What are the best electric sport cars? 

We all know electric cars are fast. Some ridiculously so. But there’s more to any great sports car than being quick in a straight line and that’s true of electric models as much as of petrol-powered ones. 

Some people reckon the demise of cars like the Audi TT, Jaguar F-Type and Lamborghini Aventador could spell the end of fun performance cars but we’d disagree. 

There’s an ever-growing field of electric cars that not only pack a straight-line punch but also offer the same grin-induced liveliness and handling of any good sports cars. There are already plenty on sale, with even more set to join them in 2024 and beyond, so here we’ve lined up a few of our favourites already on sale or coming soon from hot hatches to hypercars. 

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​Abarth 500e

On sale: Now

​Let’s start with the Abarth 500e, which is the first battery powered hot hatch version of Fiat’s enduringly dinky 500 baby car. 

Subtlety is not what the Abarth is about. It was launched with two colour options, ‘Poison Blue’ and ‘Acid Green,’ and for all we know these will be joined by ‘Bilious Beige’ and ‘Axe Murderer Apricot.’

The car gets model-specific front and rear bumpers, with the requisite bulges, grills and air diffusers. The interior has had a similar sporting makeover. You can choose between cabrio and three door body styles.

Power comes from a 42kWh battery, which chucks its energy into a 155bhp motor mounted at the front wheels. The run from 0-62mph takes bang-on seven seconds, so who cares about the sub 100 mph top speed? Range? About 164 miles.

Finally, the Abarth can impersonate its petrol siblings, and make fake ‘vroom vroom’ noises. When the novelty wears off, you can turn this feature off.

Alpine A290

On sale: 2025

As Abarth is to Fiat, so Alpine is to Renault, and Alpine’s first all-electric model, the A290_ß, is a sporty take on the inbound electric Renault 5, making it a 500e rival and one of the cars we’re most excited to see this year.

The A290_ß is a pumped up alternative to the more mainstream 5 but sits on the same from-the-ground-up platform. With sophisticated, multi-link rear suspension, the A290_ß is likely to be a hoot to drive. Performance figures have yet to be revealed, but the road going version is set to be powered by a 215 bhp motor, mated to a 52 kWh battery pack, which is about 15 per cent lighter the one found in the Zoe. 

We’ve only seen the wild concept so far but the production car will be revealed in mid-2024. With the 5 expected to cost around £30k, budget somewhere between £35,000 and £40,000 for this electric hot hatch.

Cupra Born

On sale: Now

The Cupra Born is really a go-faster VW ID.3 with a snarly front end, so in some ways it’s an EV successor to the famous Golf GTi hot hatch.

The car gets copper exterior detailing and a selection of meaty 20-inch alloy wheel designs. Inside, the ID.3’s uber-functional interior has also been re-worked. Think fatter centre console, well-shaped sports front seats, etc.

For spec and performance details, see our road test here, but these are broadly similar to the ID.3’s. There are two battery sizes (58 and 77kWh) with claimed ranges of between 264 and 342 miles and power outputs ranging from 201bhp to 226bhp in e-Boost specification. The most powerful Born’s 0-62 time is 7.3 seconds, making it a shade slower than the Abarth 500e.

Anyone coming to the Born from an ID.3 will find a firmer ride and sharper, fun responses, if not the nimbleness of the ICE Golf GTi.

BMW i4 M50

On sale: Now

The BMW i4 M50’s chunky, in-your-face looks are an indication of the way it behaves.

The first BMW pure EV to be breathed on by the company’s M performance division, the all-wheel-drive i4 M50 will hit 60 in 3.9 seconds, courtesy of the 544 horsepower pumped out by its dual electric motors. They also produce a truck-like 586lb ft of torque, or pulling power.

The company claims a range of up to 318 miles, and plugged into a fast charger the thing should have  a Germanically specific 71 per cent battery capacity after ten minutes.

The i4 M50 makes spaceship noises as it hurls its occupants toward the horizon, and gets around corners with the aid of the expected adaptive suspension, making behave like an actual M car.

