This 1000-horsepower super SUV will take on Tesla and Lucid

Looking for an electric SUV with Bugatti-beating performance? US car maker Mullen Automotive might have just the thing for you.

It’s called the Five RS and it was revealed at the CES tech show in Las Vegas this week. Presented in a striking metallic bronze with forged carbon detailed inside and out, the Five RS is described as a sport EV crossover, with a roofline that sits somewhere between a saloon and a fully-grown SUV.

This is a souped-up version of the Mullen Five, which first appeared in 2021. It boasts a claimed power output of over 1,000 horsepower, which is sent from a 100 kWh battery pack to the road via a pair of electric motors, an 800-volt system architecture and a two-speed sequential gearbox like that of the Porsche Taycan. Mullen claims the Five RS can sprint from rest to 60 mph in under two seconds and has a top speed of over 200 mph.

If those figures turn out to be accurate – the company admits these are merely “targeted numbers” for now – the Five RS will eclipse the Aston Martin DBX707 as the world’s quickest SUV. Adding to its supercar stature are sports seats with forged carbon backs, and the material is also used extensively on the exterior, particularly on the front bumper, side skills and prominent roof spoiler at the rear.

Mullen says the four-seater will be fitted with high-performance carbon ceramic brakes by Brembo (six pistons at the front, four at the rear) and there’s an “ultra-performance race-track mode” which tweaks the throttle map, powertrain, battery cooling, suspension damping and steering feel. There’s also an AI-based personal assistant, called Persona, which Mullen says is baked into the infotainment system and has facial recognition technology.

Other stats include a chunky 850 ft-lbs (1,150 Nm) of torque, a targeted range of up to 300 miles (depending on how you drive, of course) and level three charging that promises to fill the 100 kWh battery from zero to 80 percent in under 35 minutes.

If you’ve not heard of Mullen Automotive – and we can’t say we blame you – it’s a Californian company that was founded in 2014 and recently took control of Bollinger Motors, a startup producer of electric trucks of the same name. In other words, it isn’t just a startup presenting an obscenely fast crossover EV as its first product. We’ll be interested to see if the Five RS really can deliver on the targets set out at CES this week, and whether it’ll be priced to compete with the Tesla Model S/X Plaid and Lucid Air.