Electrification is happening whether we like it or not, so here are some vehicles we would love to see embrace the volts, writes Nile Bijoux.

Ford Mustang

Rumour has it, Ford is working on a hybrid Mustang to debut with the next-gen pony car around 2023. If that’s true, it isn’t a big jump to full battery power, especially as the Mustang Mach-E already exists.

Of course, outputs would have to be tweaked for the proper Mustang, as the current rear-drive Mach-E tops out at 216kW/430Nm. Should Ford consider it appropriate to drop an electric motor on the front axle too, power for the electric sports car could break the 400kW mark. We know Ford can do it, because it put seven motors on the Mach-E 1400 prototype, and that produces a full megawatt of power.

Mazda MX-5

The whole idea behind Mazda’s MX-5 is to meld driver and car together as much as possible. They call it ‘‘jinbai ittai’’, which translates to ‘‘horse and rider as one’’.

Slotting in some batteries and a motor on the rear axle seems like a gimme because, although the current 2.0-litre inline four produces a decent amount of power, it’s not an epic aural experience.

It’s easy to get power out of electric motors, so bringing an MX5 EV up to the 150kW-ish mark wouldn’t be too hard.

Balancing the weight of the batteries might prove a challenge, but not an insurmountable one.

Toyota Hilux

There’s a good reason modern utes are predominantly diesel powered – low-end torque. Most diesel utes produce about 400Nm of torque, and a few touch 500Nm. That’s commendable for diesel but standard for electric, and electric motors produce torque instantly. No waiting for turbos or transmissions to sort their stuff out, just immediate shove.

Factor in Toyota’s experience with electrical gubbins, and the fact it has an all-electric SUV waiting in the wings, and it seems like an ideal manufacturer to make an electric ute. However, all the major utemakers will do it eventually.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

Every Rolls-Royce vehicle should be electric. I would end this section here, but I have word space to fill.

Prerequisites for a Rolls are silence, effortless power, and smooth operation. All of those are checked by electricity.

The British brand’s current Phantom has dragged the V12 engine into another generation, along with a new platform. According to Rolls-Royce, the architecture was designed to ‘‘accommodate a range of different power and drivetrain layouts’’ which implies it is considering electrification for the future, but no official word has come yet.

Honda Fireblade

We already have electric bikes around and some are seriously quick. But they’re still niche and, as such, expensive.

Consider the Lightning LS-218, an electric superbike that will hit 100kmh in 2.2 seconds. Impressive, but it starts at NZ$54,281 and, it’s a new, as-yet-unproven name in the market. If, say, Honda was to build something similar, it might not hit the same epic performance metrics but, given Honda’s ability to produce high-quality machinery and price it reasonably, a fully electric Fireblade could be the ticket for superbike riders to join the electric crowd.