Longbow Motors, a new British EV start-up, is making waves with its electric sports cars designed to challenge the dominance of major players like Tesla. The company is the brainchild of engineers Daniel Davy and Mark Tapscott, who’ve previously worked with Tesla, Polestar, Lucid, and Uber. Their vision? To create a modern Lotus Elise-style EV, combining performance with affordability.
The first model, the Speedster, is an ultra-light 895kg two-seater, offering 275 miles of range and 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds for £84,995. A second, more practical “Roadster” will follow—despite its name, it’s a two-door coupe, offering 280 miles of range and 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds for £64,995. The clever naming is a nod to Tesla’s delayed Roadster and its infamous time management issues.
Longbow’s approach mirrors successful British sports car makers like Caterham and Ariel, sourcing components like motors, batteries, and inverters from trusted suppliers to keep costs low and avoid complex in-house development. The Roadster uses modular design, with easy-to-swap parts for future upgrades. Its lightweight aluminium body and composite panels keep the weight down, while a no-frills design ensures affordability.
With plans for a prototype by summer and deliveries starting next year, Longbow aims to carve out a space in the competitive EV sports car market, positioning itself as the first electric Roadster to actually deliver.
