What's the best electric car for rich people?

It’s not easy being filthy rich, you know. Sure, you might not have the same worries as the man on the street – like whether you can afford to heat your house, or how the kids are going to eat – but fitting in spray tans between crossfit sessions or keeping up with where the kids have left the family jet has its own complications. The stock market sneezes and you catch a cold, or perhaps you’re at the whim of international sanctions and your documented wealth could disappear at any moment. Fortunately though you keep a stash of cash under the bed, and your bed just happens to be in the Virgin Islands. 

The world’s your oyster then, when it comes to picking what car you want. You could buy something new on your debit card, get something exclusive at auction or commission a nice little coachbuilder somewhere to turn your McLaren F1 into a shooting brake. 

You might want to do your bit for the planet, though – especially with everything that the family company has done to hold it back. You’ve had a few trees planted, but it’s nice to get a little something back when you’re doing a good deed, isn’t it? An electric hypercar is the world’s way of saying thank you. And what better than the Lotus Evija? This strictly limited edition trinket costs over £2m, so you’re unlikely to bump into another one in the Morrisons car park. 

Four motors producing a hefty 493bhp each mean the Lotus is virtually guaranteed to win you every game of traffic light Top Trumps you might like to engage in – a 0–62mph time of less than three seconds is enough to dislodge your veneers. Don’t get too carried away, then, especially seeing as you’ll be in danger of having to stop and juice up your 93kWh battery in an nonsalubrious neighbourhood, like Berkshire or somewhere.

The car’s range of 250 miles (on the official WLTP test) should be just enough to get you to your second or third home. Or between your second and third home. Or up the drive to collect the post when your housekeeper is off. That sort of thing. 

But of course it’s nice to play your part, lend a shoulder to the collective effort to reduce the burden on our ecosystem. Sure, it’s a mild bonus that you’re also boosting the Norfolk economy. And maybe the word ‘philanthropist’ gets bandied around a lot, but if the cap fits you should wear it. Is that a warm glow of satisfaction or the subtle LED lighting that Lotus built into the exterior to show off the aerodynamics of the rear tunnels? Who knows, just kick back and relax knowing that it’s a job well done.

Best electric car for rich people – Lotus Evija
Price: £2.4 million
Range: 250 miles
Engine: 1,973bhp e-motor
Battery: 93kWh
Top speed: 217mph
0–62mph: Sub-3.0secs
Boot space: Possibly