The electric dawn
Yep: we’re just months away from these being everyday cars
The 2020 EVs that matter
The sweet spot VW ID4: ID3 GOES SUV
Think of it as a taller, roomier Volkswagen ID3 hatch (on sale 2020) and you have a good idea of what the new ID4 (above) will be. It’s the production version of the ID Crozz concept first seen in 2017, and takes full advantage of the crossover trend.
The ID4 is similar in size to the Tiguan, uses the highly-configurable MEB platform and is expected to come with a larger battery pack than the ID3 hatch. Specs are tipped to mirror 2021’s Audi Q4 e-Tron SUV: 302bhp and rear-wheel drive will be standard, with the option of a twin-motor all-wheel-drive set-up. Smaller battery packs will lower the price and expected range. Sadly, the sliding doors of the Crozz concept have vanished, as have the cockpit’s four armchairs – replaced by a more conventional five-seat layout.
VW is currently overhauling its entire future in the Chinese market. Even before the ID4 goes into production at the end of 2020, the brand has promised to electrify 10 of its China-market models. VW – which has been in China much longer than most European car firms – is so convinced the ID4 makes the best sense in China that it’s confirmed the larger crossover will actually go on sale there before the ID3 hatch.
Jettison the weird BMW i4: STRAIGHT UP
There will be nowhere to hide when BMW drops its first serious mainstream electric car. Where the i3 and i8 had strong appeal for early adopters but were too quirky for most tastes, the i4 is all about the mass market. If there isn’t one in every workplace car park soon, heads will roll in Munich. When we see the production version at the end of 2020, the i4 will still carry a lot of the i Vision Dynamics concept from the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. Two years later, BMW updated it as the Concept 4, edging closer to the finished car.
It’ll sit alongside the combustion-engined 4-series Gran Coupe, offering a choice of conventional or electric power. CAR understands the i4 will have three battery sizes and three e-motor outputs: 60, 90 and 120kWh, and 135, 200 and 335bhp. BMW is aiming for class-leading aero plus a spacious – and space-age – cockpit.
Sweden’s Model 3 POLESTAR 2: SCAND E
The Polestar 1 caught our attention: a high-priced, high-performance hybrid. But it’s the all-electric Polestar 2 (above) that’s the Volvo spin-off brand’s first step into the mainstream. Just under £50k will net you a handsome saloon that could be on your drive in the middle of 2020.
Under the minimalist skin is a 78kWh battery pack and 402bhp and 487lb ft of shove. Polestar claims a sub-5.0sec 0-62mph time. If the Polestar 1 is anything to go by, the 2 should be a decent steer – and the optional Performance Pack gets you Öhlins dampers, more potent brakes and larger wheels. A 300-mile-plus range is the target.
Polestar’s interior designers have sculpted a cockpit that steps out of Volvo’s shadow. The biggest difference is the all-new infotainment system based around Google’s Android Automotive OS – the first car to do so. It’s all adding up to the Tesla Model 3’s closest rival yet.