deal more appealing.

8. Kia EV6 GT

You probably weren't expecting to find a Kia in this list, but the Korean firm has been on a mission to shift perceptions recently. It started a few years ago with the now defunct Stinger GT-S, an upmarket five-door coupé that packed a thumping V6 engine and expressive rear-wheel drive handling, but it's the warm embrace of electrification that will allow it to really make its high performance mark.

The rakish EV6 has already impressed in its cooking versions, with good looks, plenty of pace and biddable handling making it a surprisingly satisfying steer. So expectations for the flagship GT model are understandably high - not surprising when you consider the specification. The raw statistics show that it's dual motor set-up (one at the front and another at the back for four-wheel drive) packs 577bhp and 546lb ft, which makes it good for a 0-62mph time of 3.5sec and a 161mph top speed. And thanks to its 77.4kWh battery, it can travel a claimed 263 miles on a charge, while an 800V electrical architecture means ultra-rapid charging is on the menu.

There have also been chassis tweaks, with an enhanced GT mode delivering more focussed damper settings at the touch of a button, as well as the full 577bhp. Overall it feels surprisingly light on its feet, with quick steering strong grip and, of course, a devastating turn of speed, while the Drift mode is hilarious - although the wild angles of dangle it induces means it's best not deployed on the road. Only when pushed to the limit does the EV6 feel a little ragged as it struggles to contain its SUV-ish height and not inconsiderable mass.

However, where the EV6 really scores is in its value for money. On paper its £62,645 asking price looks a little steep, but few cars come close to matching the quirky-looking Korean machine's performance per pound offering.

COMING SOON

Tesla Roadster

Of course we couldn't have a list of electric cars without including Tesla. In fairness, in terms of performance most of its current line-up could secure a place in this rundown, but for sports car appeal the Roadster has to get the nod, even if it seems like the 2+2 drop-top might never arrive. Already around four years behind schedule, it's apparently meant to go into production soon, but given that we've been here a few times before, it might be wise to take this claim with a pinch of salt.

Until then, we've only got Tesla's claimed figures to go on – and the Roadster does look like it could be one of the most exciting EVs yet. Exact power figures aren't available, but the tri-motor set-up is similar to that used in the Model S Plaid, which delivers a heady 1006bhp - and given that Tesla claims the Roadster will rocket from standstill to 60mph in 1.9sec and onto a top speed of 250mph, this sort of muscle seems about right. Arguably even more impressive is the claimed range of 620 miles, which puts it ahead of cars such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS, a limousine that packs a vast battery in excess of 100kWh.