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When you ask someone to name the most remarkable aspect of an electric car, they typically reply with one of three answers:

• Electric cars free us from oil
• Electric cars are expensive
• Electric cars are slow

Well, what if you were to learn that some of the latest battery-driven sedans, coupes and convertibles were not only electric, but faster than a Corvette or a Porsche? We’re kidding, right?

No, we’re not.

While some electric cars get you from the tee box to the fairway and eventually the green, some of the latest models could run away from some of the hottest sports cars available.

0-60mph in Under 5 Seconds So, remember these names: Venturi, Eliica, Tango, and AC Propulsion. Some you can buy and some you can’t – but they’re all capable of zero-to-sixty miles per hour in less than five seconds. These days that is considered respectable sports car performance.

Ellica Electric Supercar The Eliica Electric Supercar makes no bones about its name or its mission. Featuring eight-wheel drive (yes, eight wheels!), it make the run to 60 mph in just one tick over four seconds and a top speed of 230 mph. The car relies on Lithium-ion batteries and has a range of up to 185 miles. The heavier your foot, the less your mileage, so some things don’t change. With a cost of $260,000 a copy, the car developed by the Electric Vehicle Laboratory of Tokyo’s Keio University isn’t inexpensive. In fact, it’s not quite ready for mass production, but it is getting worldwide media attention.

Venturi Fetish The Venturi Fetish does the 0 – 60 run in 4.5 seconds. It runs on lithium-ion batteries and has a range of 220 miles, just about the same as any average sports car might get. The car has some great lines for an electric car and features some cool supercar gadgetery, including scissor-style doors and WiMax telemetry for remote-servicing. The major sports-car drawback is the top speed – only 105 mph. The cost is in the supercar world, too – $550,000. The line starts here. Presently selling in: Monaco, Europe, Japan and California. The Fetish is manufactured in Monaco. Is this the only thing “manufactured” in Monaco?

AC Propulsion TZERO The AC Propulsion TZERO is the fastest of the current crop of electric cars, but it’s also the most ordinary looking. A two-seat convertible with a roll hoop and four-point racing-style harness for passenger and driver, the TZERO does the 0 to 60 sprint in three and a half seconds. It will run at that speed for 300 miles and does it all with Lithium-ion batteries. This is a Ferrari beater, for certain… until you get to 102 mph and the TZERO stops accelerating. At least it has an optional trailer with a hybrid-drive motor for those times when 300 miles between charges just won’t do. At $240,000, it’s about 20% more expensive than a Ferrari 430 Modena.

George Clooney’s Tango T600 Celebrities are known for their rides, even electric ones. From Brad Pitt to George Clooney, manufacturers often rely on their Hollywood customers to spread the word. The Tango T600 is apparently to be found in George Clooney’s garage, and just one look will convince you that Commuter_Cars_Corporation in Spokane, Washington needs more celebrities if it’s going to make a dent in the host super-sports electric car market. This is an odd looking beast. Still, it runs to 60 mph in 4 seconds flat, has a top speed of 150 mph, a range of 80 miles and a retail price under $110,000. the Tango T600 also uses Lead-acid batteries, not the most common combination to be found.

If nothing else, these interesting cars prove that just being electric doesn’t mean being slow. As hybrid and alternative fuels are becoming more important to a wider range of people, perhaps we’ll see more of these cars in the future. I wonder if they’ll include an audio soundtrack of a motor? A car that fast just shouldn’t be silent.