Best Electric Vehicles on Sale in 2021

There are cars in the world that look like they do a lot but don’t. Then there are cars that are built to cope with the ever increasing pressures of energy demands and pollution restrictions. Some electric cars have been on the market for what seems like forever (2010 for mass market EV’s). EVs such as the Nissan Leaf have been at the top of the electric sales charts for what seems like an eternity when you’ve been waiting patiently for exciting and affordable EV’s.

2021 sees a wider range of EV’s coming to the market, some of them are even within the overall market average price of €35k for a new car. A number of pre ’21 EV’s such as the Peugeot e-208 and Opel Corsa-e electric cars are not just affordable but they come with a reasonable and very usable range of 300kms. Even better, they slot right in with their Diesel and Petrol stablemates.

In 2021 we now find ourselves with a wider choice of cars running on alternative energy which may suit a growing number of people who find themselves moving out of the city perhaps and back to their rural roots. If Murphy’s law is to be believed (and it is) we will have ever and ever increasing battery range. 

Whole communities uprooted and disrupted across 2020, the Pandemic has given us some opportunities. With remote working on the rise, an increasing number of people find themselves able to return to the more remote parts of the country, able to work and live in the communities in which they grew up in. Now able to give back and support those communities, they may also bring with them car technology which once was semi-suited to city dwellers. Now with greater range and the ability to install wall box chargers outside an actual home as opposed to an apartment, more consumers may be looking at ways to add an electric vehicle into their lives.

Below we have listed a number of EV’s available to buy in 2021. A mix of dreams for some and reality for the rest of us, exciting and utilitarian but most of all, those EV’s with the designs which fill car enthusiasts with hope. 

Lotus Evija

The Evija’s styling was penned by Lotus’s design director Russell Carr. It draws inspiration from Le Mans sports cars and Formula One racers, so it’s a significant departure from the firm’s current model range. Lotus also says the Evija debuts a new design language that will “evolve and reappear” on its future cars. While they may not be seen on Irish roads, they’re an exciting development in consumable e cars.

Volvo XC40 Recharge

The Recharge crossover is the Swedish brand’s first EV. The XC40 is the forerunner to the arrival of Volvo’s new sub-brand, called Recharge, under which all the brand’s plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles will now sit. Five more electric models are joining the XC40 Recharge over the next half decade. Volvo aims to have electric vehicles accounting for 50 per cent of its sales by 2025. Volvo Cars is tripling electric car manufacturing capacity at its plant in Ghent, Belgium as it prepares to meet the first wave of fast growing demand for its Recharge line-up. Volvo reported a strong growth in demand for the company’s electric models in 2020.

Mercedes EQS

The Mercedes EQS has been designed and engineered from the ground up to be electric, it has all of the advantages in terms of space, design and tech without any compromises. The EQS electric saloon will feature a new Hyperscreen infotainment system, which is a more powerful version of the brand’s existing MBUX setup. If the EQS matches the concept’s specs, it’ll feature a twin-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain with a 0–62mph time of 4.5 seconds. Mercedes also recently announced that it’s targeting a maximum WLTP range of 700km.

Audi E-Tron GT

Not only is it Audi’s Tesla fighter, it’s also the first fully electric model to wear an RS badge. The Audi E-Tron GT will sit at the top of the RS line-up. It uses a 94kWh battery as standard, a two-speed gearbox, a rear locking differential and one electric motor on either axle, and develops 591bhp and 850Nm of torque. An overboost function will increase that to 638bhp. The resource-conserving vehicle production process also avoids paper and packaging, uses aluminum and polymer closed loops, and in a first for a new Audi model was planned without any physical prototypes at all.

Previous gen XJ pictured

Jaguar XJ

Its styling will be an evolution of the outgoing car’s, retaining the same long, wide stance and narrow headlamps units. Alongside the company’s trademark radiator grille and shark fin antenna, a full-width light-bar along the rear will be the biggest clue to its electric underpinnings. The new XJ is set to be a very different car to Jaguar’s first electric model, the I-Pace.

