A new niche EV brand, Longbow, has emerged into the public eye, hailing itself as ” the first-ever British electric sports car manufacturer. ” It has unveiled its first two featherweight models, inspired by British automotive icons and designed with real-road performance and the overall driver experience in mind. Despite debuting today, the limited hand-built production of these two featherweight EVs is expected to begin relatively quickly, and they start at a price that doesn’t just cater to the affluent.
You’re not alone if you haven’t heard of Longbow until today. The young brand was founded as recently as 2023 by Daniel Davey, Jenny Keisu, and Mark Tapscott – three industry veterans with a combined resume that cannot be ignored. Davey and Tapscott worked at Tesla during the development of the original Roadster, followed by senior positions at both Lucid Motors and BYD. Keisu brings experience and leadership from the electrified marine segment as she was formerly the CEO of X Shore – an electric boat developer no stranger to the Electrek homepage.
Although Longbow was only founded two years ago, its trio of founders say the EV brand is the realization of many more years of planning and preparation. They have since expanded their team to include an arsenal of engineers with backgrounds in road and motorsport, including former employees at Aston Martin, Formula E, Lotus, and Tesla.
The Longbow team has tasked itself with delivering world-class BEVs that are “spiritual successors” to the icons of British automotive, such as the Lotus Elise and Jaguar E-Type, reimagined for the modern world with bespoke EV platform technology and supreme dynamics. Their take on this legacy is a lineup of sleek vehicles designed, engineered, and built in the UK as Featherweight Electric Vehicles (FEVs).
The young company hit a milestone today, unveiling its first two EV models – the Longbow Speedster and the Roadster; check them out.
Longbow’s first two EVs set to arrive in 2026 under $93k
Per a press release from Longbow, this is the first look at its first two featherweight EVs, which include a Speedster convertible and a Roadster. As FEVs, both models will weigh under 995 kg (2,193 lbs) and achieve the automaker’s motto, “Celeritas Levitas,” or “the speed of lightness.” Per the company:
Development of the Longbow Speedster and Roadster has pursued a singular philosophy: simplify, focus on beauty and engagement, then relentlessly add lightness, until all that remains is sheer automotive intoxication. Antithetical to conventional notions of what a battery electric vehicle (BEV) can be, Speedster and Roadster are striking, light, nimble, balanced, and engineered for an unparalleled driving experience.
The Speedster and Roadster sit atop an aluminum chassis designed for maximum stiffness while offering as little necessary weight as possible. The EV frame is complimented by lighter and more compact motors and batteries (something Lucid Motors is constantly celebrated for). These design elements combine to deliver what Longbow calls “the world’s first ‘proper’ all-electric sportscar for the modern enthusiast.”
Top comment by Doug T
The timing may be right for a lightweight ev Sportscar, as by the time they get ramped for production, high energy density solid state batteries will be commercially available
If they are smart, they will make the battery pack & design with 3 or 4 different configurations based on the leading SSB cell geometries & specs, and then finalize the choice as late as possible for production
Also, the regen should be fine tuned to smoothly accept large power inputs, since twisty courses are what these cars will be most fun in.
The open-topped Speedster weighs 895 kg (1,973 lbs) and can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.6 seconds. It has a WLTP range of 275 miles. Longbow shared that the closed cockpit Roadster EV will follow the Speedster, weighing 995 kg while achieving the same 0-100k m/h time. It has a WLTP range of 280 km (174 miles)
As mentioned above, both models will be hand-built in the UK and are expected to hit the market in 2026. The Speedster will start at a price of ₤84,995 ($92,600), including VAT, and only 150 examples will be built. That build schedule will include 10 Luminary First Edition and 25 Autograph Edition models.
The Roadster’s starting price is ₤64,995 ($70,850), including VAT. It will include 50 Luminary 1st Edition models or 100 Autograph Editions. Reservations for both Longbow EVs are available now.
What do we think? Will these FEVs actually get made? Or is this another startup with cool designs that will run out of money before it scales? I hope it’s the former!
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