The 11 best electric supercars to buy in 2023
Electric supercars are coming thick and fast, all promising lightning-bolt performance that can be enjoyed safely in the knowledge that – locally at least – you're not pumping your surroundings full of exhaust gases. But which are the hot new models for 2023?
Here we’ll answer that question with a typically eclectic approach, so while you’ll find cars here that have nearly 2,000PS (1,471KW) you’ll also find a model with just 200PS (147kW). And while some of the cars on this page will definitely be in showrooms, others are less likely to make it out the factory. Caveats out the way, here’s our guide to the best electric supercars of 2023.
1. Rimac Nevara Time Attack
Rimac built 12 special edition Nevera Time Attack models to celebrate the company setting a lap record at the Nürburgring for EVs with a time of 7:05.289. Croatian racing driver Martin Kodrićhe drove the 1,941PS (1,408kW) Nevara and beat the previous record holder, the Tesla Model S Plaid, by more than 20 seconds.
The Nevara's success at Nürburgring should come as no surprise because it's also posted record times in sprints from 0-60mph, 0-100mph and 0-186mph. More importantly, it was also the fastest EV at the 2023 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, and is the fastest EV on sale with a verified 256mph top speed.
Time Attack models get a bespoke Squadron Black paint job with Lightning Green highlights that depict the ionised green skies preceding an electrical storm. A fun side comes in the form of a spoiler that sprouts from the rear to reveal the words "Dedicated to those coming after us".
2. Pininfarina B95
The Pininfarina B95 is essentially a re-bodied version of the Battista, but when it looks this good – who's caring? The B95 (the 'B' standing for Barchetta and the '95' celebrating the company's 95th anniversary) has 1,900PS (1,397kW) combined thanks to having an electric motor on each wheel, which gets it from 0-62mph in two seconds and onto a 186mph top speed.
So it's saying something that its looks are even more eye-catching than its performance figures. You get a stunning carbon-fibre body shrink-wrapped over its EV skateboard running gear and cool features like electrically adjustable twin aero screens, so you can choose to face the choking wind of mother nature head-on or do the civilised thing and shelter behind a protective glass fairing.
Inside, the interior is a delightfully luxurious mix of modern vegan-friendly materials and traditional houndstooth upholstery, which is just as well because the price for all this is steep – £3.8 million steep.
3. Tesla Roadster
Described with typical Elon Musk hubris as “a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars”, the second-generation Tesla Roadster promises seating for four, 10,000Nm (7,400lb ft) of torque, 0-62mph in less than two seconds, 250mph-plus and a range of over 600 miles. Or, at least, it did when Musk revealed it back in 2017 with the promise of it being the “fastest production car ever made, period.”
A £38,000 deposit will secure one while £189,000 ‘reservation’ for one of 1,000 ‘Founders Series’ is also offered on the company’s website.
So, when will it arrive on your driveway? Well, production delays are as much a feature of the Tesla story as ludicrous acceleration and eye-catching PR stunts, so best not hold your breath.
4. Lotus Evija
Target output of 2,000PS? Check. Strictly limited production and a seven-figure price tag? Check. Next-level performance claims? Again, check. With Lotus there is at least a respected brand name with a rich heritage, and reassurance from published test driver notes by Gavan Kershaw that it’s capable of more than sitting on a rotating plinth looking pretty.
In keeping with Lotus traditions the Evija prioritises weight-saving, the claimed 1,680kg respectable for an electric supercar even if that means a smaller battery and shorter range than many of its rivals.
We have, of course, been teased with bold promises by Lotus that never came to anything. But its new Chinese owners have the ambitions, and more importantly the money, to realise them. Fingers crossed.
5. Aspark Owl
The who-what? The name might not be familiar but, by now, the claims and numbers will be. The Aspark Owl promises a 0-62mph time of less than two seconds, a combined 2,000Nm (1,480lb ft) of torque from its four electric motors and a top speed well north of 200mph.
So far, so predictable. The Owl originates in Japan, but it's due to be built in Italy and selling for a price just shy of €3million. Compared with the angular futurism of most other cars in this sector, the more swoopy, traditional curves of the Owl’s bodywork have a real sense of elegance.
This is one to be added to the mega electric hypercar grouptest as and when we get a chance to do that.
6. Drako GTE
The brainchild of two Californian-based engineers and entrepreneurs, the four-seat Drako GTE ticks the expected boxes with a combined 1,216PS (894kW) and 8,880Nm (6,571lb ft) from its four electric motors and boasts of a 200mph-plus top speed.
