Motor1.com Lines Up Six Entry-Level EVs For A Rolling Drag Race

By definition, electric cars are not meant to be fast. Their main goal is to be efficient, clean, and silent. But then, even the very base battery-powered vehicles are quicker off the line than many of its combustion-powered cousins. And that’s one of the reasons why we like them.

We decided to compare six of the cheapest EVs on the European market in a direct drag race competition. For the purposes of this race, we took the BMW i3s, Hyundai Kona Electric, Mini Cooper SE, Renault Zoe ZE50, Renault Zoe ZE40, and Smart ForTwo EQ. 

The test was performed by our colleagues at Motor1.com Turkey on a closed track. But this is not a traditional drag race where the rivals begin from a standstill. Instead, all six cars line up and accelerate to 37 miles per hour (60 kilometers per hour) and retain that speed for a quarter-mile (400 meters). Then, the drivers unleash the full potential of the electric powertrains for the next 0.37 miles (600 meters).

We won’t spoil the winner but will just tease you that the cars were divided into two groups by their performance. The first group consisted of the BMW i3S, Mini Cooper SE, and Hyundai Kona Electric, followed by the two Zoes and the electric Smart. The first three cars were significantly faster.

Our Turkish colleagues also performed a brake test which also saw the cars divided into two groups. So, which one was the quickest and which one had the best brakes? Take a look at the 6:46-minute video at the top of this page.