Shawdesh Desk: Electric cars are already a mainstay onBritain’s roads, with a growing numberof all-electric models being available tobuy right now. The electric effect isnow in full force, with establishedbrands committing to offering a wider range of pure electric cars in the future,while those who depend heavily ondiesel are seeing sales falter.
Prices are falling, models are diversifying and it’s all going hand-in-hand with increased investment and roll-out of charging networks.
Let take a closer look at what you can expect to see hitting the roads in the next few years.
Ford Mustang electric
Ford announced at the Detroit Motor Show 2018 that it will invest $11 billion in electric vehicles, and plans to have 40 electrified vehicles on the road by 2022, 16 of which will be fully electric, while the rest will be plug-in hybrids. There has been a lot of talk Ford using VW’s electric platform which will help kickstart a move into EVs.
There’s a new team – Ford Team Edison – looking at the electric future and an “electric Mustang-inspired utility” is one of the vehicles in development. Ford went as far as teasing the Mustang during the launch of the Tesla Model Y and through a neat leak to CNBC, we’re slowly learning details.
Tesla Model Y
We all know that Tesla wanted to launch another car and the Model Y slips into the space between the Model 3 and the Model X, a compact SUV. The interior leans towards the Model 3, while the range offers 242 miles with a 0-60mph time of 5.9 seconds, on the most affordable model. It will seat seven, come with long-range and performance versions and be hitting the road in 2020.
Audi Q4 Concept
The Q4 e-tron does two things. It previews a more “sporty”, coupe body style version of the Q3 SUV (in the same way a Q8 relates to a Q7) and shows Audi’s big push towards fully electric cars. It was previewed at Geneva 2019 but looks very much like the final thing. Expect a production version to follow, soon.
Honda e
Honda e is designed to be small, targeting urban dwellers, and the performance specs being cited reflect that – a 200km range (125 miles). It’s also a five-door model, with cameras for mirrors and there’s a digital rearview mirror too.
Volkswagen ID.3
While VW has sweeping plans, it’s the ID.3 – its most compact model – that’s the closest to real life. This is a purpose-built EV – rather than a converted model like the e-Golf – and VW sees it sitting in the same sort of space. It will be the price of a diesel Golf, and it will be hitting roads in 2020.
Pre-orders have opened for ID.3 which will come in three battery sizes – offering 205, 260, 340 miles respectively – and will offer three different trim levels.
BMW iX3 Electric
BMW recently took the wraps off its Concept iX3 all-electric SUV, with images revealing what we can expect the final production model to look like when it launches in 2020. The iX3 will get BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive technology, which puts the electric motor, transmission and power electronics all into one singular unit.
It also gets a fifth-generation electric motor, specially designed for BMW’s Sports Activity Vehicles, which produces 270hp and up to 249 miles on a single charge based on the WLTP cycle. BMW has also said it will support 150kW fast charging, meaning the battery can be fully topped up in just 30 minutes.
The iX3 is a clear sign of BMW reacting to an ever-expanding market, but it’s odd that it’s taking the company so long to get the must-have SUV-body style with an electric powertrain to market, given that the i3 has been on sale since 2013.