The Most Exciting EVs coming in 2021

Mercedes is set to launch its most accessible EV to date this month. Think of the EQA as an alternative to the Mercedes Benz GLA in terms of its size and practicality but, of course, the EQA will be 100% fully electric. The EQA is not far away from being launched but the details are still thin on the ground for now. We do know to expect a solid 263 miles of electric range on a single full charge and it should only take about 30 minutes to charge from 10% to 80% using public rapid chargers at 100kw. Is this the car that converts premium SUV buyers into electric vehicle ownership? Potentially...

Finally! Volvo’s long-awaited debutant into the fully-electric market is here! Using the tried and tested framework of the high-selling XC40 is the ‘Recharge P8’ model. This is the first model in Volvo’s range to be fully electrified and you can expect the rest of the lineup to follow suit shortly after. The XC40 P8 will be good for 248 miles on a single charge and it has been priced at £53,000 - which sadly nudges it over the maximum ‘OTR’ price for the government's Plug-In Car Grant incentive. Nevertheless, there’s a lot to like. The XC40 is already a very good looking car and the Recharge P8 will actually be a high-performance model with an impressive 402 horsepower on offer from twin electric motors. Sounds like a lot of fun to us!

Now, this looks like a serious piece of kit. Introducing the new RS E-Tron GT from Audi. This is Audi’s answer to the incredibly popular Porsche Taycan, with which it will share its underpinnings. The release of the RS E Tron GT has been delayed and delayed due to the Covid-19, but it looks like 2021 is the year that our Audi showrooms will be blessed with this demonic-looking EV. As the ‘RS’ element of the name tag suggests, this will be a performance-oriented vehicle, and buyers can expect to be firmly pressed into their seats thanks to a 0-60mph time of just 3.5 seconds, courtesy of the RS E-Tron GT’s 637 horsepower. The batteries will also be capable of ensuring up to 249 miles can be achieved on a single full charge, which we’d say is pretty reasonable for most people’s needs.

The first fully-electric Lexus will be coming to the UK in 2021! It will take the form of the existing UX SUV but underneath that slick design lies a modestly powered electric motor, which should be good for up to 199 miles on a single charge. Don’t go expecting supercar performance, because the motor will only produce a reasonable 201 horsepower, but we expect the UX300e will be steered more toward comfort than blistering speed. Happily, this one will sneak within the threshold for the government's Plug-In Car Grants as prices will start around £43,000.

The El Born will launch on Volkswagen’s MEB platform and boast incredibly sporty styling and it will have the performance to back it up too. We’ve been told to expect a peculiar 0-30 mph time of just 2.9 seconds, which sounds like excellent acceleration from a hatchback, but there’s no official word on the industry-standard 0-60mph time just yet - we don’t expect it will be much of a slouch, though. Of course, the El Born is primarily a hatchback and will therefore need to perform hatchback duties, which should be made much easier by the fact that Cupra says it will be able to do 310 miles per charge. No official launch date yet but expect to see these in showrooms within 6 to 8 months from now…

Alright, we’ve featured some high-performance EVs in this list, but one car we’re really excited to see is the FIAT 500 Electric. The 500 is a hugely popular car in the UK, and on the continent, and the early signs suggest the electric version could easily go on to become the most popular electric car on the roads. Prices will start from £29,500 at launch for a top-spec ‘La Prima’ convertible model which looks absolutely delightful and certainly brings a chic, stylish character to the EV catwalk. The range is quoted to be around 199 miles, which is certainly good enough for what most Fiat 500 owners will require and it gives the FIAT an edge over the likes of the Honda E and MINI Electric, which both have shorter ranges.

In Autumn of 2021, we’re expecting to see the news that Merc has launched their electrified alternative to the S Class in the form of the new EQS. We’re anticipating a highly futuristic saloon which brings an unprecedented level of luxury and comfort to the electric car market. This will be a limousine like none other, with seemingly endless amounts of high-tech equipment and performance that should ensure it can keep up with the likes of the Porsche Taycan. Right now, details are rather thin on the ground but we’ll be keeping a watchful eye on this model as more and more information is leaked over the coming months. Early rumours suggest a performance version is likely to follow in 2022 donning the famous ‘AMG’ badge...

Tesla’s new compact SUV is already on sale over in the States but deliveries aren’t expected to begin here in the UK until autumn. The Model Y is already in exceptionally high demand, as we have come to expect of Tesla models, and when it does hit the showrooms it will be available with an optional third row of seats. This is likely to make the Model Y the number one choice for large families looking to get involved in the Electric Vehicle revolution. In terms of performance, Tesla will likely bring out the Model Y with a number of different battery and performance options, so it’s a bit too early to speculate as to what options will be available when they arrive in the UK, so that is something to look forward to…

The i4 from BMW is expected to be arriving in the UK this winter but the hype is already building today. This is very much expected to be BMW’s rival to the leading Tesla Model S and it will be built upon the architecture of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe that is currently on sale. Early figures show BMW boasting that the i4 will put down a healthy 523 horsepower which will give the car a 0-60mph time well below 5 seconds and, more importantly, BMW reckons the i4 will be good for an electric range of 373 miles. Now that doesn’t quite compete with the Tesla Model S, however, it’s an awful lot closer than other manufacturers are achieving at the moment and we feel that is more than enough range for the vast majority of diesel drivers to warm to. The battery will also be compatible with 150 kW charging stations, so re-juicing shouldn’t take too long either.

Prior to the rebirth of the Tesla, its flagship vehicle back in the early ’00s was the Roadster. A fully electric car built on the platform of a Lotus. Now it seems that Elon Musk and his team are revisiting their roots, and we would say that this is arguably the most exciting EV ever. Tesla has claimed that when the new Roadster goes on sale it will be able to launch from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds which we’d imagine is like something out of Star Wars. Not only is it fast at accelerating, but Tesla also reckons the Roadster will go on to a mind-blowing 250 mph - which is faster than any Ferrari ever by almost 40mph. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Tesla says the Roadster will also be capable of returning 620 miles on a single charge - which is a figure no other manufacturer is getting even close to anytime soon. The numbers really do speak for themselves, so too does the £189,000 expected starting price. Perhaps we should start saving?