If you consider yourself an electric car holdout, think again. Manufacturers are creating futuristic EV models that could turn heads and hearts into converts.
In the past decade, Tesla
TSLA,
paved the way for public acceptance and market demand for all-electric vehicles. This phenomenon, coupled with environmental pressure from government agencies, has motivated many car companies to design some edgy-looking concept EVs slated for 2023 and beyond. And it’s no surprise because carmakers know that new offerings need to stand out, with at least 40 new model year EVs on the market in the United States.
So, will you make the jump? We picked four compelling models that might tempt you to say goodbye to gasoline-powered vehicles. We’ll provide the reasons why each of these vehicles could potentially change your mind about owning an electric car.
- 2024 Kia EV9
- 2024 Honda Prologue
- 2025 Mercedes-Benz Vision AMG
- 2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz
2024 Kia EV9
The soon-to-arrive 2024 Kia EV9 offers a distinctively futuristic design aesthetic, from its boxy exterior to its minimalistic interior. With deliveries slated for 2023, the 2024 Kia EV9 looks like an EV version of the popular Kia Telluride. Kia
000270,
expects this 3-row all-electric SUV to bring a driving range of at least 300 miles. It also promises a fast charging of up to 350 kilowatts (the highest speed Level 3 offers).
Why convert?
Answer: The 2024 Kia EV9 could be bold and beautiful
Though Kia does not call its EV9 concept the “Telluride” of EVs, it looks similar in shape to the automaker’s largest and most popular SUV. Compared with most EVs, it could prove its worth as among the roomiest to arrive on the scene. But the design of the EV9 stands out among the many.
The iconic design clearly looks like an SUV, but the striking shapes and contrasts of the sheet metal appear like a canvas of modern art. The headlamps, taillamps, and interior design look purely futuristic, and the vast front grille carries a starlike pattern graphic that lights up from under the metal. If we could look into the future, we’d bet that a no-emission large SUV will be a hot commodity.
If the seating in the concept car becomes a reality, some of the dream architecture could include swivel front seating that turns around to the second row that converts to tables across from the third row. Swivel seats in the third row can also look out of the back tailgate.
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2024 Honda Prologue
The Honda Prologue
Honda
Honda
HMC,
has partnered with General Motors
GM,
for platform and batteries only with its Prologue to get an all-electric SUV to market as fast as possible. This partnership became a stopgap for Honda to unveil its proprietary EV architecture with the 2024 Prologue. That means the Prologue will use some of the same Ultium batteries used in the Cadillac Lyriq and Hummer EV. This cooperation between giant corporations demonstrates Honda’s urgency to deliver a fully electric production car for the U.S. market. We expect this attractive SUV, imagined in their Los Angeles design studio, will have a range of around 300 miles. Beyond that information, there is much we don’t know. But we do know Honda and our expectations align with their current product offerings.
Why convert?
Answer: You could own the first all-electric SUV from Honda in the U.S.
Soon after the 2014 Honda Fit EV came to the U.S., Honda chose to quickly pull this low-range, limited-quantity car from our shores. But much has changed since then, and the announcement of the Prologue SUV EV heralds Honda’s future roll-out of nearly a dozen EVs before 2035. Also, Honda is busy preparing dealerships to service them. So, though it’s not Honda’s style to always be first, they can usually be counted on to do things right.
Also see: The pros and cons of electric cars
2025 Mercedes-Benz Vision AMG
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz Vision AMG
Mercedes-Benz
Only recently announced as an upcoming production model, Mercedes’ AMG team in Affalterbach, Germany, has created its first EV. Mercedes expects to debut the Vision AMG for its 2025 lineup. The manufacturer calls it an “electric supercar.” Seen only in rendered form, it’s clear that its shape, graphics, and stance look sporty, and its aggressive design hints at some exciting discoveries to learn closer to its launch.
Why convert?
Answer: By 2025, you’ll need another Tesla-killing electric supercar
Nothing announces you’ve arrived like Mercedes-shaped headlamps in someone’s rearview mirror. Supposedly based on Mercedes’ Vision EQXX concept car shown at the New York Auto Show last April, this electric beast may share that concept’s 600-plus miles of electric range and sport a 47.5-inch interior screen. Performance data unknowns aside, we know enough never to underestimate AMG.
2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Volkswagen
2024 VW ID. Buzz is the name of the long-promised modern version of the Volkswagen
VWAGY,
microbus. It will come to the U.S. as a 2024 model a year after its launch in Europe. It comes with a 260-mile range, and, although not yet announced, many expect the cost to be around $57,000 based on the European model pricing. Yes, it’s not cheap. But, as the first EV minivan unveiled for the market, it seeks to disrupt the minivan’s negative soccer mom image. It will undoubtedly share some unique features with the recently launched VW ID.4. One cool feature, the ID.light, is a strip of LED lighting along the windshield base that illuminates during voice responses and functions of the car.
See: Electric van, anyone? Here’s what’s out there now, and coming soon
Why convert?
Answer: You so love the VW microbus that you’re willing to go electric
Admit it. You are one of the millions of consumers who have asked Volkswagen the eternal question: Why don’t you make another microbus?” Welcome to the answer. And just as in the case of classic 1950s and 60s VW microbuses, it could be out of your price range, but you still must own one. Or, if you’re simply a fan of hippie couture, welcome to the future. Follow your bliss to the Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
More: VW’s new electric microbus is retro outside, modern inside. When can you get one?
Electric lifestyle trends
Purchasing an all-electric vehicle is an exciting lifestyle change that makes technological advances easy to embrace. Innovative trends encouraging no-emission driving are becoming less of a sacrifice and more of a futuristic leap. The above vehicles reflect many design aesthetics, loads of safety technology, and cutting-edge engineering trends that make EV ownership more feasible than ever.
- Larger, more affordable EVs with a decent range per charge (Kia EV9)
- Reliable service infrastructure at the dealership level (Honda Prologue)
- Visually stunning supercars with advanced battery technology and top-rate performance (Vision AMG)
- Retro icons made modern, keeping our enthusiast mindset alive (Volkswagen ID. Buzz)
Whether you go with a PHEV, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a fully electric car, the force that drives both traditional and start-up carmakers is powered by electricity.
Learn more: What is EV, BEV, HEV, PHEV? Here’s your guide to types of electric cars
This story originally ran on KBB.com.
