The automakers are presenting their innovations online due to cancellation of Geneva Motor Show, including many electric cars. Here is the list and brief description of all the important electric vehicles that were meant to be debuted at the show.
The corona virus stopped the Geneva Motor Show. This would have been the 90th show, but due to the increasing number of virus cases, Switzerland has canceled all events with more than 1000 visitors for the time being. Including the auto show, which was supposed to start on March 5th.
The manufacturers therefore reveal their innovations on the Internet. The trend is clear: In the future, more electric and hybrid vehicles will roll across the streets.
BMW i4 Concept
Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of Design at BMW, describes the new i4 as “dynamic”, “clear”, “elegant”. It could also be said: BMW is closing in on Tesla. At least in theory. Because the BMW i4 is so far only a concept that should come on the market in 2021. Otherwise, much is reminiscent of the Model S, with which Tesla shocked the established manufacturers back in 2012 .
How far the concept is in the end from the production version remains to be seen. BMW has not yet quoted prices for the i4, but some technical data. A range of 600 kilometers (373 miles), acceleration from zero to 62 mph in under four seconds. The charging power is 150 kW, and 80 percent of battery capacity gets energized after 35 minutes of charging. Inside, BMW is following the trend towards fewer buttons and more displays. Another purely battery-powered car from Munich comes onto the market this year: the iX3, an electric SUV.
Audi A3
The most important news from Audi is the premiere of the new A3. In the fourth generation, there are only five-door models, the three-door variant is no longer available. Audi will also no longer build a convertible for the A3 in the future. Instead, there will be a sports coupe that will compete against the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé and Mercedes CLA.
Visually, the A3 is based on the A1 but a little more distinctive. The size of the compact car hardly changes, but changing to the A-plus platform gives it a longer wheelbase and therefore more space in the rear. In the interior, the A3 is reminiscent of the Q3 with two screens on dashboard. The A3 will also be available as a plug-in hybrid, in two different power levels (136 to 204 hp), and will use a 48-volt electrical system. The petrol engines deliver up to 408 hp.
Advance sales for the new Audi A3 Sportback begin in many European countries in March 2020 , with the first deliveries beginning in May. Starting price for the petrol engine is 28,900 euros.
Renault Twingo ZE
The Twingo is going electric: at the end of 2020, Renault plans to launch green version of its small car. The range is 180 kilometers according to WLTP. The top speed is limited at 135 km/h (84 mph). On a 22 kW charging station, the battery should be charged to 80 percent in one hour, and it takes 13 hours to reach 100 percent on a normal socket.
Dacia Spring Electric
Dacia has been offering cars at competitive prices for years. The concept is simple: the Renault subsidiary builds new cars with proven technology from the group of companies and offers them at the price of used cars. Only a hybrid or an electric car was not available before. That should change in 2021 .
Dacia is now presenting the Spring Electric, which is based on the K-ZE sold in China. It is sold there with a range of 270 kilometers (168 miles) at a price of between 7900 and 9100 euros, or 9000 to 10,300 US dollars. The Dacia will not be as cheap as the China version. A somewhat higher-quality version of the K-ZE for 15,000 euros is realistic, after deducting 6000 euros through the government subsidies, that would still be unrivaled cheap.
Cupra Formentor
The large number of planned electric vehicles cannot hide the fact that the automotive industry was planning to present a whole series of models in Geneva that focus on maximum performance. And that doesn’t even mean exotic ones like Ferrari Roma, Bugatti Chiron Noire and McLaren Elva. The penchant for more horsepower can be seen in all brands and models. Honda shows the Civic Type R, Mercedes-AMG the GLA 45 , VW the Touareg R, Audi the RS5, Porsche the 911 Turbo S.
With the Formentor, Seat presents the first SUV from its new independent sports brand Cupra. The Cupra Formentor SUV now available as a PHEV produces 245 hp. The pure electrical range should be up to 60 kilometers or 37 miles. Further petrol engines should expand the range.
