Why is the 0-60 mph craze dying out in the electric car era?

For years, the race to 60 mph has defined car performance, but electric cars are changing the rules. With instant torque and near-silent acceleration, even mainstream electric cars now have race times that rival sports cars. However, as these numbers became common, they began to lose their meaning.

Today, what separates a great electric car from a forgotten one is not how fast it launches, but how it feels when it’s in motion. Steering precision, suspension tuning, and driver engagement are once again at the center of attention, forcing automakers to rethink what true performance means in an age of effortless speed.

However, this is one area where internal combustion cars continue to shine. The deep sound, mechanical feedback, and shifting engagement of gas-powered performance cars remains unparalleled, a reminder that although electric cars have redefined speed, they have yet to replicate the emotional thrill of driving.

In order to provide you with the most current and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article has been obtained from various manufacturers’ websites and other reliable sources.

Even tame and affordable electric cars are rocket ships off the line

Zero to sixty has been used for decades to market new cars, to show that they are sporty and exciting because they accelerate quickly. However, in this new electric-powered era, these numbers are slowly but surely starting to lose their meaning. Even family-focused vehicles are able to pin you into your seat, which is great but begs the question, how fast is enough.

Fast and affordable electric cars

Above is a table showing some of the most popular and affordable electric cars on the market. Although it’s more expensive than the average ICE car, Americans spend more than $50,000 on average on a new car, so it falls within the affordability range. Although the base model’s acceleration isn’t as impressive at times, it’s still very quick, and could beat a bunch of sports cars from not too long ago.

You don’t usually have to spend all that much to increase performance, as the next level of base model usually adds another engine and all-wheel drive, resulting in much faster acceleration. The upper ends of these affordable commuter EVs are downright ridiculous, as many of them are capable of effortlessly accelerating some of the most accomplished ICE sports cars. Supercar levels of acceleration are now more accessible to the average person than ever before.

Why does this value decrease from 0-60 times?

The point we are trying to make is not that zero to 60 times are worthless, but more importantly that they are much less important now than ever before. If acceleration is the most important factor to you when buying a new car, why consider an expensive ICE coupe or sports sedan when there are a bevy of electric cars that will outpace you without breaking a sweat.

This means less and less when sports car manufacturers promote extremely low zero to 60 times, because the speed is now more affordable. Your twin-turbo V-8 coupe hits 60 mph in 3 seconds? The same applies to the family SUV from Hyundai. In a world where insane acceleration is affordable and accessible, automakers need to focus on other things to convince us that their car is worth buying.

This phenomenon occurs in internal combustion cars as well

While it’s clear that electric cars have the edge when it comes to acceleration, internal combustion cars are getting faster by the day as well. While it used to be relatively impressive for your family car to be able to reach 60mph in less than ten seconds, cars that take eight seconds to get there are now considered slow. Affordable sports cars are also getting faster, which means you won’t have to spend as much to get to performance off the line.

Family cars are getting faster

We admit that most family cars are not exceptionally fast as electric cars, and are unlikely to ever be. However, people who love to drive and want a reasonable amount of available power now have more choices than ever in key areas of the automotive market. Most of the above vehicles are capable of accelerating to 60 mph in similar intervals to the likes of a BMW 330i or Audi A5.

Premium cars that command premium prices can no longer simply rely on zero to 60 times to market their cars. When you get a popular Hyundai model that can keep up with a BMW off the line, acceleration starts to hold less value in high-end car marketing. Even for enthusiasts who value performance above all else, there has to be another reason to choose a premium badge over a mainstream badge.

Tons of selection of sports cars at affordable prices

Taking our view from above a step further, there are more and more internal combustion sports cars that are affordable and fast. For less than $40,000, you can get a coupe, hatchback, or sports sedan that offers zero-to-60 times of less than six seconds. While more premium sports cars are certainly faster, the gap is shrinking. The nearly $30,000 Ecoboost Mustang is within a tenth of a second of the roughly $80,000 Porsche 718 Cayman.

While this shows how acceleration has less meaning, it also brings us to the next section, where we explore what actually matters. If fast acceleration is slowly but surely becoming universal, what should you look for when buying an enthusiast car?

There’s a lot of nuance to a good sports car, beyond the numbers on a spec sheet

As acceleration continues to become more accessible, other factors are becoming more important to enthusiasts. Arguably, these things should have always defined true enthusiast cars. Instead of looking at a spec sheet and knowing which car will go a few tenths of a second faster, ride feel, feedback and engagement are the things that should matter most.

Real sports car feeling

Electric cars have made speed affordable and simple. You can put it in the sportiest driving mode, put your foot on the ground, and go fast. While this will certainly please some buyers, there’s much more to a fun car than just cruising along in a straight line. A finely tuned chassis, powerful brakes, high levels of engagement, and a steering wheel that lets you connect with the road are some examples of what we’re talking about here.

While fast electric vehicles can be fun, they’re a one-trick pony. In their current state, EVs are heavy and automakers often forget that drivers want the steering to feel well-weighted and communicative. It’s more fun, in our view, to take another second or two to get to sixty if we can establish a relationship with the car.

The Mazda MX-5, Subaru BRZ and Porsche 718 illustrate our point perfectly. They’re dedicated sports cars, but they’re not as fast as some of the fastest electric cars. However, we would still choose them in a heartbeat. These cars make you feel like you’re in control of everything. They let you drive the car instead of them driving you. This engagement is what future electric cars with performance aspirations are focused on, rather than trying to have the most impressive spec sheet.