Electrifying Cars at the 2019 Frankfurt Motorshow

A new concept from BMW comes in the form of the ‘Vision M Next’. Only a concept, for now, but this is model launched recently at BMW Welt which loosely takes the shape of the BMW i8 with hints of the historic BMW M1. So, what do we know so far? Well BMW has told us this concept should be able to do 62 miles of electric-only driving, thanks to the electric motor which is paired to a turbocharged 4 cylinder (opposed to the i8’s 3-cylinder) engine. The Vision M Next - which won’t be its name when/if the car goes on sale - will also benefit from all-wheel-drive and will have a combined output of 597 horsepower… enough to get to a top speed of 186 mph.

Frankfurt is the selected location for Cupra to debut their brand new Tavascan SUV. The name seems a bit… odd, but it follows SEAT’s insistence on naming their models after areas in Spain, and Tavascan is a province in Catalonia. What’s on offer here? Well, it’s a practical all-electric SUV with an estimated electric range of 280 miles on a single charge. Although it’s a big unit, it should be pretty powerful too. There’s a healthy 77kWh battery which is the sole powerhouse of the car, producing a significant 302 horsepower without exhaling a gram of pollution. No idea when this one is due to be released at this stage, but it’s a good looking thing and certainly one worth keeping an eye out for.

Here’s the headline grabber. Lamborghini will be exhibiting their most powerful vehicle to date at Frankfurt this year. Yes, you heard. The new Sian. It’s based loosely on the Aventador, but the engine has ‘supercapacitors’ which send the power output into the stratosphere. Supercapacitors are small power units which create 3 times as much power as a battery of the same weight and store up to 100 times more energy. This electricity complements the already outrageous V12 engine from the Aventador to make a combined 774 horsepower… enough to get to a top speed of 217 mph. This will be a super limited run car, though, and prices are rumoured to be starting from a cool £3 million… Jaw-dropping.

Mercedes are going to be rolling out a huge range of hybrids and EVs in the coming years, and the GLE 350 de is one of the first new hybrid models we’ll see. It’s based on the current GLE SUV and no exterior changes are made, so it blends right in. The battery is well positioned, so there’s no loss of boot space either. Buyers can expect a maximum load space of 1,915 litres, which is more than most of us will ever need. Mercedes are stating a claimed economy of 256 mpg but, and they’ll admit this themselves, that figure is based on very specific conditions. More realistically, Mercedes claim the GLE 350 de will be able to 62 miles on a single charge. In terms of performance, this new model will be swift, but not overly rapid. A 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds is modest and the top speed of 130 mph is reasonable.

Frankfurt will also host the first public showing of the new MINI Electric hatch - a car that could genuinely stir the mass adoption of electric vehicles, particularly in the UK where the MINI hatchback is exceptionally popular. The electric MINI shares all the characteristics of the 3-door hatchback we know and love, with cooper S rivalling performance. The 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds is particularly appealing, but buyers are likely to appreciate the maximum 144 miles of range from a single charge. Speaking of charging, 80 per cent battery can be achieved in just 35 minutes. We’re particularly excited about this one...

A genuine Tesla rival? It’s a Panamera-sized Porsche weighing 2.3 tons and dripping in desirability. Porsche say this is going to drive just like any other Porsche sports car, which is always promising. The performance figures are mind-blowing too. The ‘Turbo S’ model (which doesn’t have a turbo) will do 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds thanks to a massive 751 horsepower, and it will return a whole 257 miles on a single charge. It almost sounds too good to be true! The Porsche will be exhibited in Frankfurt and the order books are already open, with deliveries expected at the start of 2020. It’s not cheap though, with prices starting from £115,858 for the non-Turbo-S model. This is Porsche first-ever all-electric vehicle and we simply cannot wait to see it out on the road.

Frankfurt will also see the world debut of a big SEAT PHEV. The Spanish-Germans are launching their massive Tarraco as a plug-in hybrid exclusively in their sporty-spec FR trim. Despite being such a sizeable vehicle, it will use a 1.4 litre 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, complemented by a 13kwh lithium-ion battery to ensure plenty of pulling power. The Tarraco won’t feel short-changed either despite the (relatively) small engine, as the combined output of 242 horsepower is more than enough. The Tarraco will have a maximum electric-only range of 30 miles, making it a particularly affordable car to use for the school run. In terms of spec, the FR model has bigger alloys, wider arches, full-width rear lights and a spoiler all as standard. The interior has been upgraded suitably too. As hybrid cars go, this is a pretty cool looking prospect, don’t you think?

A brand spanking new Corsa is hitting the markets and so is a brand new Corsa-e, the first fully electric hatchback from the PSA Group. Frankfurt will host the world premiere of this Corsa-e and, like the electric MINI, this is another car that could stimulate mass adoption of electric vehicles. The Corsa will have a claimed electric range of 211 miles, but Vauxhall says that range can increase by up to 40% if driven in perfect conditions. It’s certainly the best looking Corsa to date and, naturally, it will come with a massive 10-inch touch screen in the middle of the dashboard, to keep it competitive with tech in all modern superminis. The Corsa-e will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard too. Perhaps the biggest selling point will be how quickly it charges. With the correct rapid charger, the battery can go from 0% to 80% in just 20 minutes… that’s enough time for a coffee at the service station and you can be back on your merry way.

And finally, another hugely significant EV for the masses. Volkswagen will be launching their brand new ID. 3 model in Frankfurt, which is set to rival the top-selling Nissan Leaf. VW isn’t holding back. They’ve advertised a whole 342 miles of electric range from a single charge which makes it the furthest-reaching EV at this price point by a good 50 miles. Volkswagen has also included a guarantee with their batteries. They’ve claimed that every ID. 3 will still have at least 70% of its original battery performance after 100,000 miles of driving. VW is also releasing its ID. 3 with three different batteries, a 45 kWh, 58 kWh and 77 kWh. The entry-level model starts at £25,000 and comes with the 45 kWh battery. In terms of the rate of charging, from a fast charger, VW reckons you’ll get 162 miles of range from 30 minutes of charging.

So, which is your favourite? Which of these Electrified Vehicles is going to encourage the most drivers to switch to a more sustainably powered vehicle?