10 Most Exciting New Automotive Startups Gearheads Must Know About - HotCars

In the last ten years, the automotive industry has seen some of its biggest and most rapid changes ever, most notably the switch from fossil fuels to electric-powered vehicles. Most of these changes have been driven by startup companies, with many so successful that they're no longer even thought of as startups. Tesla, for example, has grown to become one of the biggest players in the industry, despite only producing their first car in 2008.

RELATED: 5 Upcoming EVs Destined To Fail (5 That Will Be Smash Hits)It's not just electric cars either relatively new arrivals on the supercar scene like Koenigsegg and Pagani have carved out their own niches in the market, pushing the limits of automotive performance and design. So, the question on many gearheads' minds is which company will be the next Tesla or Koenigsegg? Well, there's a lot of new companies out there with bold ideas and incredible cars, and these ten are particularly pioneering examples. They all bring something to the market that simply wasn't out there before, and they've all got the potential to be much bigger than they are right now.

10 Rivian

There's a lot of EV startups trying to make cars at the moment, and the hard truth is that most of them won't succeed. One of the few that has a genuinely good chance of doing well is Rivian, who are currently in the process of bringing their R1T pickup into production. They're different from a lot of startups in that they've got demonstrable working prototypes, and they've got some serious backing.

An assortment of industry heavyweights like Ford and Amazon have invested in the company, which is a very promising sign. It means that Rivian will not only have the financial backing to get their truck into production but that investors are confident the company can live up to its ambitious promises as well. The first deliveries of the R1T are scheduled for just a few months time.

9 Aspark

It's long been known that EVs can be very fast, but Japanese tech firm Aspark is set on making them even faster. The Owl concept was first unveiled in 2017, and a limited run of 50 cars was announced. It uses cutting-edge materials to make it super lightweight and reportedly pushes 1,984 hp from its four electric motors.

That leads to a reported 0-60 time of less than 1.7 seconds and a 0-186 mph time of just 10.8 seconds. If those reports are true, that would make it the fastest-accelerating car in the world. Production of the car started in 2020 but there's been no word yet on when the first units will be delivered to customers.

8 Fisker

Enthusiasts who've been following electric cars for a few years might recognize the Fisker name, as it was first attached to the ill-fated Fisker Karma sports car in 2011. The company making that car, Fisker Automotive, went bankrupt in 2013, and the Karma design was eventually sold off to Chinese investors.

However, the man behind the car, Henrik Fisker, has set up a new company, confusingly also called Fisker Inc. This new company promises to make even better EVs, this time both a sports car and an SUV. Fisker has yet to show off any meaningful progress on its cars, but it's worth noting that Henrik does have form, and despite the original Karma not succeeding, it was ahead of its time in many ways. It's worth keeping an eye on this new company to see if Fisker can get it right the second time around.

7 Ineos

Moving away from electric vehicles, the idea behind Ineos was a much more traditional one. Jim Ratcliffe, one of Britain's wealthiest businessmen, saw that Land Rover was discontinuing the original Defender in 2015 and didn't want to see it go. His solution? Start his own car company and make his own version of the Defender, called the Grenadier.

The resulting car is heavily based on the old Defender and it shares a lot of visual similarities. Production is currently gearing up and the first deliveries are scheduled for 2022. It's targeted directly at the old Defender's market share, and early reviews suggest it lives up to that car's ruggedness and practicality. Ineos may be very new to the automotive world, but it seems their first product may well make a serious splash.

6 TR

No, there isn't a typo in the title, this really is a re-engineered TVR that's now called a TR. How confusing. Formed by a bunch of ex-TVR engineers, TR Supercars is devoted to continuing the legendary Speed 12, which was originally launched by TVR in 1997. The Speed 12 was intended to be the world's fastest production car, but the project was abandoned when the company was advised that the car was simply undrivable on the road.

It was too powerful for its own good, with around 900 hp. The new version has been thoroughly reworked by TR with modern components that supposedly make the car more driveable on the road, although it's still totally unhinged. It sports the same look as the original and it's even more powerful, with an incredible 1,012 hp produced from a 6.0-liter V12. It's probably the most extreme road-legal car that no-one's ever heard of, at least not yet.

