Six Most Exciting EVs For 2018 According to Motorcar.com
(PRWEB) December 07, 2017 -- In 2018, there are some stunning new vehicles planned from the most popular car manufacturers in the world. However, the attention of the industry is turning electric and the whole niche is moving forward faster than ever before. In the past, new electric vehicles have been released in dribs and drabs but now the industry is seeing the reward of many years’ worth of investment and research.
For the first generation of electric cars, they didn't exactly set the world alight. Sadly, their range was poor and some automakers even had to accept a loss on models just to make them affordable. From all the cars introduced, the Model X and Model S from Tesla were perhaps the two that shone brightest.
For some, this has realigned the expectations for the second generation but there’s reason to be optimistic and the news released already is enough to suggest more success this time around. In truth, it comes at a time where success is needed because failure might not be an option. If this second wave of vehicles proves to be a failure, the reputation and image of the EV market will take a severe hit and it’ll take a lot of work to redeem the trust of consumers. With this in mind, here are the six EVs that could take the market and carry the niche into a new world.
Porsche Mission E
The more that’s released about this model, the more intriguing it gets and not just because of the 800-volt battery which has been taken from the 919 race car. Firstly, Porsche believe the model takes just fifteen minutes to charge to 80% and that this will last for around 250 miles; this is phenomenal work by the company. With fewer power outputs than previously, the model will certainly be interesting and the industry will receive more information as the release date looms closer.
Ultimately, the Mission E should reach 60mph in less than 3.5 seconds but it won’t be seen for a while yet. Compared to some of the other models listed here, the Mission E is expected much later and perhaps towards the end of 2018; they’ll start to become more common in 2019. To have the luxury of driving this vehicle, customers will have to pay between $80,000 and $90,000 and this gives it a great chance to compete with the Model S from Tesla. If Porsche fail this time around, it could spell trouble.
According to the manufacturers, the Mission E provides up to 440 kW and this leads to a top speed of 250km/h. In terms of design, ‘compact’ is very much a key word with no worries about an exhaust system, transmission tunnel, or combustion engine. As Porsche has said in the past, they’re really ‘exploring the limits’ with this model and this is good to hear.
Jaguar I-Pace
With Jaguar, it’s a car manufacturer with bundles of history in the US, their home in the UK, and all around the world. Despite not having a single hybrid vehicle on the market, they surprised everybody with their announcement of the EV SUV ‘I-Pace’. Immediately, this leads to thoughts of ‘wait…this was only announced recently so it won’t be released next year’ and normally this would be a good point. However, just like the Mission E, the I-Pace has been spotted testing in Monaco which speaks volumes.
Although details are few and far between right now, Jaguar is expecting a range of 220 miles with the I-Pace; news regarding the pricing has been mixed for quite some time. Although it’ll be available for less than $100,000, there isn't much else to go by unless the rumors of rumors are to be believed which are, at the least, scraping the barrel.
Why has Jaguar been able to get the model ready for the market so quickly? Well, for one thing, Magna Steyr has been in charge of the assembly process. Since they assemble vehicles on a contractual basis, they have no other worries except producing the model to be ready for launch. With this model to be released earlier than most, will this give Jaguar the upper hand they need to excel in 2018?
Audi E-Tron SUV
Around the same time as the I-Pace or perhaps a little after, the market will also welcome the Audi E-Tron SUV. In fact, there are some similarities between the two since they’ve both gone for an SUV with their first major electric vehicle. Offering a range of over 310 miles, this particular model is set for a launch next year and will actually sit between the Q5 and Q7 despite not following in terms of the name.
In truth, the success of both this and the I-Pace could very much come down to which is released sooner, the success/lack of success of the early releases, and how they interact in the early months of the year. Although there’s no evidence to suggest what will happen, Jaguar won’t have the SUV niche to themselves for long so they need to take advantage of the time they have available.
Looking into the details, the price tag should be between $65,000 and $70,000 which could be a key factor. Why? The Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace are both more expensive. For those looking to save a few bucks for a rainy day, they might just see the advantage in choosing the Audi E-Tron SUV (assuming it does everything just as well as the Jaguar or can at least compete in most areas!).
