Goodwood Festival is Speed is a celebration of the car. Held annually in the grounds of the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, UK, it attracts thousands to come to show off their cars, get a closer look at cars they’ve only ever dreamed of owning - and just to soak up the festival atmosphere.
Burning rubber, unburnt petrol, the sweet oily sweat of an old engine, that’s what draws people into Goodwood, the smell of nostalgia that hangs in the air.
As some of the most exotic engines, in the most exotic cars, roar and pop up the famous hill climb, this celebration of the car is set against the backdrop which very much looks to the future. There are examples ofelectric carseverywhere, from the common to the really quite rare.
Here are some of the great electric cars you should look out for at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2022.
The super electric cars of Goodwood Festival of Speed
There’s been a boom in electric cars on the road - we’vereviewed many of the latest electric cars- and there’s a lot more coming. We hunted out interesting electric cars around the grounds of Goodwood. Some you’ll have seen before, some you’ll never be able to buy and some will be market leaders by the end of next year.
TheBMW i7is the latest i model to join the ranks, taking electric into the realms of luxury. The most interesting thing about this car is actually in the back seat, where there’s a 31.3-inch display that folds down from the roof. Powered by Fire TV, it turns the backseat into a mobile cinema.
That’s because the BMW i7 is a car to be driven in. But there’s no shortage tech elsewhere, with Level 3 autonomy, a massive 101.7kWh battery and mini touch displays in the doors to control a range of functions. Best of all, it’s available to order now.
Hispano Suiza Carmen
This is exactly the sort of car that Goodwood Festival of Speed is made for - because you’ll probably only see it at an event like this. The Hispano Suiza Carmen is a fully electric hypercar, fusing the incredibly modern with the incredibly retro.
The Carmen packs in 750kWs of power, gull-wing doors, and those enclosed rear wheels, with inspiration coming from the 1938 Dubonnet Xenia. The interior also offers a great fusion of old and new.
Polestar 5
A Goodwood debutant, wearing camouflage, but a legitimate first viewing of this model. The story behind this car is amusing: the response to Polestar’s concept car, the Precept, was so good, thecompany decided to make it- basically with no changes.
The aim is for 650W of power for this sporty GT and it’s likely to be a popular alternative to the likes of the Tesla Model S. It’s due on the roads in 2024.
Rimac Nevera
The Rimac Nevera is likely to be a car you hear about but never see. Not because it’s going to be incredibly fast - which it is with a 0-62mph time of 1.97 seconds - but because it’s likely to be extremely rare.
Rimac are now working with Bugatti and this brand already has legendary status, not just because Richard Hammond’s crash in a Top Gear episode, but … ok, mostly because of Hammond’s crash. You’ll find this in the Supercar Paddock, where it belongs.
Lotus Evija
This is the big one from Lotus,the Evija. It’s a £2-million hypercar and we’ve introduced you to this car before, with Lotus describing it as a calling card for the direction that Lotus is now moving in.
It’s worth taking a look at because it’s likely to be rare and you might never see one of these on the roads - and it really is a sight to behold.
This is theLexus RZand it’s likely to be popular, alongside the similarToyota bZ4X, but the thing that marked this car out at launch was the inclusion of a steering yoke rather than a conventional steering wheel.
You’ll be able to get a conventional steering wheel, of course, while there’s a 71.4kWh battery, motors front and back and a range of around 250 miles - which sounds close to what we experienced on Toyota’s top model.
Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo
When Porsche announced theTaycan, we had no idea just how popular it would become. We also had no idea that Porsche would announce a full range of models, but they have.
While the easiest criticism of Porsche is that all its cars look the same, it’s worth taking a turn of the Porsche stand at Goodwood to see the different models of Taycan alongside Porsche’s other models. The Taycan - in its many forms - is available to buy now.
The Mustang by Charge Cars
Many people argued that theFord Mustang Mach-Ewasn’t a Mustang. Well, this isn’t even a Ford, but it’s definitely a Mustang. Based on the 67 Fastback, it is built using officially licensed Ford bodyshells, resulting in an awesome restomod look. It’s called the Mustang by Charge Cars.
There’s a 63kWh battery, 50kW charging and a range of 200 miles. The 0-60mph time of 3.9 seconds will put a smile on your face. This is a car that looks amazing, even if it’s not quite as advanced as some of the models on this list. But there will only be 499 of these made, so it’s really quite special.
Lotus Eletre
While the Evija will be out of reach for many, theelectric SUV Eletreis likely to be more common, as Lotus focuses on boosting its mainstream appeal.
Performance is the target (this is a Lotus after all) with a 0-62mph time of under 3 seconds - and a target range of 373 miles. Built from the ground up on a new platform, this is a complete departure from Lotus' past, so it’s an important car for the brand.