5 Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus

SCG Boot — Via Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus, or SCG as they're more commonly known, is the brainchild of film producer and business tycoon James Glickenhaus. He's an avid gearhead and owns several notable Ferraris, including the P4/5 he commissioned himself. SCG is an extension of that love of cars, and it currently offers a range of five vehicles.

One of the most unique is the SCG 003, a supercar that's as close to a pure-bred endurance racer as it's possible to legally drive it on the road. The second is the Boot, a Baja-ready racing SUV that's again road-legal. The Boot, in particular, might just be the craziest American SUV ever made, and with a lineup like that who knows what mad creation SCG will come up with next.

4 Hyperion

A lot of attention is focused on electricity as the fuel of the future, but not so much is given to hydrogen. Only one major manufacturer makes a hydrogen car, and that's Toyota. It's called the Mirai, and it's still available to buy from dealerships despite the only hydrogen fueling stations in the US being in California, making it useless everywhere else.

That lack of places to fill up hasn't deterred Hyperion, a mysterious startup with a prototype supercar called the XP-1. Not a lot is known about the company or the car yet, but it appears they have a working prototype, as it's been spotted cruising the streets of Los Angeles in early 2021. The performance potential of hydrogen is largely unknown, so it'll be fascinating to see what Hyperion can make out of this emerging technology.

3 Nio

One of the biggest problems with electric vehicles is manufacturing them en masse. It's been Tesla's Achilles heel for years now, as they've consistently struggled with expanding their manufacturing facilities and supply chain to keep up with demand. Chinese company Nio is aiming to bypass such problems, as it's gearing up to be a volume manufacturer pretty much from day one.

It already sells a limited range of cars and SUVs in China, and it's reportedly aiming for US and European markets soon too. The company works on the assumption of shifting a lot of cars to make its business model work, and early signs seem to show they're on track. The company has just announced the launch of a new sub-brand that aims to undercut Tesla, which if it succeeds, could dramatically change the state of the mass-produced electric car market.

2 Puritalia

Puritalia Berlinetta — Via Wikimedia Commons

Italian startup Puritalia aims to invoke the spirit of the classic grand touring cars of the Sixties, but with a distinctly modern twist. Their latest car, the Berlinetta, features a 5.0-liter Ford V8 coupled with an electric motor to make it a hybrid. It reportedly makes a combined 952 hp, but it can go around 12 miles on electric power alone.

A total of 150 units are expected to be built of this new car, and although at the moment the company is relatively unknown if the Berlinetta is as quick as it's claimed it'll be a game-changer. It's undoubtedly great looking, and an Italian V8 grand tourer might be just the ticket to convincing old-school gearheads that hybrids can be desirable too.

1 Rimac

One of the hottest car companies of recent years has to be Rimac, although they might have slid under the radar of many enthusiasts. While other electric car startups have been busy making press releases with wild claims about how their car is the best one ever, Rimac has been quietly working away and making big deals behind the scenes.

The recently launched Nevera is the culmination of that work, and it's already proving itself to be one of the fastest cars ever made. That's in addition to Rimac acquiring a controlling stake in Bugatti and close ties with EV sports car leader Porsche. Rimac's technology is undoubtedly some of the best in the world, echoing the achievements of a certain Mr. Koenigsegg a decade or two ago. It's all pretty incredible considering CEO Mate Rimac started the company while he was still at university in 2009.

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About The Author

Mark Cowley (227 Articles Published)

Mark covers a variety of topics for HotCars, from the latest pickup trucks to obscure Japanese sedans. A regular fixture at car shows around the UK and Europe, if there's a weird model or obscure manufacturer, he probably knows about it. Having previously worked as a radio presenter, he knows a thing or two about Top 10 lists, and enjoys writing them as much as presenting them. Mark is a graduate of the University of Sheffield's English department and is currently based out of Birmingham, UK.