The electric cars showcased in the last few months are easily some of the most exciting we’ve seen so far. Here are 10 we’re most looking forward to.
Mass-produced electric cars may be a relatively new addition to the automotive industry, but it has gained a massive amount of momentum with almost every automaker producing some sort of EV. Manufacturers are seemingly unveiling a new model every other week, making it quite a difficult task to choose which ones to check out first.
The electric car is not a new thing invented by Tesla or Nissan, but dates back to the 1830s with Robert Anderson’s ‘electric carriage’. With the advent of the motorcar in the late 1800s, many utilized electricity to power their cars instead of steam or gasoline. The electric car experienced intermittent use over the last 100 years, but never really took off as a viable sole propulsion method. It wasn’t until oil prices started rising that automakers took the EV seriously and began with hybrids, eventually moving to the modern EV we know today. The EV was popularized by Tesla and has now found its way not only into the line-ups of the American automakers but into every manufacturer from Europe and Asia.
The last few months have showcased numerous EVs being launched within the next few years – some of which have really caught out attention. Here are ten upcoming EVs we can’t wait to have a go in.
The Rolls-Royce Spectre was recently unveiled as the brand’s first fully electric model. While the similarities are there, the Spectre will not replace the Wraith in the line-up, but can rather be seen as the new Phantom Coupe.
The Spectre may look like a large coupe, but it is truly a massive beast, measuring in at longer than a Mercedes-Benz S-Class LWB. The Spectre will boast around 577 hp and have a range of around 260 miles – a bit lower than expected from a continent cruiser. Regardless, the Spectre will be the quietest car the brand has ever made.
The GMC Sierra EV was announced recently and will be sold alongside the enormous Hummer EV in the GMC line-up. The only version currently showcased is the Denali Edition 1, which will feature around 750 hp and 780 lb-ft of torque from the get-go.
The Sierra EV will be based on the Chevy Silverado EV – just like the normal Sierra is based on the normal Silverado. It will be more luxury-orientated, but will still have chunky off-road tires as an option with the more rugged styling packages.
Polestar is on a roll with their vehicles as they are not just working on the 3, but the 5 and 6 as well. The Polestar 3 will be the first to launch and is basically a slightly larger version of the Polestar 2 – with funkier styling.
The base 3 will reportedly have 517 electric horses able to gallop around 300 miles before needing a water break, with the Performance version only achieving an estimated 270 miles. The interior got a complete revamp over the 2’s and now looks sleeker and more futuristic.
The Fisker Ocean is the newest Tesla rival and will apparently take the electric vehicle world by storm when customer deliveries start in early 2023. The Ocean will feature around 300 miles of range and will reportedly cost below $40,000.
The higher trims will feature dual motors to produce a combined 540 hp. Even though it is a gimmick, the Ocean will feature a ‘California Mode’ which rolls down all the windows – including the rear tailgate – and opens the roof panel to give a convertible feeling. We can’t wait to test it out.
The Lotus Eletre was unveiled earlier this year and the production version’s pricing was just announced – a rather impressive $85,000. The production version looks almost exactly like the one shown off, eliciting an almost electric Lamborghini design.
The Eletre is the brand’s first electric vehicle and will hopefully be one of the best EV SUVs on the market. The base 602 hp Eletre will boast around 373 miles of range while the 906 hp Eletre R’s will only be about 300 miles. Still, it should give the Tesla Model X Plaid a run for its money. The Eletre is definitely prettier in almost every way.
The Cadillac Celestiq is the American marque’s most luxurious model and will be up for sale in late 2024 or early 2025. Cadillac has tried to emulate Rolls-Royce with the Celestiq in the sense that it is opulent and elegant, yet slightly vulgar – the perfect ratio for an ultra-luxury car.
The Celestiq will cost ‘north of $300,000’, but for the money, it will get around 600 hp and 300 miles of range. The Celestiq is gorgeous both inside and out and will be a brilliant addition to the high-end electric luxury market.
Back down to the norm of regular people’s budget, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is just as much of a looker as the Cadillac or Lotus. Based on the beautiful Prophesy Concept, the Ioniq 6 is a sedan version of the already pretty great Ioniq 5 hatchback/SUV/thing.
While not yet confirmed, the Ioniq 6 will most likely utilize the same motor and battery pack combinations as the Ioniq 5, meaning either 168 or 320 hp mated to either 53 or 77.4 KWh batteries for between 220 and 320 miles – depending on the combination. Whatever it may be equipped with, the Ioniq 6 looks fantastic.
The Audi A6 e-tron Avant is one of the most impressive-looking electric vehicles to come out of the German manufacturer’s design house. It looks both aggressive and elegant, able to blast down the Autobahn and comfortably cruise around town. It is fantastic!
While not much is yet known about the production version, if it looks anything like this concept, it will be a hit. Audi even showcased a normal A6 sedan version; however, the Avant is just better in every way.
The Porsche Macan EV is currently busy being endurance tested and is undergoing weather trials in snowy and desert conditions. The Macan EV will get a redesign over the standard Macan and, judging by current renderings, will be inspired by the Taycan.
Porsche has not released any stats yet but expect it to perform quite well. Interestingly, the Macan EV does not use the Macan’s platform, rather it uses a new one on which the upcoming Audi A6 e-tron will be based.
The Mercedes-Benz EQG started as a rendering when the EQS sedan was released and has now become a model confirmed by Mercedes-Benz themselves. The brand recently stated the EQG is ‘nearly production-ready’ and that it ‘will have an impressive amount of performance’.
Statements like these make us quite excited as the idea of an electric G-Wagon seems absolutely ridiculous and completely necessary at the same time. It is definitely an upcoming EV we cannot wait to drive.
Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon. His philosophy in life: Stop the hate – Adopt a V8.
