Former Tesla employees are aiming to launch an EV roadster before Tesla can
- These former Tesla employees are working to beat their former employer
- Longbow Motors is a British startup aiming to make the first EV roadster
- Production is set to begin in 2026
Published on Apr 09, 2025 at 12:55 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Apr 09, 2025 at 4:19 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Former Tesla employees are working to launch an EV roadster before their former employer can.
Longbow Motors is a British start-up launched in 2023 by Daniel Davey and Mark Tapscott.
Pre-orders are already coming in for their fully electric open sports car, which is set to begin production in 2026.
Should they beat Tesla to the punch, it could become the ultimate underdog story.
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The start-up founded by ex Tesla employees working to build an EV roadster
In the world of EVs, competition is everything.
Tesla has generally been the top dog, thanks to vehicles like the Cybertruck and the Model Y.
But other manufacturers are chomping at the bit too, particularly Chinese companies like BYD and Li Auto.
Longbow Motors has now arrived on the scene as the latest competitor to Tesla.
It’s hoping to beat the American company to the punch on an EV roadster.
Elon Musk had previously pledged to building one back in 2020, and again last year.
However, nothing concrete has been produced as of yet.
When it comes to an EV sports car, it’s not the power from the motor that would prove tricky but the weight of the vehicle.
Longbow Motors has proposed a solution – ‘Featherweight Electric Vehicles’.
The lightweight sports car would come in two options – as a roadster and as an open Speedster.
For those not clear on the difference between the two terms, the former is an open-top two-seater, whilst the latter is a roadster that is purpose built for speed.
Both cars would need to be fast in order to hit 100km/h.
How likely is it that Longbow Motors will be the first?
In a press release, Davey said: “There is a need for a driver-centered, featherweight electric sports car that is affordable and accessible to those who love driving and the places it takes them.
“That’s why we developed Longbow.”
When he worked at Tesla, he worked on the launch of the Model 3 in Europe.
Tapscott worked for Lotus Cars on the Elise.
The Longbow Speedster is set to be launched as a limited edition of 150 vehicles.
They’re set to cost $112,305.
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