Longbow's Electric Whispers Are Shockingly Light
Image Credit: LONGBOW.
Electric sports cars that don't weigh as much as a small moon? No more hulking electric SUVs that feel like you're driving a brick wall? British company Longbow wants to remind us that electric cars can be light, nimble, and downright grin-inducing. And I am all ears.
It took a bunch of ex-Tesla, Lucid, and BYD wizards to get together in a British shed. Fueled by tea and a burning desire to build something that doesn't feel like a runaway refrigerator, they came up with something that sounds like an outright revolution. Featherweight Electric Vehicles, or FEVs - clearly, acronyms are still a thing. These FEVs, or Longbows (much better) as they call them, are supposed to be the spiritual successors to the Lotus Elise and Jaguar E-Type. It does sound like a bold claim, but if the numbers are right, Longbow might just pull it off.
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Let's start with the Speedster, an open-top beauty that tips the scales at 1,973 pounds. That's nearly 300 pounds lighter than the 2025 Mazda MX-5. And it'll hit 62 mph in a blistering 3.5 seconds. The claimed range is about 275 miles on the European WLTP cycle, which translates to a more realistic 233 miles on our good old EPA standard. For this slice of electric heaven, you'll need to part with roughly $110,000 - and you better be quick. Only 150 of these hand-built beauties will ever exist, so you'll be as exclusive as a royal corgi at a tea party.
Next, we have the Roadster, which, confusingly, is the coupe. It weighs a tad more, at 2,194 pounds, and does the 0-62 mph sprint in 3.6 seconds. The starting price? A much more palatable $84,000. No range figures for this one yet, but it's not a limited edition, so you can breathe a sigh of relief.
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Both of the Longbows are built on a bespoke aluminum chassis, draped in sleek composite panels, and feature a long hood that just screams "classic sports car." They're rear-wheel drive, two-seaters, and they're keeping costs down by using parts-bin bits for things like lights and mirrors. Smart move, I say. No need to reinvent the wheel—or the headlight, for that matter.
Somewhere in the back, there's a 321-horsepower electric motor. The batteries, motor, and brakes are sourced from various suppliers, and Longbow ties them all together with their own bespoke software. And because they're based in the UK, they're rubbing shoulders with all those Formula 1 and Formula E teams, which means they've got access to some serious high-performance tech. They've also got "good relationships with all the major Chinese semi-state-owned businesses and suppliers," which is a polite way of saying they're getting the good stuff.
And speaking of good stuff. I jumped with joy when I found out that Longbow wasn't going to be messing around with fake engine noises or augmented shifts. No, sir. This is pure electric driving pleasure. The prototype is coming this summer, and production is slated for 2026. Which, in the automotive world, is basically tomorrow.
Is it yet another EV startup making big promises? I don't think so. These guys have the pedigree. They've all worked at Tesla, Lucid, BYD, Lotus, Aston Martin, and even Ariel. Longbow's resume reads like a who's who of the electric vehicle world. Seriously, if anyone is going to succeed, it's got to be them.
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Longbow deserves all the credit it can get. They're trying to build a car that handles like a proper sports car, not a cruise ship. The electric cars that have come before have been too heavy, too bloated. Sure - they have power and mountains of torque. The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is the best example - the most powerful sedan in the world, already smoked Tesla Model S Plaid, and yet, one unlucky driver already found out that even with the best technology, you just can't beat the simple laws of physics.
Longbow guys know that, and they are trying to make a car that is fun to drive, and not just a gadget. The fact that they are trying to keep the weight down is an immense plus. Lightweight cars are just so much more fun to drive. Funny enough - they are more efficient as well. It is a win-win. And then we have that price tag: $84,000 for a lightweight electric sports car is a steal. Especially when you consider the performance.
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Of course, there are some questions I don't have answers for. We don't know the exact range of the Roadster, but it won't be far off the Speedster's number, so that's not an issue. What we don't know is how reliable these cars will be. That's always a big question with new companies. Will they stay around long enough to support their cars with parts and service? What about crash repairs? I bet my lunch there will be plenty of those. But if Longbow can deliver on its promises, it will be on the fast track to becoming a major player in the electric sports car market.
Reservations are open now, so if you've got a spare $84,000 (or $110,000 for the Speedster), you can put your name down for one of these electric wonders. Deposits start from just $650 and apparently are fully refundable. Worth the risk? Let me put it this way - I'm already trying to figure out how I can get away with putting another garage behind the house and not telling the wife about it…
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I am properly chuffed with both the Speedster and the Roadster. Longbow is promising to bring some much-needed lightness and fun to the electric car world. And if they succeed - and I really hope they will - we might just have a new generation of electric sports cars that are exhilarating to drive. And the fact that they are eco-friendly is just a pleasant side effect.
