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Five things to know about the rivals to Tesla’s electric crown
With Saudi Arabia turning away from Tesla, we look at the rapidly expanding field of electric cars
Lucid Air: When Elon Musk stated his desire to take Tesla back into private hands, it was believed Saudi investment was one of the key drivers behind his decision. Once he changed his mind, however, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) ploughed $1bn into Lucid Motors – the company behind the Lucid Air, a high-performance sportscar that will have a top speed of 330kph and a 350km range.
BMW Mini E: It’s not just the new-kids-on-the-block boutique automakers who are defining the electric car space. Established manufacturers are speeding ahead with models of their own, including BMW’s proposed Mini E, an electric car based on the British-born classic. It will be the first of 12 electric cars produced by BMW and is scheduled to hit the road in 2019.
Volvo Polestar: Swedish company Volvo, more commonly known for safe, boxy saloons and practical SUVs, announced its electric plans at the Geneva Motorshow with the Polestar, a brand it bought and folded into its own operations. The Polestar 2 is a 400bhp, 550km-range sedan that is designed to compete with the Tesla 3. It is set to be revealed in 2019.
Audi E-Tron: Audi, which is part of the VW group, has always placed technology at the heart of their brand – remember those “Vorsprung Durch Tecnik” ads? – and it has breathed new life into these instincts with the E-Tron, a five-person, 400km-range SUV that targets the heart of the auto market. Rivalling Tesla’s Model X, it goes into production in 2019.
Rimac Concept Two: The brand that hails from Croatia achieved headlines when Top Gear’s Richard Hammond crashed a Concept One on camera. It has followed up that first supercar with the Concept 2, which debuted this year. It outdoes its forebear by serving up 1,914bhp and an acceleration of 0-100kmh in a ridiculous 1.85 seconds. Charge!
