Roadster Rocket

Electric motors deliver full pulling force from a standstill, with no gears to change, which is why electric cars dominate acceleration. Below about 2 seconds, the limit is mostly grip: how hard the tyres can push on the road before spinning.

Top speed is a test of power against air resistance, which rises with the square of speed: going from 300 to 400 km/h takes roughly twice the power. EVs have usually been limited here, because sustained high speed drains batteries and overheats motors quickly.

Power is how fast a car can turn stored energy into motion. One kilowatt is about 1.36 metric horsepower (PS). These cars produce several times the power of a typical family EV, often from three or four motors, one per wheel or axle.

The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a 20.8 km track in Germany with 73 corners. A lap time tests everything at once: acceleration, braking, cornering and whether the battery and motors can keep performing without overheating.

Battery capacity, in kilowatt-hours, is the size of the fuel tank. Hypercars usually carry smaller batteries than you might expect, around 80–100 kWh, because a heavier battery slows a car down in corners and under braking.

A higher-voltage system moves the same power with less current, so cables can be thinner and lighter and charging can be faster. Most EVs use 400 V; these cars use 800 V or more.

Fast charging depends on how much power the battery can safely accept, not just the charger. Quoted times are usually for 10–80%, because charging slows down near full to protect the cells.

Batteries are heavy, so electric sports cars weigh more than petrol ones of similar size. Weight blunts cornering and braking, which is why makers chase it with carbon fibre and smaller packs.