It’s been said that Elon Musk made the electric vehicle sexy, thereby changing the narrative for green-powered transport. While Musk has done more than his fair share to popularise EVs, he’s not alone, nor indeed the most adept at providing the ultimate in luxury EV cars.
At the top end of the EV market sit the dream cars of the future that is now. These are the luxury models. The ones that manufacturers throw all of their design might and power into, because money is nothing at this price point. If you thought that EVs were all gimmicks and compromise, these are the cars that prove you wrong.
For the masses, price is one the most significant barriers to entry when buying an electric vehicle. However, not all Australians are worried about shelling out for a top-line vehicle. In this day and age of the cozzie livs, the second most popular car sold in Australia last month was the Tesla Model 3.
The demand for cars above $100,000 – and in many cases, triple that – is small. However, they’re worth taking a look at purely to understand just where the future of transport lies and what we are driving towards.
Either you’re here because you’re window shopping for the future, or you’re living the good life and looking to splash out on a luxury set of wheels. Either way, we’ve got you covered with this round-up of the fanciest luxury EVs money can buy in Australia right now.
If money was no object, here are the cars we’d be adding to the garage in our mansion.
Luxury EV Cars Australia
High performance, incredible battery range, and fully electric, these cars are everything EVs should and can be.
Note that the high-end Tesla Model S and Model X do not feature on the list since they’ve been made unavailable in Australia.
Porsche Taycan Turbo S
The Porsche Taycan comes in 8 different variations, including hatchback models in the Taycan Cross Turismo. But it’s the Taycan Turbo S in their sport saloon variants that have been turning heads.
The Taycan is Porche’s first foray into the battery electric vehicle world and they’ve done it in a way only the Italian car maker can — by making it one of the fastest EVs in the world.
Reviewers at Drive noted that the Taycan’s initial acceleration is so rapid it made some of their testers nauseous. It can do 0 to 100kmph in 2.6 seconds, with a top speed of 260kmph. The vehicle is also relatively low in power consumption while being able to reach 80% charge from 5% in 22 minutes, under ideal conditions.
All that grunt doesn’t come cheap, however. The Taycan Turbo S is the most expensive EV in Australia currently. Prices for the 2023 model start at $352,600.
Audi E-Tron GT
The Audi E-Tron is the flagship line of performance EVs from Audi. The German car manufacturer has been leaning heavily toward the EV luxury car sector, with plans for 20 new fully-electric models in their lineup by 2025.
If the E-Tron GT looks similar to the Taycan above, that’s because it shares a platform with Porche’s model. Thankfully, it’s a whole lot cheaper while retaining much of the electric firepower.
The E-Tron GT comes with all-wheel drive as standard and has been described as “stupidly powerful.” It handles more like a two-door sports car than a four-door touring vehicle and can do 0-100kmph in 4.1 seconds. With a driving range of 540km and an 800-volt battery, the car also has a conveniently short charge time to keep you on the road.
If it’s good enough for Iron Man himself, it’s probably good enough for you. That said, you’ll need Tony Stark money to get it, with prices starting at $181,700.
Maserati GranTurismo Folgore
Want a car James Bond would be itching to take for a spin that also doesn’t flash its green credentials? Look no further than the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore.
There’s little change here between the petrol model and the newly released battery electric model. Save for the lack of a roar, you’d hardly notice the difference.
Maserati has chosen to dive into the EV market with this edition of one of their all-time classics. The GranTurismo Folgore has three engines, each with a 300kW output. Combined, they manage to launch the car from 0 to 100kmph in 2.7 seconds. That’s 1.2 seconds faster than the petrol version.
The name Folgore comes from the Italian for lightning and this is precisely what the experience of driving one is intended to be like.
With its elegant, classic design brought into the cutting-edge of the present, the GranTurismo Folgore is sure to receive long hard looks from any luxury car fan.
Shame that the EV models are unlikely to be available in Australia until late next year and are expected to cost well over $350,000.
BMW i7 M70
BMW’s flagship offering in the luxury EV car market is the i7. With a number of options, the forthcoming i7 M70 is the biggest and baddest in the range.
The exterior looks like something a mafia godfather would drive while the interior glows like it’s designed for deep space travel. Under the hood, or the frame, it may as well be.
Unveiled at the Shanghai motor show in April, the M70 is the most powerful electric vehicle the company has ever produced. With two motors pumping 485kWs of power through the car, it’s also the fastest vehicle BWM have ever created in the commercial sector.
The M70 is reported to be able to hit 100 km from standstill in 3.7 seconds and clocks a top speed of 250 km. With rear-seat massage function and specialist air suspension, your passengers will feel like they’re floating.
BMW has announced that local pricing will start at $344,900, before on-road costs. Orders will start for the M70 in 2024.
Rolls-Royce Spectre
Rolls-Royce has consistently been associated with the top of the top end in luxury vehicles. They’re the manufacturers of vehicles driven by royalty the world over.
To date, they’ve yet to get into the EV game but that’s all about to change with the announcement of the Rolls-Royce Spectre.
The coupe is set to hit the Australian market at the end of this year and carries an eye-watering sticker price of $800,000.
For that money, you get a five-and-a-half metre beast inspired by the design of luxury yachts. It literally sparkles on the inside, with over ten thousand softly illuminated stars coating the interior. Tested in the Côte d’Azur, the Spectre is road-ready for where typical buyers will likely be driving it.
Despite weighing nearly three tonnes, it can do 0 to 100kmph in 4.5 seconds. Even at those speeds, it’s designed to be entirely silent without a hint of vibration.
The company have said their entire lineup will be electric by the end of the decade. If the electric models are anything as exciting as the Spectre, there’s good reason to believe the company will continue to dominate in the EV future.
Related: Everything You Need to Know Before Buying an Electric Vehicle
Related: Aussies Back Electric Vehicles and Want Their Leaders to Do The Same
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.