The Carice TC2, a new electric sports car from the Netherlands, is a compact gem

This ultra-cute sporting EV takes design cues from classic Porsches but makes an original statement of its own. The Carice TC2 is an ultra compact convertible, loosely based on the proportions and form of the first-ever Porsche, the 356 from 1948. Announced in summer 2023, the first run of TC2s sold out straight away, but the Dutch company is currently taking orders for another batch. 

Carice has been around since 2011, as part of a start-up initiative developed by YES!Delft and Delft University of Technology. It launched its Mk1 back in 2014, but the new model substantially improves both performance and range, up from around 112km to 200km (or 300km with a larger battery pack). 

Whereas the Mk1 had more in common with the Speedster variant of the 356, with a vestigial windscreen and no weather cover at all, the TC2 is much more refined. Just 3.5m long and 1.6m wide, it is still a minnow amongst modern cars and the range is helped by its low, low weight of just 630kg (equivalent to two regular EV battery packs).

Carice TC2: a beautifully detailed electric sports car

While the company’s founders, Niels van Dril and Richard Holleman, are paying obvious homage to the German manufacturer – and carefully avoiding any mention of the name – the TC2 also follows the pattern book established by all midcentury sports cars, with a turned aluminium dashboard, wood-rimmed steering wheel, toggle switches and centrally located dials. Everything is beautifully detailed and extensively customisable.

‘We distilled the car to its purest form, and everything that's in there has been created with love and an eye for detail,’ say Holleman and van Dril, adding, ‘We've brought the essence back into driving…  It's about feeling the ride in every fibre of your body.’ They might have a point; to date, EVs impress with their straight-line speed and acceleration, but even the best-handling models – the likes of the Lotus Eletre or Porsche Taycan, for example – have their technical work cut out trying to counter all the weight they carry.

In contrast, the TC2 is a true lightweight, and emphasises this fact through the simple design approach and heart-string tugging evocation of the golden age of small sports cars. It also starts at a very competitive price, especially when compared to the sporting offerings from the big manufacturers, or even the many retro-fitted EV classics on the market. The catch – or advantage, depending on your viewpoint - is that Carice’s modest operation ensures this will always be a rare car. We think it’s close to perfect. 

Carice TC2, from €44.500 plus tax, CariceCars.com