This car is a technical and dynamic tour de force for extroverts with deep pockets (think a whisker over £72,000). 

MG4 XPower and Cyberster

On sale: Now (MG4); mid-2024 (Cyberster)

A succinct description of MG4 XPower car comes from our own Tom Barnard: “It’s nuts.”

For a fiver shy of £36,500, you get a family hatchback with 429bhp on tap that is fractionally faster to 62 than the BMW i4 M50 (think 3.8 seconds). That’s supercar performance for less than the cost of an entry-level ID.3.

To stop it vanishing backwards into a hedge, the MG4 XPower has a torque vectoring system acting on all four wheels, which are driven by a pair of motors. 

We reckon it has a real world range of 200 miles, and are impressed with boring, sensible features which range from a seven-year warranty to 150kW charging.

If all this real world usefulness offends you, and two seats and an open roof are more your thing, MG has the answer, in the shape of the Cyberster roadster, which arrives in summer 2024 and which we've already had a sneak peak of.

It has no room for small children or pets in the back, but it does have doors that pivot open like penknife blades and a sci-fi video screen instrument display.

So far MG hasn’t been specific about detail specs but we understand that there will be two-wheel-drive 309bhp and twin motor 4x4 versions producing 536bhp. Range? Officially that’s yet to be revealed, but we’d suggest about 300 miles.

With its electric folding hood, and probable Porsche baiting performance, the Cyberster comes from a very different world than the one occupied by the charming MGB, with its pig iron petrol engine and leaky, rot prone body. Well, that’s six decades of progress. 

Mini Cooper Electric

On sale: Early 2024 (reservations open now)

​2024 brings a brand-new version of the Mini, complete with two battery-powered versions. 

The previous generation Mini Electric was a hoot to drive thanks to incredible throttle response and a brilliantly balanced chassis, and this all-new one should prove similarly engaging if our initial experience is anything to go by. 

Regular Cooper models get 182bhp/214lb ft, meaning they’re as quick off the line as the Cupra Born, while SE versions get 215bhp/243lb ft, for a 6.7-second 0-62mph time and 106mph top speed. They also get a big range boost over the old car - up to 250 miles. 

This or an Abarth 500e? You decide.

Audi e-tron GT 

On sale: Now​

As its name implies, Audi’s e-tron GT is a grand tourer, but it goes with the verve of a full on sportscar, so its inclusion here is only a mild cheat.

The ‘basic’ (read not basic at all) GT has a boosted power output of 523bhp and meanders to 62 in 4.1 seconds. Its RS brother gets by with 637bhp, which explains its 3.3-second 0-62 sprint. Range is 297 miles for the GT, 12 fewer for the RS. For a detailed review of what the car does, click here.

Porsche Taycan

On sale: Now

Meanwhile if you look at the Audi and think it’s a Porsche Taycan rip off, you’re sort of right, as it’s based on the Porsche’s underpinnings and running gear, but costs around £4,000 grand less.

The Taycan itself also straddles the divide between high performance touring four-seater and sports car. Mind you, some critics have said that its uber competence results in slightly antiseptic driving characteristics, although we think it’s brilliant. Owners don’t seem to be complaining either, and the way it performs is remarkable. 

It’s a technical innovator too, with a two-speed transmission, so the car can provide eyeball-squashing acceleration or battery-friendly low rpm motorway cruising and high voltage electrics that provide industry leading recharging times. With a massive 751bhp available, the range-cresting Turbo S is one of the world’s fastest road cars to 62, which it hits in 2.8 seconds.

All this can be yours for ‘just’ £148,300.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

On sale: Now​

Take a regular electric family SUV, add the former director of BMW’s legendary M division and what do you get?

You get the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N - a five-door crossover that’s quicker off the line than a Lamborghini and handles with real vigour thanks to the attention of Albert Biermann and his team of like-minded lunatics in Hyundai’s ‘N’ offshoot. 

Everything about the Ioniq 5 has been upgraded, from the looks to the chassis and powertrain, so now it packs 640bhp and around 550lb ft, hitting 62mph in just 3.4 seconds. And it steers ridiculously well, as we discovered. 

