Do you want a high-performance vehicle? Think EV

One of the most common misconceptions about electric vehicles (EVs) is that they do not perform as well as gasoline-powered vehicles. Performance is a complicated subject, but EVs outperform their fossil-fueled counterparts in some key areas.
High-performance EVs have blisteringly fast acceleration, impressive top speeds, and excellent handling. Gasoline-powered vehicles face stiff competition and benefit from over 100 years of research and development, but this race may be closer than you think.

How Do Electric Vehicles Compare to Gasoline-Powered Vehicles?

Electric and gas-powered vehicles are available in a range of performance levels, from low-performance budget models to high-performance luxury models and everything in between. Because there are many more gas vehicles on the road, there are more low- and high-performance gas models than electric vehicles, but electric vehicles have an advantage at both ends of the spectrum.
One advantage that EVs have over gasoline-powered vehicles is that electric motors can provide instant torque, which a gas engine connected to a transmission cannot provide. That means that when you press the accelerator in an electric vehicle, it moves almost instantly, whereas a gas-powered vehicle takes a few moments to get going.
That explains why electric vehicles accelerate so quickly in real life, with some reaching 60 mph in less than two seconds. The world's fastest gas-powered supercars can come close, but it's a very close race. This applies to all EVs, not just the high-end models.
When comparing overall performance, you must consider top speed, handling, and other factors in addition to acceleration. Electric vehicles don't always fare well in those categories, but it's a case-by-case basis. Some EVs are faster than others, and some high-end EVs have excellent handling while others, like gas-powered vehicles, fall short.

Are Electric Vehicles Really as Fast as Gasoline Cars?

Electric vehicles have an advantage in terms of acceleration, but that is only part of the story. While the fastest EVs accelerate faster than the fastest gas-powered cars, acceleration and top speed are two entirely different beasts.
When it comes to the fastest cars in the world, gas-powered cars have reached top speeds of more than 300 MPH, while the fastest production EV tops out at around 200 MPH.
In the future, EV hypercars could theoretically match the world's fastest gasoline vehicles, and test vehicles have already reached top speeds of around 260MPH. Still, these are all speeds that the average driver is unlikely to ever encounter.
When it comes to real-world performance on real-world roads, electric vehicles provide better acceleration and more than enough speed to keep up.

Have EVs ever won races?

Electric cars aren't new, and they have a history that rivals that of gasoline-powered vehicles. One of the first automobile races held on a track in the United States was won by an electric vehicle. According to some accounts, it was the first of its kind. In that race, two electric vehicles competed against a field of gas-powered vehicles, and the Riker Electric Vehicle Company won.

A Brief History of Electric Vehicles

Since that first race over a century ago, gas-powered vehicles have dominated the roads, while electric vehicles have faded into obscurity. Due to the strict regulations that most races impose on the types of vehicles that can compete, relatively few modern electric vehicles have competed against gas-powered vehicles. There have been a few exceptions, and electric vehicles have won modern races against gas-powered vehicles.
In 2015, electric cars won the top two spots in the unlimited division of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This division allows almost anything to compete as long as it passes safety inspections, so this is one race where EVs can compete head to head with gas-powered vehicles.
The following year, a gas-powered vehicle won again, but EVs took second and third place. Since then, electric vehicles have continued to compete and, in many cases, to win.
Aside from the rare occasions when EVs can compete directly against gas-powered vehicles, there are numerous all-electric racing series. These races pit electric vehicles against one another in a variety of configurations and categories, resulting in new developments and breakthroughs in the field of electric mot

Do Low-Cost EVs Perform Well?

While the performance of high-end electric vehicles is obvious, more affordable EVs offer many of the same advantages. The same quick acceleration that allows EVs to have the fastest 0-60 times on the market trickles down to even the most modestly priced family sedans.
The all-electric Chevy Bolt hatchback, for example, has a 0-60 MPH time of six seconds. The gas-powered Chevy Bolt takes more than 10 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH. So, while less expensive EVs don't perform as well as more expensive EVs, they still outperform comparable gas-powered vehicles in the same category.

How to Choose a High-Performance Electric Vehicle

If you want an EV that performs as well as or better than comparable gas-powered vehicles, you don't need to consider performance at all. When you consider factors such as passenger and cargo space, battery capacity and range, and maximum rate of charge, you'll usually end up with a vehicle that performs as well as, if not better than, any gas-powered vehicle in the same category.
If performance is your primary concern, you'll be looking at the higher end of things, which means you'll need more room in your budget. If you intend to use the vehicle as a daily driver rather than just to show off its power, you'll need to consider things like battery capacity and range, but you'll also want to consider the 0-60 MPH time, top speed, and other factors like handling.
Is an Electric Vehicle the Right Choice for Me?

EV Performance in the Future

Electric vehicles have existed for as long as gas-powered vehicles, but mostly in the shadows. Almost all of the R&D time and money has gone into gas-powered vehicles, and all of that engineering output is visible in the vehicles you see on the road and race track today.
With electric vehicles becoming more popular and more on the road with each passing year, developments and advancements are likely to accelerate with the same ferocity as a high-performance EV accelerating off the line. In races like the Pikes Peak Unlimited Hill Climb, the emphasis is already on EVs, and a number of automakers have set their sights on the high-performance market.
Top speeds are currently held by gas-powered vehicles, but future EVs are expected to close the gap. For example, the Tesla Model S topped out at around 160 MPH and led the production EV pack for a while until the recently released Tesla Model S Plaid blew right past it with a top speed of more than 200 MPH.
Other experimental EVs have gone even faster, such as the Rimac Nevera, which has a top speed of 258 MPH. Many of these advancements are likely to lead to improvements in affordable EV performance as these and other EVs begin to dominate the high-performance market.