When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works

Home / Hot Stuff / Cars & bikes / Olympian Motors’ debut electric car is a high-tech blast from the past

Olympian Motors’ debut electric car is a high-tech blast from the past

The name's Motors. Olympian Motors.

Electric vehicles are all the rage these days, especially with the prices of petrol recently, but each new car is starting to look the same. With Tesla first disrupting the EV market with the Model S release in 2012, most new cars are trying to copy the spaceship design and feel of the coolest car on the block.

But Olympian Motors is coming at us full steam ahead. Rather than following on from the futuristic design, the company is looking to drive Tesla off the road, taking car designs from the past, and bringing them into this century.

Tell me more, tell me more, like how cool is this car?

Olympian Motors is a new, disruptive automaker, building the most aesthetic and minimalistic EVs this side of Y2K. Prioritising aesthetics over horsepower, Olympian is taking out the buttons (and the kitchen sink) from the cockpit that nobody uses, and leaving exactly what you need.

On the outside, you could easily mistake Olympian Motors’ flagship vehicle, the O1, for the Aston Martin DB5. This car pays homage to classic cars from years gone-by, with a strikingly simple, yet classy design. You’ll find large headlights, a slim chassis, and no distractions. Quality was priority number one for Olympian, who actually looked at 40+ steering wheels, before settling on the one inside. It’s the type of car you saw James Bond driving around on the silver screen.

Inside the car, things are a different story. Olympian Motors has packed the O1 with the same type of tech you’d find in futuristic EVs, just without all the clutter. For example, the heads-up display packs some of the most cutting edge in-car technology to show your car stats at just a glance. Features like this demonstrate how Olympian Motors is trying to avoid unnecessary extra features.

Additionally, the O1 only has around 30 buttons inside, while most newer cars clock in at around 80-100. Another controversial feature that made it to the cutting room floor is the infotainment screen. Olympian Motors summed it up rather nicely, we think: “Why spend all day looking at a screen, just to look at another in your car?”

As for performance, the 82 kWh battery will keep you on the road for 305 miles, and the 310 HP can get you going from 0-60 in 5.7 seconds and up to 160mph. It’s enough to speed through an Italian town while escaping assassins. Driving the O1 (or should we say the OO1) will make you feel like Bond.

Getting a little more technical for a second (we are a tech magazine, after all), we can’t help but drool over Olympian Motors’ production. Olympian’s cars are built using a fabless process. This means they can assemble parts from different manufacturers like Lego, cutting production down to mere months.

How can I get my hands on Olympian Motors’ O1?

Currently, the O1 is available to pre-order directly from Olympian Motors. The early reservation fee is $500, and the car itself will set you back $100,000. That’s right, this car will set you back 100 big ones. But if you’re somebody who values everything Olympian stands for, you might be willing to splash that kind of cash. Unfortunately for my fellow Brits, the O1 is only available in the US.

If the O1 isn’t quite right for you, don’t worry; Olympian Motors isn’t just stopping with the O1. The company is actually working on future models, such as the K1 SUV. We’re hoping we might see some lower price tags, but Olympian couldn’t tell us. These future models are still a secret for now. Shhh!

Stuff says… Olympian Motors’ O1 is as hot as a car that’s been left out in the sun all day. We absolutely love the classic design, attention to detail, and uncluttered tech inside the car. Not to mention, it’s electric, so you’ll be doing your part to save the turtles (and the other animals). All of these impressive features do come at a pretty penny, however, so the O1 may not be for everyone. Somebody, send us a Green Card, so we can go and drive the O1!

Profile image of Connor Jewiss Connor Jewiss

About

Connor is a writer for Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. He has been writing for around seven years now, with writing across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech. Just like everyone else around here, he’s a fan of gadgets of all sorts! Aside from writing, Connor is involved in the startup scene. This exciting involvement puts him at the front of new and exciting tech, always on the lookout for innovating products.

Areas of expertise

Mobile, macOS, EVs, smart home