Internal-combustion engines are making impressive strides in rotational speed. The Lamborghini Temerario has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 capable of revving to 10,000 rpm over the long haul, and the Red Bull RB17 is powered by a bespoke V10 that reaches 15,000 rpm. But even these zingy engines have nothing on electric motors.
For EV, five-digit rpm speeds are just the start. As research firm IDTechEx lays out in a new report, the motors in the average electric vehicle can already rev to 15,000 rpm. Some new models may double that. In 2025, Chinese automakers BYD, Xiaomi, and GAC all announced motors capable of 30,000 rpm, the report notes. Current hostility to Chinese cars means we won’t see any of those new models in the United States anytime, but we can still admire the engineering achievements from afar.
Electric motors can inherently spin faster than combustion engines because there’s less mass to get moving. That’s also why Mazda rotary engines could effortlessly reach rpm that put contemporary piston engines to shame. But unlike combustion engines, electric motors don’t need to be revved up to make power. Maximum horsepower and torque are available as long as the motor is spinning. Without a soundtrack, revving an electric motor also isn’t as satisfying as sending a combustion engine to its redline.
So what’s the benefit of higher-rpm electric motors? It’s all about power density—the amount of power that can be produced from a given-size motor. Higher rpm allows for more compact motors without sacrificing power, or a power increase without making the motor bigger. According to the report, increasing rpm from 10,000 to 20,000 provides a 69% increase in power density in the radial-flux motors used in most current EVs, while hitting 30,000 rpm nets a 41% increase.
Higher rpm comes with some engineering challenges, the report notes. It brings increased parasitic losses, lowering efficiency, as well as increased centrifugal force that puts more stress on the rotor. More robust cooling is also needed, along with at least one additional gear ratio to handle the highest speeds. Most of these issues can be addressed, the report adds. Some EVs, such as the Porsche Taycan and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, already use two-speed transmissions, for example. And smaller-diameter rotors could reduce centrifugal force.
Solving these problems could lead to even smaller motors, freeing up more space for passengers and cargo, or maybe allowing for more tri- and quad-motor setups to boost a vehicle’s total output. And even if it doesn’t have an exhaust note, a motor that revs to 30,000 rpm is just plain cool.
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