By Matt Chappell
Whether you’re an early adopter looking to upgrade or simply ready to make the leap, the EV market is on a charge and wide open with choice. There are opulent electric super coupés, vibrant family minivans, imposing luxury SUVs and modern, clean saloons filled with futuristic tech. Even the concept cars, once a glorified statement of the future never to be seen again, are finally coming to fruition, as we draw one step closer to an all-electric vision of the motor world. With so much variety, it’s easy to lose your way. Whether looking for a family transporter, executive cruiser or something outright different, these are the seven EVs in 2024 worth their weight in megawatts.
Tesla Cybertruck
Whether you gawp at it, marvel at it, love it or despise it; Tesla’s Cybertruck is truly unlike anything that has come before. It’s maverick, it’s unapologetically different – it’s the futuristic concept car that became a reality. Ever the beautiful brute, its ultra-hard stainless steel exoskeleton is supposedly bulletproof, and it’ll tow with the same strength as an average African elephant. Nearly 2,000 liters of flatbed storage gives ample room for tools, hiking gear, even a sleepover using the optional Basecamp tent that sits on top. An optional lightbar on the roof will illuminate the equivalent of five football fields in front and an all-glass roof offers starry night skies on tap. Built for serious adventures, dopamine thrills and rugged practicality all at once, a single charge should get you 340 miles in whatever direction you want, and 0-60mph in just 2.6 seconds with Beast Mode. Inside is no less impressive; an 18.5” infinity touchscreen awaits, along with a 9.4” touchscreen in the back, recording studio sound, fast-charge for almost anything and hospital grade HEPA filters in Bioweapon Defense Mode. Fanboys fix up, Cybertruck is real.
Audi Q6 e-tron
New for this year and hotly anticipated, is the Audi Q6 e-tron – sitting firmly between the Q4 e-tron and the Q8 e-tron. It will be among the first models to have been built on the brand new PPE architecture shared with the next-gen Porsche Macan, and will feature a swathe of new tech, interior design cues and performance. Powered by two electric motors, the Q6 e-tron will get up to 510bhp (depending on the model) and an estimated range of up to 370 miles, charged from 5-80% in around 25 minutes. Inside, the cabin is breathtaking. The infotainment system will get three screens, including a virtual cockpit for the driver and a 10.9-inch display for the passenger with ‘active privacy mode’. Of course, personalisation has also been baked in. There’s a ‘self-learning’ voice assistant, an optional augmented reality driver’s heads-up display and ambient light strips that wrap around the front passengers. In fact, you’ll even choose your own digital light signature for the outside of the car, using its new daytime running lights and second-gen OLED rear lights. The Q6 e-tron is expected to land early this year, and it’s certainly an EV worth keeping your eye on.
BMW i5
The German marque’s business quarterback has had a makeover – the diesel engines are gone, and electric all-wheel drive is in. The new i5 comes in two drivetrains, of which the M60 xDrive gets the oomph. Two electric motors generate 601hp and 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds (with launch control, too), but this is still the executive, long-distance cruiser you know and love. You’ll reach up to 320 miles on a charge, with an abundance of driver assists and various modes that extend range by capping speed to 60mph or turning off the seat heating. Next-gen tech and 7 Series opulence has been laced across the cabin; the curved digital display, the ‘interaction bar’ light show, the hidden ‘seam vent’ air vents, glass crystal finish and a panoramic glass roof. For the first time, in-car gaming comes with AirConsole to pass the time during charges. And, for those who have been with the 5 Series since day dot, the illuminated kidney grill projects subtly forward as a throwback to the ‘shark nose’ of old.
Polestar 3
There’s something to be said about silent, single-geared driving, wafting through the countryside and shutting out the din of a noisy city. It’s peaceful, perhaps even serene. To match the mood, the Polestar 3’s pleasingly minimalist design is equally mind-clearing, with flowing lines on the exterior and a mere single dial inside. Spacious and unmistakably Scandinavian, it is an EV with purpose – its sustainable materials fully-traceable and carbon footprint tracked from concept to creation. A front aero wing reveals the telltale sign of innovation at work, giving the Polestar 3 more downforce for spirited driving. After all, it’ll launch you from 0-62mph in 5.0 seconds – no slouch for an SUV. Safety tech watches the driver’s eyes for distractions, and an array of other driver assist features only adds to the sense of calm in the cabin. This is an EV with meaning, measurable impact and a streak of fun, and one not to be missed.
Lotus Eletre
Traditionally, you think of sports cars barely raised off the ground when you think of Lotus, its rich racing heritage plain to see. But the Eletre is the hip-level hyper-SUV that bucks the trend – but only insofar as it doesn’t feel like sitting inside a wickedly quick bathtub in race trim. In fact, the Eletre is still rapid, and the rest of it feels as Lotus as it gets. A squat stance and gloriously sculpted aerodynamic profile combines with a ‘sport mode’ to set the tone, which unleashes 905hp in the ‘R’. Honeycomb grill shutters open automatically to cool the motor and a rear spoiler deploys at high speed for extra downforce. The cabin is packed with innovative tech: a digital cockpit that uses the gaming industry’s ‘Unreal Engine’ for 3D graphics, a panoramic glass roof with 10 settings for the level of light to let in, jewelry grade stainless steel and a 23-speaker 2160W sound system. It comes with a variety of autonomous driving aids, including LiDAR which scans 200m around the car in every direction to build a map of its surroundings. And the Eletre’s Dual Orin-X autonomous chipset makes up to 508 trillion calculations per second. You’ll also reach up to 373 miles on a single charge and can top-up by 250 miles in about 20 minutes – everything about the Eletre is quick. Maverick. And very Lotus.
Mercedes-Benz EQG
Since its launch in 1979, the G-Class has held onto its roots. Despite many visual ‘evolutions’, not one of them has been a major departure from its angular, rugged, bold and luxurious design. The EQG is no different, except for one major change: it’s farewell roaring V8, welcome electric drive. Four individually controllable electric motors sit close to each wheel, based on the ladder frame of the original ‘G’ – meaning it will be built to be a ‘real 4×4’, with a ‘shiftable 2-speed gearbox’ for off-road reduction to match. Due to roll out later this year, the electric G-Wagon should remain true to its concept, the light strip on the roof rack and 22-inch polished wheels putting a twist on its classic, brutish design. We expect the interior to borrow some of the luxury tech found in the EQS SUV too, taking an already high-end 4×4 into even plusher territory. Will the new ‘G’ please its OG fans? We think so.
VW ID. Buzz
Look familiar? To some, the ID. Buzz will ring in nostalgia, to others it’ll look different, colorful yet fun and inviting. This, of course, is based on Volkswagen’s original T1 ‘bus’, so popular it grew a cult following in the 1950s that went on to span decades. Whether you surf, camp or have a family in tow, the ID. Buzz is here to deliver on the promise of bringing the T1 DNA into the future. That includes short bodywork overhangs, maximizing every inch of space and a set of charismatic headlights split by a V-shaped bonnet. With over 2,000 liters of room with the seats down, inside there’s certainly space to stretch out. As expected with a Bulli, the front seats are high up and a full digital cockpit sits up there to match. The cabin has been given an ‘ID. Light’ strip that delivers driver aids and, in some models, up to 30 ambient light options. Its electric motor isn’t going to leave your jaw hanging, moving the ID. Buzz from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds, but that’s not what this has been designed for. This is a family MPV with a difference, unlike anything else on the market, and one that gets you grinning for an entirely different reason; fun, nostalgia, creativity. Why buy a grey, electric minivan when you could have this?