Ford Mustang Mach e

The bridge linking the heritage may be questionable but the Mustang Mach E is Fords first consumer electric car.  The range will start with a rear-wheel-drive model, equipped with what Ford calls a Standard Range battery (68kWh) or an Extended Range unit (88kWh) for respective WLTP ranges of  440 and 610 kms. Also there are four-wheel-drive, twin-motor versions with the same battery capacities, offering ranges of 400 and 540 kms.

ID4

While the ID.3 is the Golf’s electric brother, the ID.4 is the all-electric alternative for the brand’s best selling model – the Tiguan (the all new version of which has just gone on sale in Ireland). In Ireland Volkswagen has seen sales of EVs increase by 115% which equates to around 533 units in 2020. VW expects the ID4 to follow the ID.3 sales lead, as their first all electric SUV.

Fiat 500 e

With up320 kilometres of range the all-electric Fiat 500 combines classic lines with Fiats latest tech. It’s 61mm longer and 29mm taller to accommodate the new powertrain on a brand new platform. The line-up kicks off with the low-range model that’s capable of 185 Kms with a starting price of €37,900.

Peugeot e-208

On the market since 2019, Peugeot’s e-208 takes on rivals such as Renault, Nissan and VW who have taken the route of delivering electric cars on bespoke platforms with deliberately ‘EV’ styling, Peugeot is reassuring its customers that electric power is just another variable in the Petrol/Diesel/Electric purchasing choice. They’ve done a great job making an affordable electric vehicle that looks great, has decent usable range, drives a dream and is widely available.

Skoda Enyaq

The new Skoda Enyaq iV shares much with the VW ID.4 SUV and starts with a pre-grant price of €46,570 with a maximum range of 500 kms. The Enyaq is about 50mm shorter than their Kodiaq flagship. They’re currently sold out of allocation in Ireland but hope to have more coming online soon. The Enyaq range will comprise two versions at launch. The iV 60 has a 62kWh battery and a 177bhp motor driving the rear wheels, with a 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds

Polestar 2

The family hatchback stands out from the crowd with its executive good looks and interior upholstery which is made from a 100% vegan material. The Polestar 2 has most bases covered, with good range, great on-board tech and reassuring levels of safety kit. The Polestar 2 sits on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, which is also used for the Volvo XC40. The Polestar 2 is closer to a five-door hatchback with an elevated ride height. And instead of developing and designing the on-board infotainment systems, Polestar has partnered with Google to provide Google apps and services. What this means is Google Play, Google Maps and Google Assistant run on the Polestar 2 infotainment system, which allows them to integrate directly with the car. If your battery needs topping up, you can ask Google Maps to show suitable charging stations along your route. 

Cupra el Born

The performance-focused Cupra el-Born features a range of sport styling cues, such as lowered ride-height, 20-inch alloys, aggressive front and rear bumpers, wider side skirts and a larger rear spoiler. The el-Born has a maximum range of 510 kms from an 82kWh battery pack (the largest unit currently available from Volkswagen Group’s EVs). It’s not yet available but is due in 2021.

Tesla Roadster

Tesla’s Roadster will go up against the Lotus Evija with an expected 0– 100km/h time of around two seconds and a top speed of 400 Km/h. The Roadster will be powered by three electric motors – one for the front axle and two for the rear. With an expected range of 1000 kms, the motors are powered by a 200kWh battery pack, almost double any other electric car battery size currently on the market. 

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Corsa-e

The Corsa-e is a car that has benefitted massively from going fully electric. Like it’s PSA stablemate the e-208, they run similar powertrains in an affordable electric car. The Corsa uses a better mix of analogue and digital interfaces (albeit simplified) for those who might want to go fully electric but prefer simple technology that is easy to use and understand.