Which Electric Cars Inspired Drivers And Manufacturers Most?

Making a successful electric vehicle is a challenge on two fronts. The first is about devising the right infrastructure from raw material suppliers to manufacturing facilities to dealer networks and continued support.

The other challenge is to win hearts and minds, and this is something that can be difficult with a class of vehicle where practicality often takes precedence.

However, the value of the halo car is perhaps even more important with EVs, as strong displays of capabilities, capacities, and sheer coolness can help to inspire purchases up and down the range.

Most recently, the Renault 5 has become a highly popular EV, managing to marry both style, features and driving experience, becoming a style icon in the space the same way the old Renault 5 petrol car did.

With that in mind, here are some of the other EVs that became halo cars for the entire industry, springboarding the entire industry forward in one way or another.

Was The GM EV1 The First Ever Practical Electric Car?

Whilst it would be easy to overemphasise the importance of early pioneers such as the Sebring CityCar or the Scottish Aviation Scamp, the first electric car of an era where they were potentially practical replacements for petrol cars was the ambitious GM EV1.

Initially intended to prove that EVs were not yet practical in the wake of an ambitious zero-emissions vehicle mandate in California, the EV1 was adored by the small number of owners who were able to lease it. It was never actually sold.

Unfortunately, GM infamously discontinued the EV1 in favour of gas-guzzling monstrosities such as the Hummer H2, and by the time the Chevrolet Volt was released nearly a decade later, they were no longer leading the charge but following the pack.

Why Did The Original Tesla Roadster Matter?

Whilst not even the first electric version of the Lotus Elise, the original Tesla Roadster from 2008 was part of a masterplan from the world’s largest EV-exclusive manufacturer to raise enough capital to create what they saw as an electrified future of cars.

The Tesla Roadster was the first step, being a sports car made using their powerful battery technology that was the ultimate example of a halo car; it was cool enough to sell the concept of EVs as a prestige luxury vehicle.

This led to the development of the relatively more affordable Model S cars, and the plan peaked with the Model Y and Model 3, both of which were the most successful EV cars ever made.

Whilst the company has unfortunately gone backwards with the infamously ill-conceived Cybertruck and has seemingly shifted focus to AI and robots rather than cars, the Tesla Roadster was hugely influential in shaping much of the EV market.

How Did The BYD e6 Change EVs Forever?

Initially based heavily on the Honda Odyssey people carrier, the first car by Chinese battery manufacturer Build Your Dreams was also the first battery electric vehicle to enter full production.

The approach BYD took was the polar opposite of Tesla; instead of creating a luxury car, they instead focused on the fleet market, families and city commuters.

What helped was that BYD was a very good battery manufacturer with decades of experience working with rechargeable batteries. This advantage has not only persisted, but it has also led to huge increases in sales outside of China in recent years.

Was The Nissan Leaf The First Truly Successful EV?

Whilst far from groundbreaking, the Nissan Leaf was the first practical and successful EV ever made. It was the first to feel like a conventional car, the first EV that was affordable to people who could afford a new car.

It became a halo car not only for Nissan itself but for the concept of EVs, and for years afterwards the EV market was shaped by the Leaf until faster, larger and more capable EVs emerged in the 2010s.

What Made The Rimac Concept One EV So Important?

Whilst the Nissan Leaf revolutionised the EV by making it feel like any other petrol car (albeit quieter and much cheaper to run), the Rimac Concept One and its successor, the Rimac Nevera, radically sought to push the concept of EVs and cars in general to their absolute limits.

In 2013, it was the world’s fastest EV, with unprecedented levels of acceleration and power working alongside a very clever all-wheel-drive system where each wheel had a separate motor.

It single-handedly invented the electric hypercar and showed the unprecedented potential electric vehicles had in a way that is only beginning to pay dividends a decade later.