British firm Longbow reveals featherweight EV sports cars developed by former Tesla, Lucid and BYD execs

You don’t normally associate lightweight chassis and low dry weight with electric vehicles. EVs are either lightweight with a dismal range, or range impressive with a ton of dry weight. That could change with Longbow, a Britain-based startup founded by Daniel Davey, Mark Tapscott, and Jenny Keisu in 2023. Why do these names matter? Well, they’ve worked for Tesla, Lucid Motors, BYD and Polestar – playing a pivotal role in the development of their iconic electric vehicles.

The trio has managed to get hold of an impressive team of engineers and automotive experts to build the Roadster and Speedster EVs – both of which are “spiritual successors” to Lotus Elise and Jaguar E-Type. Having the company headquarters in the UK is a strategic decision that keeps them close to leading engineering firms. This also gives them access to suppliers who work for Formula-1 and Formula-E teams. The two-seater EVs position the company as the first-ever British electric sports car manufacturer. So, there are a whole lot of positives here to take notice of – Tesla, BYD and Polestar better watch out!

Designer: Longbow

Both the featherweight electric vehicles having bespoke aluminum chassis are being developed keeping driving experience and real-world performance in mind. As a result, the two EVs weigh less than 2,200 pounds each. The makers claim the performance EVs to be well within the reach of motorheads who are far from affluent – getting a price tag starting at 64,995 British pounds (approximately $85,000). To that end, Longbow will produce them in limited runs to maintain exclusivity. So, let’s find out what the Speedster and Roadster EVs bring to the equation.

The open-top sports car dubbed Speedster is surprisingly lightweight at 1,973 pounds giving it the liberty to go from 0-62 mph in just 3.5 seconds. This EV will have an estimated range of 275 miles on a single full charge. The cheaper of the two EVs, the Speedster will have a starting price of ₤84,995, and you can pre-book in the UK right now. It’ll launch sometime in 2026 and only 150 limited edition units will be handmade. Longbow will offer the Luminary 1st Edition and Autograph Edition models of the Speedster too for reservation.

The hardtop Roadster weighs slightly more at 2,193 pounds but gets a similar acceleration of 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds. This one will have a slightly more range at 280 miles on full charge. Longbow confirms the Roadster will have higher initial production units, although they’ll be capped to a certain number, we don’t know yet. Longbow’s co-founder and CEO David Davey said, “Our first two cars embody everything a modern driver’s car should be: agile, balanced, electric, and exhilarating.” We are truly excited to see what these performance EVs are going to be like when they finally arrive next year.