Electric vehicles have already started to post some pretty impressive speeds, even as the new technology has just begun to pique the public’s interest. Some of the fastest EVs on the market today come from Tesla, Lucid and traditional automakers like Audi and Mercedes, offering consumers a wider selection of quick, clean-energy vehicles than ever before.
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Above: A Tesla Model S with a Model 3 behind (Image: Casey Murphy / EVANNEX).
Tesla’s vehicles take up four spots on Kelley Blue Book’s top 10 fastest EVs list, with the Model S Plaid being ranked second only to the 2023 Lucid Air Sapphire. Other notable names on the list include vehicles from Lucid Motors, Audi, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, though none have as many contributions to the rankings as Tesla.
While the Model S Plaid and the Lucid Air Sapphire have comparable top speeds and 0-60 speeds, the Model S Plaid is also priced at less than half of the Air Sapphire, starting at $104,990. Tesla’s Model S Plaid has 1,020 horsepower, while the Air Sapphire comes with 1,200 hp.
Just behind the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Lucid Air Sapphire are the Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance and the Tesla Model X Plaid, respectively. The Model X represents the fastest SUV on the list, with a 0-60 of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 163 mph — ranking just behind the Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance trim.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance landed in fifth, while the Tesla Model Y Performance landed in ninth, also representing the two most affordable EVs on the list and the only two under $100,000.
You can see the full rankings on the fastest 2023 model-year EVs in the chart below, as recreated from Kelley Blue Book.
TOP 10 FASTEST EVS ON THE MARKET IN 2023
| Vehicle | Price | HP | 0-60 Time (seconds) | Top Speed (mph) |
| Lucid Air Sapphire | $249,000 | 1,200 | 1.99 | 200+ |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | $104,990 | 1,020 | 1.99 | 200 |
| Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance | $179,000 | 1,111 | 2.5 | 168 |
| Tesla Model X Plaid | $104,990 | 1,020 | 2.5 | 163 |
| Tesla Model 3 Performance | $52,990 | 455 | 3.1 | 162 |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo S | $194,900 | 750 | 2.6 | 161 |
| Audi RS e-Tron GT | $143,900 | 637 | 3.1 | 156 |
| Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo | $197,500 | 750 | 2.7 | 155 |
| Tesla Model Y Performance | $56,990 | 455 | 3.5 | 155 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQE AMG 53 4Matic+ | $106,900 | 617 | 3.2 | 149 |
Above: The top 10 fastest EVs on the market, according to KBB.
Source: Kelley Blue Book
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