In terms of Audi themselves, they’ve got big plans in the coming years for the electric market so could soon become large players (just as they’ve always been in the wider market). With their forward-thinking nature and hard-working employees, they’ll be important in the coming years. If the E-Tron SUV manages to get a good footing and a positive start, they could be on the roads right across the US next year and into 2019.
Mercedes Maybach 6 Cabriolet
When it comes to concepts, Mercedes knocked it out of the park when they revealed the Maybach 6. If any automakers were wondering how to produce a visually-stunning concept, Mercedes immediately entered themselves as experts within the market. Just recently, they went one better and announced the Maybach 6 Cabriolet. Similar to the coupe, it’s an electric vehicle and should reach up to 750 horsepower. With batteries integrated into the floor of the model, range should extend to 200 miles.
With the concept, it looks elegant, clean, beautiful, and like a work of art. In order to get the horsepower, it uses four different electric motors and will also boast a quick-charge which is something that has become extremely popular in the industry in recent months. In order to go on a short journey when the battery is running low, it takes just five minutes to add 62 miles to the charge. After breaking it down in terms of the wider market, this is very impressive and likely to be a USP if nobody can improve on these numbers.
Unfortunately, the Maybach 6 Cabriolet won’t be accessible to everybody because they’re only going to produce around 300 models which will leave most in the dark. If the history of the automobile tells us anything, it’s that only the wealthiest are going to be driving these vehicles. However, it’s still worth looking forward to seeing it in action and it also serves as an important reminder of how far electric vehicles can be pushed. While some thought they were limited in build and design, the Maybach 6 Cabriolet has now smashed this myth into tiny little pieces!
Tesla Model 3
Throughout this list so far, all the vehicles have had one thing in common; they haven't been revealed. Well, it’s time to break this mold because the last two are both Tesla vehicles. First and foremost, Tesla is probably the king of the industry right now and they have the respect of everybody. With a young history and with expectations low for them around the industry, they did their job well and produced two models that were, as we said earlier, shining lights in a niche of sub-par vehicles.
As it has been reported in recent weeks, they are having some production issues which has stalled the production date a little but at least they’re only going to release the model when they’re happy and comfortable with the final result. Eventually, the Model 3 will be available for all to see and it’ll be time to assess whether it lives up to the hype that exists around the brand this time around.
With each charge offering 220 miles, this model comes in at a very respectable $35,000 (before considering possible incentives which could reduce the price somewhat). To reserve a Model 3, customers can actually do this on the website and an email will be sent when the order can be placed. According to their website, the units will be released to employees first before then moving across to those who already own a Tesla. Finally, it then goes to the order of reservations and the wider public.
Coming back to the production issue for just a moment, there are some numbers available because the reports are coming thick and fast. Initially, they wanted to produce 1,500 units in September alone but they actually produced 260 in the whole of the third quarter. By the end of 2017, they wanted to have 20,000 models produced per month but it looks as though this isn't going to happen and it all comes down to a welding problem.
Tesla Roadster
After Tesla Semi was revealed, Elon Musk surprised the Tesla fans with the news that Tesla Roadster will soon be back on the roads again. Tesla Roadster is set to make a huge comeback in 2020, and the performance this time around will be staggering. It’s now certain that it will become the quickest road car in the world given that it’ll give 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds and 0-100 mph in 4.2 seconds. The Tesla Roadster will make a quarter-mile in 8.8 seconds with top speed of more than 250 mph.
Factoring the above features that were pointed out by Elon, driving the new Roadster from Los Angeles to San Francisco will only require one charge for a two-way trip (using highway speeds). Note that these features were as per the prototype vehicle therefore the production car could be quicker than this, but news of this will be released in time.
The new model of Tesla Roadster will come with one electric motor in the front and two in the back making a total of three electric motors. With these three motors, it will offer all-wheel drive throughout. To give such performance, the vehicle will come with a 250-kilowatt-hour battery.
Summary
With Tesla, the industry needs them to fix all issues and have the Model 3 available as soon as possible. With so much expected of this second generation, we have six models here that will be battling for the limelight and they could contribute to the biggest ever year for electric vehicles!
About Motorcar.com
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Zlatan Stankovic, eBizAutos / Motorcar, https://www.motorcar.com/, +1 (844) 631-2151, [email protected]
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