5 Of The Quickest EVs With Impressive Top Speeds

American muscle cars and turbocharged European sports cars spent decades dominating the stat sheets when it comes to acceleration. But electric vehicles are inherently more adept at getting off the line quickly, and they've been churning out impressive 0-to-60 times over the last 10 years or so. Top speeds are important when considering the overall speedy nature of a vehicle, but there's only so fast you can drive on public streets. That's why we'd like to focus our attention here on the thrill of acceleration.

The fastest street-legal vehicle currently available is the Aspark Owl. It's a Japanese-engineered electric supercar that's among the fastest ones and makes it from 0-to-60 mph in just 1.72 seconds. But the Owl is a limited-production vehicle, and it's not the kind of car many people can add to their garage. Electric vehicles with similar acceleration capabilities, however, are available from Tesla, Porsche, and even Ford. There are even some others out there that you might be surprised to find can keep up.

While the base version of the Tesla Model S stands out for its reliability among electric vehicles, the Model S Plaid has extra speed and a 0-to-60 time of just 1.99 seconds. It utilizes a tri-motor comprised of carbon-sleeved rotors and an enhanced battery system that allows it to reach a peak horsepower of 1,020. With the manufacturers of many sedans focused more on practicality than performance, numbers like these are difficult to find in an everyday vehicle. The Model S Plaid tops out at 200 mph and manages to get up to 368 miles of range out of a full charge.

The entry-level Model S isn't as fast as the Plaid version, but it still manages to make a 0-to-60 run in 3.1 seconds. Were it not for the Plaid version, the acceleration of the base Model S would be turning heads on its own. It has a top speed of 130 mph with the dual-motor configuration capable of churning out a peak power of 670 horsepower. Not only is the Tesla Model S one of the fastest electric vehicles on the road, but we also find it to be one of the best electric vehicles in the world.

One of the more impressive electric vehicle stat sheets belongs to the Rivian R1T. It's an all-electric truck that's designed for towing, off-roading, and simply getting around town. When it comes to acceleration, Rivian claims the R1T Quad is capable of going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds,  outperforming a lot of electric cars and its gas-powered truck counterparts. This model features a quad-motor, All-Wheel Drive system.

There are a number of different R1T builds in the lineup, with the base dual-motor model able to do 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The quad-motor model that does it in 2.5 seconds includes more than 1,000 horsepower, a top speed of 112 miles per hour, and an estimated range of 374 miles. And while there aren't many vehicles on the market that can both out-accelerate a Tesla and tow an Airstream, Rivian has packed the R1T Quad with the capacity to tow up to 11,000 pounds.

In 2019, Porsche entered the world of fully-electric sports cars, and the Porsche Macan Turbo Electric is one of its quickest vehicles today. It's capable of a 3.1-second 0-to-60 time, as well as a top speed of 162 mph. Porsche has loaded it with performance technology, including Launch Control, which delivers powerful acceleration from a standstill and is the extra boost that gives the Macan Turbo Electric its impressive 0-to-60 time.

Porsche also does a great job of keeping this electric vehicle's performance from inhibiting it as an everyday vehicle. It gets up to 288 miles of range per charge, and one of its standout features is the ability to go from 10% to 80% battery capacity in just 21 minutes of charge time under direct current at full charging power. Porsche has even made sure to provide Macan Turbo Electric owners with the full Porsche driving experience, with a digitized cockpit, an augmented reality head-up display, and a Porsche Active Suspension Management system.

Another of the fastest electric vehicles is one that's maybe not as obvious as a vehicle made by Porsche. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N doesn't necessarily look like a performance vehicle at first glance, but it's capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in 3.25 seconds. The Ioniq 5 N features an All-Wheel Drive system inspired by rally cars, with Hyundai's N Torque Distribution system giving drivers precise control over how much torque the front and rear wheels get.

The top speed of the Ioniq 5 N is 161 mph, and it can reach a max power of 641 horsepower. Hyundai has given a lot of attention to making this electric vehicle feel like an everyday sports car. The N package includes an e-Shift that simulates an 8-speed dual clutch transmission. N Light Sport bucket seats provide a race-like feel. And N Active Sound+ gives drivers three different vehicle sounds to choose from, so the Ioniq 5 N doesn't feel like just another quiet drive in an electric vehicle.

The Ford Mustang was one of the original American muscle cars, and while Ford still makes a gas-powered Mustang with traditional sports car styling, it has also kept the Mustang's speedy spirit alive in an electric-powered SUV model. The Mach-E GT has an electronically governed top speed of 124 miles per hour, and with the Ford Performance Upgrade, it can do 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. The Mach-E Rally model isn't far behind, as it can do the same in 3.4 seconds.

Ford gets this kind of performance out of the Mach-E GT with a dual-motor, All-Wheel Drive setup that produces 480 horsepower. Ford positions the Mustang Mach-E not as a premium luxury vehicle like a Porsche or Tesla, but as a more accessible performance option. The Mach-E's SUV styling provides room and comfort for daily driving, but the GT model still delivers impressive acceleration and a range of up to 280 miles before needing to charge it back up.