After a two-year break, there will be another Motor Show at the Heysel from this weekend. What are the latest electric ones and what are they for?
BMW iX1: check with your boss
The BMW iX1 resembles the non-electric crowd favorite BMW X1 like two drops of water and has an output of 313 hp. That is higher than the larger BMW iX3 (286 hp), which is very popular in our country as a company car.
The Bavarian manufacturer promises a range of 440 kilometers, almost as good as the popular BMW iX3. With a price tag of 57,950 euros, this new member is expensive, but already cheaper than the larger BMW iX3 (71,000 euros). Incidentally, it is not usually private individuals who cough up such amounts: the majority of our electric cars are company cars.
BMW promises to use 100 percent green electricity in its factories and to recycle the batteries. The comparison tool of the NGO Transport & Environment shows that, in an average scenario, a car of this type emits regarding 73 percent fewer tons of CO2 over its entire life cycle than the same type of petrol car.
“Highly attractive,” said TopGear.
Tesla Model S Plaid: pepper in speed and price
The American pioneer presents the glitzy new Model S Plaid at the Motor Show as “an unprecedented level of luxury and performance”. With an acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 2.1 seconds and 1020 hp, the five-door hatchback is the fastest accelerating car currently in production.
The S Plaid has a driving range of 600 kilometers and can reach a top speed of 322 kilometers per hour. The price tag is equally peppered: 139,990 euros. “As lightning fast and very cheap, the S Plaid records together,” according to expert blog Autoblog.nl. But that is compared to the even more expensive electric Porsche Taycan.
The ecological merit of the new Tesla Model S Plaid is not only the large amount of CO2 saved, but also the psychological persuasiveness. With the first Tesla, Musk shattered the idea that electric cars were something of a mirage. Model S Plaid also throws the tune ‘you won’t get anywhere with them and they’re slow’ into the trash can.
Polestar 3 SUV: incredibly smart
The latest model of Polestar, Volvo’s electric car brand, can be admired in the Heysel. It is an electric SUV and the technical equivalent of the Volvo X90. The SUV has an output of 490 hp, acceleration to 96 km/h in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 209 km/h. And it stands out for its long driving range: 610 kilometers according to the Swedish manufacturer. This European car also refutes the idea that you mainly stand still with an electric car. “You expect a very smart car with a lot of power. He lives up to that expectation.” TopGear.
The first Belgian deliveries are planned for this summer. Prices reflect the wide range: they are between no less than 88,600 and 95,200 euros.
Like BMW’s SUV, this Polestar emits approximately 73 percent less CO2 at the end of the journey, according to the Transport & Environment analysis tool. Polestar also emphasizes that it is working on a completely climate-neutral car by 2030, that it is increasingly recycling and repurposing batteries and that it is sustainably tapping rare earth metals.
R5 Prototype: city car with a wink
The R5 concept car from Groupe Renault is shining at the Motor Show: a city car in three or five-door version. The French carmaker has clearly looked at the Italian competition. Like the popular Fiat500e, the electric R5 harkens back to the past: the model is a nod to the iconic Renault 5, which was sold between 1972 and 1985 and between 1984 and 1996.
Renault is aiming for an electric motor with a capacity of 136 hp and a range of regarding 400 kilometers. The R5 Prototype, “a big improvement on the boring (electric) Renault Zoe”, according to Autoevolution.com, will go into production in the course of 2024. A target price has not yet been announced. It may come close to the Renault Zoe, which costs around 36,000 euros. The question is whether the French model can match the success of the Italian. That will not be easy, because the Fiat 500e has now beat Tesla as the best-selling electric car in Europe.
According to Transport & Environment, with a small electric car you emit at least 66 percent less CO2 over an entire life cycle than with the same model on petrol.
MG4: affordable from China
The new MG4 from the Chinese SAIC is a compact mid-sized car of a good 30,000 euros, comparable to the price of a basic VW Golf. “Those compact and cheaper Chinese models are coming soon,” says motoring journalist Tony Verhellen. “They can be attractive to private buyers because of their competitive prices.”
The new MG 4 is available with 170 hp or 204 hp and a driving range of 350 and 450 km respectively. “This is a direct competitor of the Volkswagen ID.3,” writes Car guide. “But at more competitive prices.” The standard version of the MG4 is yours for 30,785 euros. For comparison: you have a Volkswagen ID.3 from 45,000 euros.
The Chinese Build Your Dreams or BYD is also working on the dream of affordable electric driving. The high-tech company that has already produced more than 1 million electric passenger cars will present a new electric SUV, a sedan and a hybrid at the Motor Show. And BYD may soon come to Europe with Atto 2, an electric city car of 70 or 176 hp with a driving range of regarding 350 kilometers. It would not cost much more than 25,000 euros, although that has not yet been confirmed. For comparison: the Dacia Spring, the cheapest electric car with us, costs 17,000 euros.
