We take it for granted that a fair number of wealthy car buyers admire electric power, thanks to the cool cachet of Tesla Inc. But not long ago, electrics were viewed as anathema by serious car people, who favored traditional air-cooled engines with their guttural roars and grit. Then Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius introduced the modern electric car to a broad audience. That one, with its awkward angles and gutless drive train, made electric cars feel like medicine we took with eyes closed and a quick swallow.

The few electrics that did get car fanatics excited were rather fragile, million-dollar hypercar one-offs that spent more time in the garage than on the road. These days, well-heeled buyers consider a hybrid or plug-in vehicle a crucial part of a well-rounded garage.

“It is definitely high-performance with sustainability that resonates on a values and ethics level … with affluent and wealthy automotive buyers,” says Milton Pedraza, founder of the Manhattan-based Luxury Institute, which studies trends of the world’s rich.

Witness Porsche’s upcoming Mission E, an electric-powered sedan that the automaker has hyped for years and plans to unveil on the eve of its also much-hyped 70th anniversary. It will probably cost more than the $90,000-plus Panamera, and while its driving range and battery power remains obscured, it will undoubtedly be a car to impress with next year. Among Porsche’s notoriously rabid fans, it will be the only new model that could divert attention from the usual adulation attending icons such as the brand’s GT3, 911R, or 930. More crucial on a broader scale, if Porsche delivers on its promise, it’ll be the first sedan to challenge Tesla’s Model S in terms of sales volume.

Or take Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., which has announced it’s turning an entire heritage brand, Lagonda, into an electric powerhouse. The wedge-shaped Lagonda Vision Concept that debuted in Geneva is an all-electric sedan that marks how Aston expects the long-extinct brand to look when it returns.

Aston Martin hasn’t divulged many details about the new car, which, after all, is only a conceptual exercise, but Andy Palmer, president and chief executive officer of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., says it will get 400 miles on one charge—enough to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco in one sitting, with self-driving capability and zero emissions.

“The Lagonda Vision Concept is our plan for the rebirth of a great brand,” he says. “It’s a new kind of luxury car.”

The New Future
Some of the most prestigious brands are holding off on electric for now. McLaren’s Global Head of Sales, Jolyon Nash, recently said no way, not ever (probably). Automobili Lamborghini SpA’s chief engineer, Maurizio Reggiani, says it would take quite a lot of persuasion—maybe an act of God—for the brand to make anything electric in the near future. Bugatti Automobiles SAS’s Stephan Winkelmann, who incidentally came from Lamborghini by way of Audi Sport, said “it’s too early to talk about” electrification at Bugatti, though he recognizes the potential.

“We are not influencing this discussion, but we take this very seriously,” he says. “It’s something to look into.”

Stephanie Brinley, senior analyst for IHS Markit, takes it all with a grain of salt. Some of the “ethical value” status symbol talk is hopeful thinking and marketing, she says. After all, car companies have invested billions in electrification; they have a lot riding on their ability to sell the story that a massive, expensive hybrid SUV is cool, not just “eco-friendly.” (Because, let’s be honest, if you wanted to really reduce your carbon footprint, the answer would be to buy a cheap, tiny electric car, or ride a motorcycle—or a bike.)