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With the determination of automobile manufacturers to phase out mechanical driven cars by 2020, we may start to see the mass production of electric cars sooner than we think. This is as a result of automobile manufacturers commitment to saving the environment by reducing carbon emission from mechanical cars.
Recently the American automaker Tesla, launched its first mass produced electric car–Tesla Model 3 which has a range of 350 km on a charge that marks a departure from the company’s earlier luxury electric cars. This the only 100 percent electric driven car that can run on this range when fully charged. But it won’t be long before there’s an influx of long-range electric cars hitting the market very soon. Most major automakers, including GM and Volkswagen, have vowed to roll out more than one fully electric car by 2020.
General Motors revealed the production model of its first affordable, long-range electric car called the Chevrolet Bolt EV. The car will become available before the end of 2017, have a range of about 350 km per charge.
Audi confirmed in January that it was planning to begin production of its first all-electric SUV at its Brussels plant in 2018. The new vehicle will be heavily inspired by the company’s e-tron quattro concept, which the company originally unveiled at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September 2016. The new SUV will have three motors, a range of 500 km on a single charge, and quick charging capabilities, the company also confirmed in January. The name of the new car has not been officially announced, however, it is rumored to be called the Q6.
Porsche also unveiled an impressive electric car concept in September and in December 2016. The company confirmed that it would be investing some $1.09 billion in new facilities to begin production of its first all-electric car. The concept car, dubbed the Mission E, boasts a range of about 500 km per charge and is capable of charging about 80 percent in just 15 minutes. However, it’s worth noting that the range is likely based on European testing and not EPA standards, so its range could be more in the 386 km range. In addition to the long range and quick charging time, the car will also be capable of going from zero to 97 km per hour in just 3.5 seconds.
British luxury car maker Aston Martin said in mid-February that it is teaming up with the Chinese technology firm LeEco (formerly LeTV) to develop a production version of its all-electric Aston Martin RapidE Concept by 2018. The RapidE concept, which is based on the company’s Rapide S sedan, is expected to have a range of 322 km per charge. The company will also be collaborating on “a range of next-generation connected electric vehicles” with the electric car start-up Faraday Future, which is also in a partnership with LeEco.
Volkswagen’s CEO Matthias Mueller said on Thursday that the automaker will deliver more than 30 electric plugin-in models by 2025. Previously, the company has said that it would deliver 20 electric vehicles by 2020. The company also aims to launch its first fully autonomous vehicle by the end of the decade. Volkswagen is the parent company of both Audi and Porsche, so we already know that the Mission E and Etron Quattro will make up two of these 20 cars. But in early January the company revealed another fully-electric concept car called the Budd-E, which has a range of 230 miles on a single charge. In late January, Volkmar Tanneberger, the company’s head of electronic development, told CAR Magazine that the company will produce a car that looks a lot like the Budd-E reach production by 2020.
Hyundai showed off its line of electrified Ioniq vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show in March. At the time, the company introduced a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and an all electric model. The all-electric Ioniq EV will have a range of 177 km per charge and will become available this year. Pricing has not yet been revealed.
Daimler, which is Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, already offers two all-electric cars. One is called the B250E, which has a range of about 140 km per charge. The other is its Smart Fortwo electric car, which has a city range of 122 km per charge. But the company plans to launch at least one new all-electric car by 2018. According to a Reuters report published in early June, Daimler’s chief development officer Thomas Weber said the company will debut a prototype of an electric Mercedes vehicle with a range of 500 km per charge at the Paris Motor Show in October 2016. According to a report in the German magazine AutoBild published in December 2016, it could be an electric version of its GLC crossover. However, there is now speculation that the vehicle could be a coupe.
Ford announced in December last year that it has big plans to build some 13 new hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric cars by 2020. The company’s CEO Mark Fields said that he wants 40% of Ford’s nameplates to have an electrified version by 2020. So we can likely expect to see of the company’s most popular cars converted into fully electric vehicles. Currently, Ford only offers one fully electric vehicle, the Focus Electric. With a full charge, the Focus Electric has a range of 122 km, according to EPA ratings
In October, Volvo’s CEO Håkan Samuelsson said that by 2020, 10% of its global sales will be from electrified vehicles. The company said it will roll out its first all-electric vehicle, though, by 2019. Volvo hasn’t released any details about its first fully electric EV. However, it’s likely to have a range comparable to its competitors of 241 km per charge or more. The company kicked off its electrification plan with the launch of the plug-in hybrid version of its XC90 SUV in August last year. The vehicle has a pure electric range of about 41 km.
Nissan’s Leaf currently has a charge of about 172 km per charge. But there’s speculation that the automaker will roll out a 322 km range Leaf sooner than expected. And considering that Nissan has been the leader in the EV space for sometime, it wouldn’t be surprising if the car maker surprised us all and came out with a new EV later this year or next. Last year, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn also hinted that the company had something in the works.
And of course, Apple will reportedly deliver its first electric vehicle by 2019. Apple has kept mum on any car plans, but the Wall Street Journal reported last June that the company has designated this as a “committed project” with a target ship date for 2019. Reports suggest as many as 600 people are working on Apple’s “Project Titan,” but the man in charge of the project, Steve Zadesky, recently left Apple. When asked about the car this week, CEO Tim Cook said “it’s going to be Christmas Eve for awhile.”