At £65,000, it’s not cheap but it perhaps ushers in a new era of truly fun-to-drive electric cars.

The team behind the Ioniq 5 N deserve a high-five

Lotus Evija

On sale: TBC

Since we’ve entered hypercar territory it would be rude not to mention the Lotus Evija, which is a remarkable car and a beautiful object - although they have been suspiciously evasive and we've yet to see one out on the road. Or anywhere else except shows and photos.

​Announced in 2019, with a projected run of 130 cars, as far as we’re aware none have been delivered yet, but if you’ve got one in your garage, let us know.

A quartet of axle motors drive all four wheels, producing 1,972bhp and 1,257lb ft of torque in the process. The car is made from the expected confection of carbon fibre and light alloys.

Limited to 217 mph, it is claimed to wind up to 190mph in 9.1 seconds. With a 64kW battery pack to save weight, range is also likely to be fleeting, although pointing this out might be a little churlish.

The Evija has been very evasive

Lotus Emeya

On sale: late 2024

Sticking with Hethel’s finest, we’re pretty excited about the next car in its electric reinvention. We’ve already driven and loved the Eletre SUV, but later this year we should also see its saloon stablemate the Emeya. 

Like the Eletre, top-spec Emeyas will pack a punch, with 893bhp coming from twin electric motors. That’ll allow a 0-62mph sprint time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of over 155mph, while a 102kWh battery will keep you moving along with 350kW charging. 

And like the Eletre, Lotus is promising that this electric hyper GT will have all the handling thrills and driver interaction that made the brand so famous, thanks to active aero, clever chassis technology and some good, old-fashioned sports car know-how.

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The Emeya could give the Taycan and e-tron GT a run for their money

Rimac Nevera

On sale: Now​

Like the Evija, the Croatian Rimac Nevera electric supercar goes to extremes in performance, and technical density and also has a motor for each of its four wheels.

With 1,912bhp on tap its sub two second 0-60 time is hardly surprising, nor is its 265mph top speed. Power comes from a 120kWh battery, reckoned to be the world’s largest in a production car.

The Nevera is capable of charging at 500kW, but as yet can’t do this, because the necessary forecourt technology to do this isn’t available. 

Read what we made of it in our review here. 

The Nevera is named after the frequency you'll see one on the road

Maserati Grantourismo Fulgore

On sale: Mid-2024

Maserati is historically famous for its howling V6 engines but it’s moving with the times and embracing electrification, starting with its stunning Grantourismo. 

This sleek two-door sports car looks as fabulous as any Maserati and promises jaw-dropping performance to match from the Fulgore electric edition. 

How about 751bhp and 996lb ft from three motors? Or 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 202mph? 

Still not impressed? There’s a 92.5kWh battery slotted in a T-shape in the chassis for perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and 270kW charging to add 62 miles of range in five minutes. 

Maserati has already delayed production of this and the similarly potent Grecale Fulgore, but deliveries are expected to start in the first half of 2024.. Whenever it arrives, it’ll still be before the next car on the list hits the road. 

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It's been slow arriving but the Grantourismo Fulgore is lightning quick

Tesla Roadster

On sale: ???

Not surprisingly, Tesla has a stake in the world of ‘mine’s bigger/better/faster than yours’ EV sports cars, with its projected Roadster, a car whose on sale date is very much on the never never.

When it does go on sale, Tesla is claiming a top speed of ‘over’ 250mph, 0-100 in 4.2 seconds, courtesy of ‘10,000 Nm of torque’ at the wheels, and a 620-mile range. We shall see.

This will be Tesla’s second roadster. Its first, based on the Lotus Elise and built in California, was also Tesla’s first production car, the first production EV with a lithium ion battery, and the first to boast a 200-mile-plus range. It’s also the only EV to have been fired into space. 

Around 2,500 were made, so if buying a new Roadster has been frustrated by lack of supply, you could buy a second hand old one instead.

A computer generated image, because the real car doesn't exist. Will the roadster ever see the road?