With their heavy battery packs, EVs are hardly known for being lightweight. That is, perhaps, until now. 

British startup Longbow — founded by former Tesla, Lucid, and Polestar execs — emerged from stealth today with plans for two new ultralight EVs. The company bills the cars as “spiritual successors” to the iconic Lotus Elise and Jaguar E-Type.

The first of the pair is Speedster, a nimble, open-top sports car weighing just 895kg that could accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.5 seconds. Speedster will have an estimated range of 275 miles and a starting price of ₤84,995. The first customer deliveries are slated for 2026.

Longbow said it initially wants to build 150 Speedsters. Following that, it plans to put its full attention on the EV’s slightly bulkier and cheaper brother — the Roadster. Costing ₤64,995 and weighing 995kg, the Roadster will be heavier but only marginally slower, accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds.  

Both the Speedster and the Roadster are featherweights in comparison to today’s EVs, which on average weigh around 2,000kg. In the sports car class, Tesla’s Roadster, which tipped the scales at 1,305kg, was one of the lightest ever to enter serial production, but that was phased out in 2012.  

“Our first two cars embody everything a modern driver’s car should be: agile, balanced, electric, and exhilarating,” said Longbow’s co-founder and CEO David Davey, whose previous accomplishments include launching Lucid Motors in Europe and claims to have driven the Tesla Roadster that Elon Musk launched into space. “We are reviving an icon, the lightweight British sports car,” he said. 

Together, the Roadster and Speedster represent a whole new class of cars — and a middle finger to the auto establishment. 

Over the years, EVs have been getting bigger and bigger — in market share, sure — but also in physical size. That’s partly because batteries are getting heavier and taking up more space. But it’s also because automakers are catering to demand for electric equivalents of SUVs, pickup trucks, and even hummers. 

“Astonishingly, the very segment that sparked the electric revolution — the global 2 seater sports car market worth approximately $16bn, encompassing around 250,000 vehicles per year — remains almost untouched by electrification,” Davey wrote on LinkedIn. 

With most established automakers all competing in the same segment, Longbow looks to seize a gap in the market. 

Longbow’s EV credentials

That all sounds great, but what sets this apart from all the other fancy 3D renders out there?

First, Longbow’s CV is drenched in EV acumen. The founders — Davey, Jenny Keisu, and Mark Tapscott — have combined experience launching electric vehicles at Tesla, Uber, Polestar, and Lucid. Keisu was the CEO of X Shore, adding electric boating expertise into the mix. “We bring experience from the heart of EV innovation, understanding intimately how to design and deliver game-changing vehicles at commercial scale,” said Davey. 

Then there’s Longbow’s rather modest designs and specs. Instead of reinventing the wheel, the company is adopting a basic aluminium chassis, featuring reusable and configurable parts for greater durability. It also plans to source most of the car’s parts from third parties. That includes a rather basic 240kW motor, readily available off-the-shelf. 

Yes, this all makes both the Speedster and Roadster slower than an electric hypercar and less fancy than a Porsche Taycan or Maserati Granturismo Folgore. But then again, it’s also a fraction of the price. Longbow’s pair of EVs could be the sweet spot for someone looking for a Sunday drive to replace their old Porsche Boxster or Lotus Elise. 

The Speedster and Roadster are already available for pre-order. And Longbow — which has been operating in stealth for the last few years — hopes to unveil its first prototype later this year. 

“We’re not naïve about the challenges ahead,” said Davey. “Scaling production, navigating global supply chain complexities, and confronting competition from legacy automakers requires strategic foresight.” For these reasons, the company will start with a limited edition Speedster of 150 units before moving to series production of the Roadster.

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