If you want to go fast and play your role in saving the world while doing it, you’ll find your options somewhat limited. Although the numbers are increasing, there isn’t exactly a plethora of electric vehicles out there, let alone at the sharper end of the performance spectrum. The first to spring to many minds would be the Tesla Model S, but it isn’t alone. There is also the Lucid Air, another luxury sedan that is due to go on sale later this year, not to mention the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT.
The original
The Tesla Model S is easily one of the most popular high-performing all-electric vehicles available today and it is easy to see why. It rockets to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds in Performance guise (3.7 s in the standard version) thanks to its 778-horsepower dual electric motors, which also delivers a whopping 841 lb-ft of torque. It sends its power to all four wheels through a single-speed fixed-ratio transmission and boasts an impressive EPA-estimated range of 402 miles, which is impressive for just how much mileage it is possible to garner from one charge.
It is billed as a luxury sedan but it must be said that it does lack the plusher appointments of more traditional rivals and it is not as solidly built as those from, say, Germany. However, it does have a very high-tech cabin, excellent cargo capacity and, with its air suspension, it is supremely comfortable to drive and it was definitely designed with class in mind and has a stylish look that has aged well. The main selling points of this car though are definitely its practical mileage and the blistering acceleration that comes from its instantly responsive powertrain.
The up-and-comer
The Air will be hitting the market later this year with customer deliveries set to begin in the first half of the year, designed to challenge the Tesla directly. Unlike that automobile’s AWD, the base model here is rear-wheel drive (with only the more powerful models in the range sending power to all four wheels). The entry-level has 480 hp on tap courtesy of its electric motor, while the Touring gets AWD and 620 hp. The Grand Touring boosts that to a Tesla-rivaling 800 horsepower and the Dream Edition maxes this out at a staggering 1080 horsepower.
In typical EV fashion, the Lucid makes use of a single-speed automatic transmission. Figures for the entire range are not yet available but there is a 0-60 sprint figure for the Dream Edition, which is a wildly impressive 2.5 seconds. It is also the most aerodynamic car in the world with a drag coefficient of 0.21, besting the figure of 0.24 for the Tesla.
Inside, superlative luxuriousness is promised, but there is also a vast amount of space on offer. Not only did Lucid focus on making the drivetrain components as powerful as possible, but also as small as possible in order to maximize interior roominess. It features the largest trunk in the segment, too.
Sporting heritage
Another performance-oriented and luxurious four-door EV that is available at the moment is Porsche’s first all-electric vehicle, the Taycan. It boasts dual motors, as well as two gearboxes sending power to all four wheels - a single-speed unit up front and a two-speed unit at the rear. The new entry-level Taycan has a maximum of 375 horsepower on tap in its most powerful guise, and hits 60 mph in 5.1 seconds before heading onto a top speed of 143, with the 4S offers up to 482 horsepower, enabling it to sprint from 0-60 in under four seconds flat and on to a top speed of 155. The Turbo ups the ante even more with a staggering benchmark sprint time of three seconds and a top speed of 161 mph thanks to its 670 hp, and the Turbo S has an over-the-top 750 hp available.
Porsche has done a fantastic job of blending the well-known style of the German marque and its iconic shape with the modern cues an all-electric deserves. Luxury appointments are also the order of the day inside, as is high-end build quality. This may be the first full EV to come out of Stuttgart, but the firm has made sure it is still very much a family member of its other automobiles.
The aggressive option
If you’re willing to wait a little longer to get your hand on a car in this category you can look forward to the e-tron GT. It differs from the other vehicles here in that it is far more chiseled and aggressive in its styling, immediately accentuating the sporty nature of the EV. That said, it has only been unveiled in concept form to date, but don’t expect the production version to differ too much from what you see now. The GT has two motors that combine for an output of 590 hp, which Audi claims will take the e-tron GT from 0-60 in an estimated 3.5 seconds.
Inside the four-door, you can expect typical Audi plushness and build quality. It looks like it will fall at the more affordable end of the price scale when it lands, too, with an estimated MSRP in the region of $75,000.
Closed circuit
None of these automobiles are exactly going cheap, though. In comparison to the estimated price tag of the e-tron at around $75k, the Tesla Model S Performance retails at $91,990, the Lucid ranges between $77,400 and a whopping $161,500 and the Taycan goes for between $79,900 and $185,000. However, these EVs are as much about high-end performance as they are about eco-friendliness - and having the two delivered in a single package is what you pay for with them. Let no-one say the two a mutually exclusive, though, because these luxury cars are proof that you really can have the best of both worlds.
