EVs generally accelerate with lightning-quick urgency, but their top speeds tend to be lower than those of petrol-powered cars. These typically range from around 150kmh for mass-market models to 200kmh for premium ones, which is roughly 50kmh or so lower than comparable petrol-powered counterparts.

Virtually every EV is equipped with an electronic speed limiter, mostly to preserve battery charge.

Aerodynamic drag increases exponentially as speeds rise. Doubling your cruising speed, say from 80kmh to 160kmh, results in a fourfold increase in drag or air resistance. Continuous high-speed driving consequently reduces an EV’s driving range drastically.

Another reason lies in the drivetrain. Since electric motors deliver maximum torque instantly, they do not require a multi-speed gearbox. This is why most EVs today use a single fixed ratio, which maxes out at between 12,000rpm and 25,000rpm.

To achieve a top speed of 200kmh, for example, an EV motor should be rotating at around 8,000rpm to 9,000rpm, put through the gearbox.

But there are exceptions among high-performance EVs. The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, for example, uses a two-speed automatic gearbox. The low gear delivers the punchy launch performance from a standstill, and a second gear enables it to reach a top speed of 290kmh. While it is possible to engineer the car to hit such speeds with a single gear, it would mean the electric motor spinning very close to its maximum speed.

There is no inherent danger in cruising at a car’s rated top speed, but EV drivers face unique side effects. Besides rapidly draining the battery, cruising at maximum speed for extended periods increases heat build-up.

While petrol cars also get hot, such driving puts a load on the thermal management of the power control module and the battery pack in EVs. When an EV battery is hot, it takes longer to charge, which is something to bear in ...