Here are 12 landmark EVs from the pages of automotive history
Landmark EVs are just as tricky to define as a ‘classic EVs’ – after all, the two are closely related. However, we’ve done our best to bring you a clear meaning with this list…
Broadly speaking, a classic car tends to be either the first in production run, the last in a production run, or a cult car. Meanwhile, a landmark car is often one that has shifted the automotive landscape, with an emphasis placed on its importance.
If you’re here, it’s likely you know that electric vehicles – in various guises – have been around since 1830. That considered, the EV Powered team would end up writing a sizeable book if we had to cover everything that might be a landmark. With that in mind, this list covers fully electric vehicles from the “modern” era of the early 1970s to date.
We’ve included everything from Teslas to Moon Buggies but if you think we’ve missed anything, send a message to us on Instagram at @evpowered.
Moon Buggy (1971) – EVs in space
The Lunar Roving Vehicle – or “Moon Buggy” – was conceived during the Cold War by prominent Nazi-turned-NASA chief, Werner von Braun. Displeased by the Soviet Union firing a man into space before them (Yuri Gagari in 1961), the United States sought to go one better by putting a man on the moon, which they did courtesy of Neil Armstrong in 1969. Even before Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface, NASA bosses understood that their astronauts would need transport to carry out their research on the moon’s rocky, unchartered surface. Cue the Boeing-made Moon Buggy. Powered by four 0.25hp wheel-mounted motors and two silver-oxide 121Ah batteries, the Moon Buggy had a total range of 57 miles and 8mph top speed. Perhaps not surprisingly, the first EV in space wasn’t cheap. By the time the first one was delivered to NASA on April 1 1971 in time for the Apollo 15 mission, it had cost around $38m to develop, around $295m in today.
Tesla Roadster (2008) – The birth of Tesla (and the first 200-mile EV)
Feelings about Elon Musk aside, Tesla has had more sway over the current EV landscape than virtually any other car maker. The controversial brand’s story began in 2008 with its first car, the Tesla Roadster. Based on a Lotus Elise chassis and driven by a mid-mounted motor producing up to 288bhp, the Tesla Roadster was the first mass-produced EV to cover more than 200 miles on a single charge, thanks to its pioneering 52kWh lithium-ion battery. In fact, by the time it was discontinued in 2012, it boasted a range of over 250 miles on the WLTP cycle. As well as its ability to go further than any production EV had gone before, without it, Tesla’s existing range of EVs and the brand’s fuss-free Supercharger network wouldn’t exist. A landmark EV if ever there was one.
BYD e6 (2009) – Enter the [Chinese] dragon
Now one of the biggest names in the EV industry
, China’s BYD began life in the mid-1990s as a battery maker. In fact, it wasn’t until 2009 that it produced its first all-electric car. The first BYD was the e6, a clone of the Honda Odyssey MPV. The e6 immediately highlighted the brand’s expertise at battery tech, thanks to a 186-mile range from its 61kWh LFP battery, and 230 miles from the larger, 80kWh unit. Power wasn’t great, but an 87mph top speed and sub-8-second 0-62mph run were respectable for a debut EV in the late 2000s. Thanks to its cheap purchasing cost and zero emissions, the BYD e6 found favour amongst taxi fleet operators across Asia, South America, and even in a handful of markets in Europe in North America. Since the e6 arrived, BYD has gone on to produce a litany of models and spawn numerous sub-brands. In a watershed moment, the Chinese automotive giant also outsold Tesla in Europe earlier this year.
Nissan Leaf (2010) –EVs enter the mainstream
It’s not the most handsome car on this list, but the Nissan Leaf – or the Leading Environmentally-Friendly Affordable Family Car – brought EVs into the mainstream when it arrived in 2010. The first-gen Nissan Leaf had an initial range of 109 miles, which was eventually increased to 155 miles when it was replaced by the second-gen car for 2018. While clearly surpassed by the EVs of today, the Leaf deserves its place on any list of landmark EVs for showing that daily all-electric motoring was possible. A testament to the Leaf’s success is that over 650,000 found homes before production stopped earlier this year.
Renault Fluence Z.E. (2011) – Israeli-made family car ushers in swappable battery tech
The Renault Fluence Z.E. is an oft-overlooked car in the electric car’s story. Yet given it was the first modern EV to be fitted with battery-swapping tech, it’s certainly an important one. In fact, it predates Nio’s 2017 battery-swapping Power Swap Station by six years. Launched in 2011, the Fluence Z.E was driven by a front-mounted 94bhp motor and used a 22kWh battery providing a range of up to 115 miles. The Fluence Z.E.’s battery-swap tech was developed in partnership with now-defunct Israeli firm Better Place and meant that within 59.1 seconds, a Fluence Z.E’s depleted battery could be exchanged for a full one. From 2011 to 2014, 3,935 Fluence Z.E.s found homes across Europe and Israel, with prices ranging from around €25,000 to €27,000.
