The Future of Electric Cars | Who are Market Leaders & What Exciting Releases are to Come?

Today I'm going to share some thoughts on the future of electric cars and who are the market leaders. I've done some research on the main brand leaders and visited showrooms to get some first-hand intel.

Aston Martin

As many of you know through some of my previous posts that Aston Martin are looking to be the first luxury zero emission brand, with the launch of their Lagonda Vision Concept.

Currently on display at the Park Lane showroom in Mayfair, this driverless car is on the vanguard of electro car technology.

Already available to purchase (price available on application, estimate 250,000 GBP) is the Rapide E. With 155 produced, rumoured to be the top speed, it was first demonstrated on the opening lap of the Monaco E-Prix.

It channels over 600 Horsepower and has a few modifications on its predecessor. With new wheels and diffuser, the aerodynamic efficiency is 8% better than it's contemporaries.

Rear wheel driven, unlike the Lagonda Vision Concept where the power train is run throughout, you'll have instant torque that will make this a very fun car to drive if you want to test out that rumoured 155mph.

Latest report: 

According to an article in the Evening Standard this week one of Aston Martin biggest shareholders, Investindustrial, is buying back 3% of its shares.

Aston Martin has seen its shares plunge to under 40% since it came on the market in November 2018. It's largely considered that the shares are undervalued and the stock will bounce back.

Porsche

The big news from Porsche is the pending release of the Taycan, the company’s first electric car.

Some reviews have already started to spill out online along with the design sketches.

“The first surprise is how small the Taycan feels,” says Autocar. The electric car has a shorter wheelbase than the firm’s Panamera saloon, allowing it to change directions through twisty corners with “startling alacrity”.

BMW

BMW will be looking to become pack leaders next year with the launch of the iX3 SUV, followed by the i4 saloon boasting a maximum range of 373 miles.

The rivalry between BMW and Tesla was amplified last year by the murmurings of Elon Musk on Twitter. This dispute was compounded when Top Gear put the Tesla Model 3 and the BMW M3 up against each other. 

Who came out on top? Won't spoil it for you, check out the video. 

Incidentally you can find out more frequently asked questions such as how long does it take to charge an electric car? And how much does it cost to charge an EV in an article on Ape to Gentleman. 

The Polestar 2

Currently on display at an art gallery in Shoreditch. The Volvo owned company is expecting big things from its 100% electric sequel.

A Scandinavian minimalistic feel inside. A glass roof, beautiful and open. Provides good head room, the cabin is quite airy. Dark materials but light inside. 

The Polestar 2 is performance focused. It will be nice around the track and comfortable in your daily life. 

What appeals to me is the enhanced usability with a dedicated processor to handle voice commands. It comes with compatible 4g connectivity and will upload all the relevant apps and navigational functions so it will never feel old. 

It has a big battery pack, about 400 horsepower generated from 2 motors, front and back. sharing 300 kilowatts between them. The Polestar 2 is clever and nippy, capable 0-60 mph 4.7 seconds.

Others to look out for..

Dyson and Apple are making some waves in the EV sector. I read an article in Business Life on the plane recently that mentioned Lotus are positioning themselves with the 'hypercar'. 

Lotus only shift around 2,000 units a year so will hardly be taking on the heavyweights. But talking of heavyweights.. 

Tesla

I don't claim to know a whole bunch about TESLA (accept that the latest Model S will set you back a cool 70k USD) but the Elon Musk road show is a fascinating one. Even to be living in the same time as someone as Elon is quite a thrill. This is a guy who wants to put computer chips in human brains by the end of next year. 

I'm game, but Elon, you'll have to go first. 

A great site that will bring you up to speed (pun intended) is the dedicated Tesla news feed Teslarati.