One of world’s fastest (and most expensive) EVs spotted on way to an ultra-exclusive auto show
The Aspark Owl – an all-electric hypercar in development for eight years and quite easily the most expensive EV in the world to date – was recently spotted driving in Monaco. The company has announced its first two dealers ahead of its limited run production finally beginning.
Aspark Co. is a Japanese car manufacturing and engineering firm, founded in 2005 in Osaka. The Japanese company is not shy about how proud it is of its achievement in the Owl, either.
According to Aspark’s website, the Owl is equipped with “the most powerful 4 electric motors ever made,” combining to produce a total output of 1,980 horsepower (1,456 kW). The overall torque from the motors is 1,920 Nm (1,416 ft-lb). Don’t forget its 250 mile (400 km) range.
The EV can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 1.72 seconds and has a top speed of 260 mph (413 km/h). This level of acceleration and power (literally) propelled the Aspark Owl to two Guinness World Records in the Uk last month, completing an eighth of a mile at an average speed of 192.03 mph (309.02 km/h) blistering through the quarter mile at an average speed of 198.12 mph (318.85 km/h).
The Aspark Owl has been a hypercar on our radar for years now and previously topped our list of most expensive EVs on the planet. To truly be on this planet however, an EV needs to reach production – which finally appears to be happening according to Aspark.
$3.1M Aspark Owl arrives as one of the most expensive EVs
Earlier this week, the Aspark Owl was seen on public roads in Monaco, on its way to Top Marques, described by The New York Times as “the world’s most exclusive car show.” Seriously, this feels like some James Bond, Tony Stark type socialization. Some of the most expensive EVs are sure to be on display at the exclusive event that kicks off today, but Aspark also used it as an opportunity to share a progress update.
The first European dealer for the Aspark Owl is Absolut Cars Consulting, who will help sell the hypercars in Monaco, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. It will be joined by VVS as Aspark’s first UK dealer as well.
While Aspark is a Japanese engineering firm, the Owl EVs are being built by Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT) in Italy. That being said, the hypercar’s makers expect a completed Owl to be shipped to Japan very soon and Aspark CEO Masanori Yoshida says the team is looking forward to it.
As we’ve previously reported, Aspark is planning a production run of 50 EVs for the Owl and has shared that each will be built to order and delivered within the next 12 months or so. This is a hypercar years in the making, and the specs promised above come with a hefty price tag – 2.9 million euros ($3.1M) each – making it the most expensive EV in the world.
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Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.
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OpenAI is distancing itself from Robinhood‘s latest crypto push after the trading platform began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe.
“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”
The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”
Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.
“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.
Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.
“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”
The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain
U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.
Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.
BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech
After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”
Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.
BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).
It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.
The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).
Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).
Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.
The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.
BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.
The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.
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