[imagesource: Rimac Automobili]

Tesla recently released its updated Model S and X, after Elon Musk said that they would probably only continue producing them for sentimental reasons.

The new models, dubbed ‘Plaid’ versions, have new interiors, and updated screens and climate controls, but that’s not what the company is bragging about.

Tesla says that they are capable of going from 0-100km/h in less than two seconds, which would be impressive if Rimac Automobili hadn’t already beat them to it last year with the 1,914-horsepower Rimac C_Two electric hypercar.

According to CNN, apart from its speedy acceleration, the car can hit a top speed of 415km/h, putting it in the same category as the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. The new Tesla is only capable of 321km/h.

It is worth noting that the Veyron goes from 0-100km/h in 2,5 seconds, which is significantly slower than the Rimac C_Two.

Rimac Automobili is getting ready to start a production run of 150 units, priced at around $2,4 million (so not cheap) apiece. Opportunities to buy one are limited – unless you live in Dubai, where you’ll soon be able to preorder.

Rimac has partnered with Dubai-based EV Lab, a new multi-brand dealership specialising in electric vehicles (EVs).

It was founded by Kevin Chalhoub, a Dubai-born, French-Lebanese entrepreneur with an education in clean energy and environmental engineering.

“Electric is a really good fit for the market,” he argues. Many high-spec EVs are able to accelerate faster than petrol-powered cars, while the shorter journeys typically taken by Dubai drivers compared to their European counterparts means mean they have less reason to worry about the driving range of car batteries.

The hypercar has a range of roughly 550km, which isn’t bad.

Image: Rimac Automobili

Chalhoub says that the EV market is currently split between “eco-conscious millennials” (among whom Chalhoub includes himself) and “tech-savvy people” that are “all about performance”.

“Today electric cars are an upgrade,” he says. “Too often sustainable solutions are perceived as a compromise in lifestyle, but this market is different.”

To read more about the EV market in Dubai, CNN takes an in-depth look here.

Most of us are just here for the car.

Top Gear took it for a spin last year:

While the petrolheads reading this are probably scoffing, you can’t help admire the ingenuity.

It’s not bad looking, either.

[source:cnn]