Electric highlights from the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Ioniq 5N

It was a rollercoaster weekend for Hyundai, who used the FoS to unveil the 600 horsepower Ioniq 5 N to the world. Equipped with a unique N e-pedal function that synthesises the experience of banging through the gears of a dual clutch transmission, it looks like being the ideal EV for a recovering petrolhead, looking to wean themselves off the oily stuff. But mere minutes after the covers came off the 5 N, its moment was overshadowed by its stablemate, the RN22e (an Ioniq 6 N concept for all intents and purposes) having one of the bigger crashes of the weekend. For reasons unknown, it went straight on at a sharp left hander during its ascent of the hillclimb course, decimating several hay bales along the way. Happily, there were no major injuries aside from the driver’s ego.

Polestar 6

Polestar’s luxurious SUV, the 3, hustled up the hill for its dynamic debut, looking faster and more capable than a car of its mass has any right to be, chased by a camouflaged Polestar 5 prototype. But it’s the jaw-dropping 6 that most impressed me, even sat static on the Polestar stand. Surely one of the finest pieces of automotive design this decade?

MG Cyberster

MG made an emphatic showing, sending three cars up the hill. The bonkers yet inconspicuous MG4 Xpower made its UK debut: a frighteningly powerful performance variant of the marque’s outstanding entry-level EV which, to the untrained eye, looks no different to the base model. Rather less subtle was the exuberantly bewinged EX4 Concept – a homage to the iconic Metro 6R4 – which barely had any tread left on its tyres by the time it arrived at the first corner, such was the plume of smoke it had left behind it. The star of the MG stand however, was the latest prototype of the long awaited Cyberster, now fitted with its production-spec interior. This sleek roadster represents a return to roots for MG, and the first honest attempt at a convertible two-seater sports EV from any car brand. Having ridden shotgun for a blast up the hill, I can confirm that the performance of the dual motor variant is, in a word, shocking.

Mach-e Rally

Ford unveiled the Mach-e Rally – which is exactly what you think it is based on the name. Surprisingly, this rugged, off-roading EV is no one off festival special, and will enter actual production and go on sale to actual customers later this year. For some reason.

Porsche 357

Porsche was the centre of attention at this year’s festival as it celebrated its 75th birthday in style, bringing an array of its successful race cars of yesteryear, but also gifted itself to a birthday present in the shape of the Vision 357 Speedster – an achingly beautiful concept which melds the flowing elegant lines of the first ever Porsche model with modern day electric performance – over 1,000bhp, in case you’re wondering. If even 1% of this concept finds its way into the incoming all-electric Boxster and Cayman, they’re going to be eye-catchers to say the least.

Alpine A290

Renault brought the long-awaited 5 along in concept form, along with its spicy cousin, the Alpine A290. A first look at the latter will be coming to the Fully Charged SHOW Youtube channel in the coming days.

Caterham Project V

But the star of the show as far as EVs go – and also coming soon to our Youtube channel – was Caterham. There is perhaps no marque with a harder task on its hands as far as imbuing its DNA into an EV than the humble Dartford-based sports car maker. For 50 years, lightness, lightness and lightness have been their three top priorities – an entire Caterham Seven weighs less than the battery pack in some electric SUVs on sale today. So what on Earth does an all-electric imagining of a Caterham look like? Bloody good, as it turns out. The Janarelly-designed Project V is a compact, low-slung, feline sports car with an ample 55kwh battery pack and equally ample 268 horsepower delivered to the rear wheels from a single motor. Yet, thanks to ingenious packaging and obsessive weight saving, it tips the scales at just 1,190kg – hefty for a Caterham, but positively Flyweight for an EV. CEO, Bob Laishley assures us this is no design study, and that the intention is to put Project V into production. Based on the reception it received at the FoS, it would be criminal not to.

About the author

Jack is a London-based presenter, writer, and expert in all things automotive. A lifelong car fanatic and recovering petrolhead, Jack is a fully converted EV evangelist these days and, prior to joining Fully Charged, spent two years launching and fronting a new EV media brand called Electroheads.