Going electric isn’t all about being sensible and grown-up… as these rad concepts and upcoming supercars prove

PORSCHE TAYCAN

Buy from £75,000 (est) / porsche.com

Porsche had one clear assignment when it launched its Mission E concept back in 2015, and that was to take the fight directly to Tesla in the battle to be the best premium electric vehicle maker. Renowned for producing ludicrously high-performance cars, Porsche not only wanted to steal the spotlight with headline performance figures in its upcoming production Taycan model, but was also determined to inject some of its renowned handling and precision driving feel.

As a result, the crew from Stuttgart developed an all-new platform to house the batteries and electric motors (about the most expensive thing you can do as an auto maker), while the driver sits with his or her backside close to the floor in order to obtain a perfect low centre of gravity. Although slightly too heavy to really earn the ‘electric Porsche 911’ moniker, the Taycan is slated to reach 62mph from a complete standstill in less than 3.4 seconds. We know, the most powerful Model S will outrun it in a drag race, but get this on a track and it will surely dominate.

FERRIS FUELLER’S DAY OFF

With a predicted range of around 320 miles, this EV is also very competitive on the usability front, with Porsche claiming it will use the latest battery technology that features an energy density greater than anything Tesla currently uses. On top of this, the German marque has been touting crazy recharging times, stating that the 800-volt system can take on 62 miles of charge in just four minutes.

Cynics were quick to point out that this is all dependent on the availability of 350kW CCS chargers, of which there is currently one in the UK and with which no existing EV models are compatible, but this is going to expand rapidly.

Seeing as the Taycan will act as a halo EV model for the rest of the Volkswagen Group (Audi, VW, Seat etc), it will be ushering in the next generation of interior tech, with beautiful curved instrument displays, numerous touchscreens and interactive surfaces all slated to appear.

Pricing is still very much under wraps for the time being, but expect it to cost more than even the most expensive Tesla Model S variants.

KEY SPECS

● Range Up to 320 miles

● Power 300-500kW (322-630bhp)

● 0-62mph 3.4 seconds

● Top speed 162mph

● Infotainment tbc

PININFARINA BATTISTA

Buy from £1.5m (est) / pininfarina.it

Wow. Italian auto maker and design studio extraordinaire Pininfarina entered the EV arms race at this year’s Geneva Motor Show with the four-wheeled equivalent of a surface-to-air missile.

A 120kWh battery pack and four electric motors deliver a whopping 1900bhp, enough to see the Battista become one of the most powerful vehicles ever produced in Italy. Don’t get too excited just yet, though: we won’t be seeing any of these on the roads until next year at the earliest, and just 150 of them will be hand-crafted in Turin. We’ll have to wait a little bit longer to see if the claimed 0-62mph sprint time of under two seconds is real or just vehicular vapourware.

KEY SPECS (EST) ● 280 miles ● 1400kW (1900 bhp) ● 0-62mph in 1.9s ● 217mph ● Screens tbc

NIO EP9

Buy from $1.2m (est) / nio.com

Chinese marque Nio has already launched a number of electric SUVs with impressive emissions-free running times, sharp AI systems and space for up to seven comfortable travellers. But its EP9 is the real masterstroke, with a 1000kW electric propulsion system developing the equivalent of 1360hp.

Co-developed by British engineers from the NextEV Formula E team, the EP9 uses liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries to help it reach 124mph in just 7.1 seconds… and to set a Nurburgring lap record.

Nio suggests just six EP9s will be built. If you’re only lucky enough to make the passenger seat, a dedicated digital display will measure your ‘excitement levels’, including heart rate.

KEY SPECS (EST) ● Range tbc ● 1000kW (1360bhp) ● 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds ● 195mph ● Four screens