BMW i3 (2013) – CCS charging hits the road
The BMW i3 was a landmark EV in more ways than one. It cost around €3 billion to develop, making it one of the most expensive cars in automotive history. It was also ridiculously convoluted to make – its carbon fibre body was built at a dedicated BMW plant in the USA, then shipped back to Germany to be draped over a supercar-style alumninium tub. Little wonder BMW lost money on each i3 sold. Yet for all of its excess, the i3 showed that unlike the Nissan Leaf, EVs could be cool: after all, the i3 appeared to have landed on earth from the cosmos with its distinctive design, suicide doors, and two-tone paint. The i3 can also lay claim to being the EV that introduced the CCS (Combined Charging System) standard, thanks to its pioneering use of the now- industry standard connector to provide up to 50kW DC rapid charging.
Rimac Concept One (2013) – Croatian start-up stuns with 1,073bhp hyper EV
The EV world’s anti-Elon Musk, Croatia’s Maté Rimac is single-handedly responsible for sparking the all-electric hypercar phenomenon. Back in 2011, Rimac introduced his Concept One hypercar at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where it stunned the world with its four individual in-wheel motors, producing a total of 1,073bhp and a planet-spinning 1,180lb ft of torque. As if that wasn’t enough, the Rimac Concept One topped out at 211mph, sprinted from 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds, boasted a clever torque vectoring system allowing the in-wheel motors to alternate the car’s power between two and all-wheel drive. It wasn’t just showing off, either – the Concept One could travel a respectable 217 miles on a single charge. Over the years, the Concept One got even quicker, and its landmark EV status was confirmed by similar hypercars including the Lotus Evija, the Pininfarina Battista, and its eventual replacement, the Rimac Nevera.
Tesla Model Y (2020) – The world’s best-selling electric car
The Tesla Model Y is essentially the SUV version of the Tesla Model 3, and it’s even more popular than its cousin, which, in 2021, became the world’s first EV to sell more than a million units. Fast-forward to 2023 and the Model Y became the world’s best selling car of the year, shipping 1.22 million units in just 12 months. In 2024, the Model Y achieved the same feat again, shifting another 1.18m examples. While Tesla owner Elon Musk remains a divisive figure, there’s no arguing with the brand’s importance in the EV world or the continued popularity of its cars. A pair of landmark EVs very much.
Rivian R1T (2021) – US newcomer builds first plug-in pick up truck
In recent years, EVs have become pretty much synonymous with being cool and the Rivian R1T is arguably one of the coolest. Introduced in 2021, the R1T claimed the honour of being the world’s first plug-in pickup and it did so in style. The R1T is available with a choice of either a 105kWh battery, a 135kWh battery, or a 149kWh battery, producing a respective 231 miles, 314 miles, and 401 miles on the US-only EPA cycle. As well as its huge range and choice of either a dual or quad-motor layout, the R1T can return up to 824bhp when paired with the latter. Off-road, the R1T is also massively capable thanks to a 1.1-metre wading depth and 45 degree incline climb.
Dacia Spring (2021) – Democratising EV ownership with sub-£20k pricing
Given the tech stuffed into them, it’s no surprise that electric are costly to develop, manufacture, and subsequently buy brand new. Yet Dacia – Romania’s singular and foremost carmaker – set about democratising EV ownership with its Spring in 2021. And democratise electrified motoring Dacia did, as the Spring arrived as the first proper electric car with a sub-€20k price tag. In the UK currently, the second generation of this tiny landmark EV is available from £15,995 while in continental Europe it’s priced from around £1,000 less. There is a catch, though. While it’s cheap to buy, the Spring has a one-star Euro NCAP safety rating, and takes 19.1 seconds to do the 0-62mph run. On the brighter side of things, the Spring can match the much more expensive Honda e for range, thanks to 143 miles from a 27.4kWh battery.
Lucid Air Grand Touring (2022) – Over 500 miles of EV range
While there is a growing focus on efficiency in the EV world big numbers continue to make headlines, whether it’s power or range. So when the luxurious and enormous Lucid Air came out swinging for the Mercedes EQS and Tesla Model S in 2021 with up to 1,251bhp, it was bound to draw attention. Thanks to the option of an equally-huge, Samsung-supplied 118kWh battery on the Grand Air Touring model, it was also the first all-electric car to cover more than 500 miles on a single charge. In today’s climate of downsizing, the Lucid Air’s big numbers and its 5.3-tonne heft make it seem somewhat anachronistic, almost brash, even. Nonetheless, the Lucid Air remains a landmark EV for demonstrating to the automotive world that an electric car can indeed match or even better the range of a petrol or diesel car.
Formula E “Gen1 Car” (2014) – Electric motorsport hits the mainstream
Back when it launched in 2014, Formula E was far from the well-oiled, exciting machine it is today. Designed by Fred Vasseur – yes, the same Fred Vasseur of Ferrari team principal fame – the Gen1 FE car, officially known as the Spark-Renault SRT_01E had a laughably low maximum power of 264bhp. Thanks to a 28kWh battery, its maximum range of around 31 miles (50 kilometres) provoked equal ridicule, especially when drivers would have to swap to a second, fully-charged car mid-race. Yet as EV tech developed, so did Formula E. Now heading into its 12th season, FE is currently where the likes of Porsche, Cupra, Jaguar, and Nissan showcase their latest EV tech. Of similar quality are the drivers, with the likes of Nico Müller, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Sébastien Buemi all currently competing in Formula E. Most importantly, though, FE kicked off mainstream electric motorsport, and despite a shaky start, without it there would be no electric World Rallycross, no electric touring cars, and no electric rallying.
