Records · Quarter mile

Electric vs petrol on the strip.

The answer

The quarter mile belongs to electric cars. The Rimac Nevera R runs it in about 8.23 seconds; the quickest combustion benchmark, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, needs roughly 9.1. This is the 400-metre argument our rally was built around.

Last verified: July 26, 2026 · Methodology

Quarter-mile times: electric versus combustion
#Car¼ milePowertrainContext
1Rimac Nevera R~8.23 sEVMarginally quicker than the standard car in verified runs.
2Rimac Nevera~8.25 sEVProduction-car record when set in 2023.
3Automobili Pininfarina Battista~8.55 sEVIndependently timed.
4Lucid Air Sapphire~8.95 sEVA four-door under nine seconds.
5Bugatti Chiron Super Sport~9.10 sICEThe combustion benchmark: 1,600 hp, W16, quad-turbo.
6Tesla Model S Plaid~9.23 sEVThe car that started the sub-10 four-door era.
7Ferrari SF90 Stradale~9.50 shybridFerrari's plug-in hybrid flagship.
8Porsche 911 Turbo S (992)~10.10 sICEThe launch-control yardstick of the combustion era.

Times are the best widely documented runs per car. Drag-strip results move with surface, temperature and preparation, so treat gaps under a tenth as noise. The pattern doesn't move: electric drivetrains launch harder than combustion ever could — instant torque, four motors, no gearshifts — and they do it without raising their voice.

See also: 0–100 km/h records, the top speed record, or the full car database.