While many Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are quiet, sensible and conservative, several have been designed with performance in mind to whet the appetites of more traditional car enthusiasts.

The New Zealand Government's recently announced Clean Car Discount is set to spark an increase in the importation of BEVs over the coming years, as well as further investment into charging infrastructure to cope with the increase of plug-in vehicles on our roads.

We’ve already seen performance BEVs like the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT hit our shores over the past year, so we decided to have a look at what luxury vehicle manufacturers have planned for the future.

Lotus

Lotus are back doing what they do best - a lightweight supercar – and it will be called the ‘Evija’.

Power will be divvied between four electric motors creating a combined 1,972bhp, a targeted top speed of 320km/h and a range of 346km (WLTP). On top of this, it will have an expected weight of just 1,680kg.

Battery-wise it will have a 70kWh 800V battery pack that is mounted behind the passenger compartment just like where you would expect to find a mid-mounted engine in a combustion supercar.

The battery shares a substantial proportion of the vehicles weight coming in at 718kg with its control boxes and integrated chargers.

Ferrari

During Ferrari’s annual general meeting in April 2021, CEO John Elkann stated that the firm plans to unveil a new BEV model in 2025.

“We are also very excited about our first all-electric Ferrari that we plan to unveil in 2025 and you can be sure this will be everything you dream the engineers and designers at Maranello can imagine for such a landmark in our history,” said Elkann.

Ferrari isn’t exactly a novice in electrification. The company has previously used hybrid technology to make their cars even faster in the form of the LaFerrari ‘hypercar’ and, more recently, in the SF90 Stradale and Spider.

Although little has been confirmed about this BEV model, it promises to be every bit as exciting and enticing as what they currently offer.

Lamborghini

Lamborghini has also released its electrification plans, and will have two phases over the next decade - by the end of 2024, the company plans to roll out petrol hybrid versions of its entire line-up and, following that, will debut its first all-electric model before 2030.

The initial stage will include hybrid versions of Aventador, Huracán, and Urus models which will be arriving within the next three years, as well as small scale production of the Sián roadster.

The company plans on investing a huge €1.5 billion (NZD $2.55 billion) on the hybrid and electrification transformation.

Aston Martin

British carmaker Aston Martin will reportedly begin building two fully electric car models in the UK from 2025 - an electric sports car and an electric SUV.

The battery electric sports car will be produced at the company’s manufacturing plant in Gaydon, England, while the electric SUV will be built at one of the company’s other facilities in St. Athan, Wales.

Bentley

Last November, Bentley confirmed plans to launch their first BEV in 2025, with a target of having a fully electric line up by 2030

Their first BEV is described as a being sleek, aerodynamically shaped crossover, which blends elements of a sedan and an SUV.

Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark previously described it as being something like the Jaguar I Pace, but bigger and bolder.

The platform of this high-end BEV is expected to be a version of Volkswagen Group's PPE modular platform. The platform should debut in 2023 in the form of an electric Porsche Macan. This platform’s initial design will feature an 800V architecture.

The combination of high voltage and efficient cooling systems, means cars based around the PPE platform will benefit from charge rates of up to 350 kilowatts, making it possible to charge your battery to 80% in just 20 minutes.

If performance is what you are after in a vehicle, then there’s a lot to be excited about in the higher end BEV market as more manufactures commit to an electrified future. Judging by the plans, these companies plan to maintain the engagement and excitement in their vehicles, while reducing their CO2 emissions footprint.