The Tesla Model S and Chevy Volt have little in common beyond their respective segment shares in the electric vehicle industry.
The Volt is a wise choice in the entry-level electric car segment. It may the slowest among the top-17 electric vehicles in the standard 0-60 mph acceleration test. But it offers a good balance between performance, comfort and price.
The Tesla Model S is a wise choice in the high-end electric segment. It’s the fastest vehicle currently available in the mainstream automobile market and it’s among the fastest cars, electric or gas, street legal or not.
Motor Trend recently named the Tesla Model S as one of the top-10 American cars in history. The Tesla has also been designated as the safest vehicle ever tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
For electric vehicle buyers interested only in top performance, here’s the list in reserve order of the 0-60 mph acceleration results of top-17 electric vehicles available in the United States.
(Note: Several vehicles on the list have identical 0-60 mph test times.)
17. Chevy Volt, 8.8 seconds.
16. Fiat 500e, 8.7 seconds.
15. Ford C-Max Energi, 8.5 seconds.
14. Renault Zoe, 8.2 seconds.
12. Ford Fusion Energi, 7.9 seconds. (REVIEWED
12. Mercedes B-Class Electric, 7.9 seconds.
11. Cadillac ELR, 7.8 seconds.
9. Volkswagen Golf GTE, 7.6 seconds.
9. Audi A3 e-tron, 7.6 seconds.
8. Chevy Spark EV, 7.2 seconds.
7. BMW i3, 7.1 seconds.
6. Mercedes 350e, 5.9 seconds.
5. Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid, 5.7 seconds.
4. Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, 5.4 seconds.
3. Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, 5.2 seconds.
2. BMW i8, 4.4 seconds.
1. Tesla Model S, 2.8–5.9 seconds (depending upon battery option.)
Article Last Updated: August 29, 2023.
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The fastest S Models are the ones with 4 wheel drive like the P85D. The standard 2 wheel drive Model S’s are significantly slower off the line.