The Nürburgring is a long way from San Jose but Drako claims the German track informs industry leading torque vectoring, with individual wheels adjusting their positive and negative outputs to help the GTE rail the bends with “a feeling almost as if the laws of physics have been exceeded.”
With a price tag of $1.25m and production due to be limited to just 25 examples, the input of famed racer, restorer and all-round car-guru Bruce Canepa adds credibility to the project.
7. Nio EP9
Nio is another brand you may not have heard much about but it's actually more serious and credible than you might have assumed. Plenty of big-money brands have announced electric hypercars with bold performance claims, but Nio has actually delivered.
It set a 6:45.9 Nürburgring lap in the hands of Scottish ace Peter Dumbreck. Some may question the relevance of such stunts to real world driving conditions but to even get a time on the board is an impressive validation of the EP9’s engineering.
The stats read impressively, too: 1,378PS (1,014kW) and 6,334Nm (4,687lb ft). With downforce claimed to be twice that of an F1 car, fancy pushrod style suspension and the ability to pull more than 2.5 lateral G in the corners, the Nio looks like a proper piece of kit.
8. Ariel Hipercar
Ariel wanted its high-tech new electric supercar to look like the rest of its range – tricky when the rest of the range looks like it's made primarily from scaffolding. However, the Hipercar has almost pulled it off thanks to its Bitsa aero package and characteristic nose cone.
Outrageous performance is something else the electric Atom has in common with its petrol-powered brethren; four motors, one on each wheel, deliver a total of 1,200PS (883kW), which makes up for the fact that the Hipercar weighs a positively lardy (by Ariel standards) 1,700kg.
Performance? Yes, it has some of that – 0-62mph takes less than two seconds and 0-100mph is dusted in four. An aircraft-style jet engine sends power directly to the car's 56kWh battery, calming your range anxiety (if not the anxiety of the soon-to-be-singed pedestrians around you).
9. Hispano Suiza Carmen
The Hispano Suiza Carmen was another electric supercar that thrilled crowds at the Festival of Speed, more because of its looks than its performance – positively modest in this company with a mere 1,115PS (820kW).
The styling is quite unlike anything else you've ever seen, though. Upfront, you get a vintage-style grille complemented by running boards and sweeping, razor-edged fenders that drop into the car's teardrop tail. Do we like it? Not sure. Are we glad it exists? Definitely.
While the Carmen's power figure might be unremarkable in the unhinged world of the supercar EV, there's plenty of interest in the powertrain. The Suiza has four electric motors, all of which power the back wheels, while a 40:60 front-to-rear weight distribution makes this the Porsche 911 of the EV world. Throw in a pair of butterfly doors, and this has to be one of the most interesting EVs you can currently buy.
10. Maserati GranTurismo Folgore
The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore looks more mainstream than most other cars on this list, but on the flip side, it will definitely make production and should be relatively affordable.
Even with a mere 761PS (560kW) combined from its three electric motors, the Maserati is capable of a supercar performance with a top speed of 199mph and 0-62mph in just 2.7 seconds. With a single motor at the front and two at the rear, the four-wheel drive Maser moves under power like a rear-wheel-drive supercar with long, controllable slides on demand and a Drift mode that makes such behaviour incredibly easy.
Okay, so it's technically a GT car, not a supercar. Still, the upside is that the Folgore has four seats, a usable boot and a luxurious interior fitted with Maserati's new stacked infotainment screen. There's even the promise of an open-top model coming in the future.
11. Mercedes Vision EQXX Concept
The Mercedes Vision EQXX Concept might not be a supercar, but it's definitely a super car that aims to eke out as much range as possible from a 100kWh battery – about 620 miles, in case you're interested. The EQXX's technology will likely trickle down to the Mercs we can buy in the not-too-dim-and-distant future.
So, what's the secret behind its impressive range? Well, a drag coefficient of just 0.175 helps. The EQXX’s tiny frontal area and rear track, 50mm narrower than the front, give it a teardrop shape perfect for cutting through the air when combined with aero-friendly wheels and a diffuser that deploys at high speeds.
The EQXX's battery is also crucial. Its clever design allows for passive cooling, which means it weighs 30 per cent less than a conventional battery. The only 'slight' discrepancy for this list is the meagre 200PS (147kW) produced by the car's rear-mounted motor.
List
EV
Nio
EP9
Rimac
Nevera Time Attack
Drako
Aspark
Owl
Lotus
Evija
Tesla
Roadster
Pininfarina
Battista
Maserati
GranTurismo
Folgore
Ariel
Hipercar
Mercedes
EQXX
Electric Avenue