VW Golf GTI and GTE
The classic among sporty everyday cars which would have been premiered in Geneva – instead, Volkswagen showed the Golf GTI in a live stream. The GTI is lower, there is a spoiler at the rear, 19-inch rims and a twin-pipe exhaust system, and the fog lights shine through the honeycomb grille at the front. The sports seats inside are covered with the traditional check pattern.
In addition to the DSG automatic at the market launch, there will later be a version with a manual switch. The performance of the 2.0 four-cylinder is 245 hp, the base price should be around 38,000 euros. In addition to the standard GTI, there will also be a diesel (GTD) and a plug-in hybrid version (GTE). The plug-in version has the same performance values as the GTI, but can drive around 60 kilometers purely electric with its 13 kWh battery.
Mercedes CLA 250 e and GLA 250 e
While electric cars are still selling poorly compared to the total volume of the car market, plug-in hybrid vehicles in particular seeing strong growth. This is also shown by the innovations in Geneva – there is hardly a segment in which electric and petrol engines are not combined. The goal is to save fuel and reduce fleet consumption.
This is also evident at Mercedes and BMW, which always speak of an electric offensive, but at the premieres of the canceled motor show in Geneva, they primarily rely on proven models with a pinch of electro-mobility. The Mercedes CLA 250 e and GLA 250 e are now also available with a plug-in hybrid. Combined, the unit delivers 282 hp. The purely electrical range should be between 65 and 77 kilometers.
BMW 330e Touring
This is roughly the area in which the BMW 3 Series Touring operates, which extends the range of plug-in hybrids at Munich. The 292- hp station wagon, which will be on sale in the summer, will do 55 to 68 kilometers on electric mode. The top speed in this mode is 140 km/h (87 mph), which should quickly reduce the range.
VW ID.4
After the emissions scandal, VW is fully committed to electric-mobility. At least the group wants to give this appearance. The ID.4, a mid-range SUV with an electric motor and a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles), will not be released until the end of the year. In the digital press conference from Wolfsburg, VW gave at least a small view of the SUV. The production version will be presented later this year.
VW Touareg R plug-in hybrid
This is the new top model in the series and combines the 335 hp of the petrol engine with another 133 electrical horsepower. The 2.5- ton SUV can go up to 250 km/h (155 miles). It should be a real workhorse, the Touareg: it can pull up to 3.5 tons of trailer load. The electrical range of the plug-in hybrid is rather limiting: it should be around 50 kilometers (31 miles). The model is due to go on sale in the second half of 2020.
Kia Sorento
The new Kia Sorento will also be available with a plug-in hybrid, which has been announced for the second half of the year and is likely to cost around 40,000 euros as part of its predecessor. It is striking that the SUV has been trimmed with a lot of chrome, going in the direction of the luxury class. This is also evident in the interior, which is reminiscent of Land Rover with its high-gloss surfaces. In addition to the plug-in hybrid, there will also be a classic hybrid, a 1.6-liter petrol engine and a 2.2-liter diesel.
Hyundai i20
The Hyundai i20 should be considerably more economical. The disadvantage: it only has a mild hybrid system, so it can neither be charged nor driven on electric. And: This option is only offered in the most powerful engines, i.e. with 100 or 120 HP engine.
New in the i20 are a number of assistance systems, such as an emergency brake assistant that recognizes pedestrians and cyclists, or an intelligent speed control system that uses the data from the navigation device to find the optimal speed. The price and launch of the Hyundai i20 is not yet known.
Mercedes E class (Not EV)
Mercedes revises the E-Class after around four years and will roll the upgraded cars to the dealers from summer. The Stuttgart-based company sold 1.2 million of the current model series alone, about half of which to business customers.
And according to Mercedes – they want as much technology, quality and comfort as possible. That is why the face-lift has a new version of the Mercedes infotainment system, MBUX, on board, as well as improved driver assistance systems. The drive range also includes diesel, gasoline and a total of seven plug-in hybrids. However, a purely electrical variant is not yet in sight.
