2021 is going to be the year for all-electric cars and should greatly accelerate the electric revolution. There are so many new models hitting the market that it should shift the entire industry.
Here we look at 10 new electric vehicles coming next year:
First off, it is going to be the year for the electric pickup truck.
Several electric pickup trucks are scheduled to hit the market in 2021 and it’s the first time that this highly important segment in North America is going to get all-electric options.
To be fair, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these vehicle programs slip to 2022, but for now, they are scheduled for 2021.
Ford F-150 Electric
It took a while for Ford to pull the trigger on this one. At first, the automaker was only talking about introducing a hybrid version of its best-selling truck in 2021, but the company finally understood that it wasn’t enough and greenlit an all-electric version for 2021.
Not much is known about the truck at this point, but Ford is aware of the competition and it is going to have to deliver something competitive with the next vehicle on our list.
Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck is likely the most anticipated electric vehicle of 2021. It’s radical design combined with spectacular specs and the reasonable base price could make a force to reckon with in the popular pickup truck segment.
The automaker already released the specs for the truck. It is going to be available in three options:
- Single Motor RWD with over 250 miles of range, 3,500 lbs of payload capacity and 7,500 lbs of towing capacity – starting price of $39,900
- Dual Motor AWD with over 300 miles of range, 3,500 lbs of payload capacity and 10,000 lbs of towing capacity – starting price of $49,900
- Tri Motor AWD with over 500 miles of range, 3,500 lbs of payload capacity and 14,000 lbs of towing capacity – starting price of $69,900
This is what all other electric pickup truck makers are going to have to beat.
Rivian R1T
The Rivian R1T was first supposed to arrive in late 2020, but it has been delayed to 2021. It still could be the first all-electric pickup truck to hit the market before the Cybertruck and F-150 Electric, which are slated for late 2021.
With a more traditional design than the Cybertruck, the vehicle is expected to appeal to current pickup truck drivers.
The specs and pricing are not as appealing as the Cybertruck, but Rivian has signaled that those will be updated for the production version and we expect that it will be closer to what Tesla is offering – albeit likely slightly behind.
Nonetheless, we are excited to see the first vehicle coming out of Rivian, which had been operating in stealth mode for almost a decade before unveiling its electric pickup in late 2018.
GMC Hummer EV
The GMC Hummer EV is the other electric pickup truck coming in 2021.
However, the vehicle is expected to be fairly expensive and it isn’t likely to have as big of an impact on the market as the Cybertruck, F-150 Electric, and Rivian R1T.
We are still excited about it because it is supposed to be an impressive rugged vehicle, but it’s not expected to be sold in high volume like the two previously mentioned vehicles.
It is expected in late 2021 with specs and pricing still to be announced.
Audi Q4 e-tron
Aside from pickup trucks, the other segment that will see a massive boost in electrification in 2021 is going to be the small SUV/crossover segment.
We have already seen several electric entries in the segment, most notably the Tesla Model Y this year, but also the Hyundai Kona EV and Kia Niro EV before that.
2021 is going to see several important other electric small SUVs like the Audi Q4 e-tron.
Audi says that the Q4 e-tron concept is equipped two electric motors – resulting in an all-wheel-drive system with a total power output of 225 kW.
The company is talking about an acceleration from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h (111 mph).
An 82 kWh battery pack powers the vehicle for up to 450 km (280 miles) based on the WLTP standard, according to Audi.
The vehicle is expected to start at just $45,000, which is likely going to make it an interesting option in the segment.
Mercedes-Benz EQA
The Mercedes-Benz EQA is another entry in the segment. It was first supposed to be a smaller hatchback, but it was upgraded to a slightly bigger crossover – presumably to compete with the Audi Q4 e-tron and Tesla Model Y.
All the specs we have on the car were from the original concept unveiling a few years ago.
At the time, Mercedes-Benz claimed an impressive powertrain consisting of a battery pack of “up to 60kWh” for a “real-world range” of 400 km (250 miles, but on NEDC, so likely closer to 200 miles EPA range), dual motors with over 268hp (200kW), and all-wheel drive delivering 0-100km/h (0-60mph) in around 5 seconds.
They also said that it had DC quick charging capable of adding 100 km (62 miles) of range in 10 minutes.
These specs are expected to be updated later this year when Mercedes-Benz unveils the production version of the car, which is going to hit the market next year.
As for pricing, it is expected to be competitive with the Audi Q4 e-tron – so ~$45,000 to ~50,0000.
Nissan Ariya
We haven’t seen a new all-electric car from Nissan since the Leaf, which first hit the market in 2011. That’s mind-boggling, but we are apparently finally going to get a new EV from the early leader in electrification.
The vehicle is going to be a small SUV/crossover and it is going to be based on the Ariya Concept unveiled last year.
Nissan is expected to unveil the production version this summer for a launch next year. It should be a toned-down version of the concept and it could feature close to 300 miles of range.
We don’t have pricing information yet, but it is expected to be competitive – starting at around $40,000.
VW ID.4
Volkswagen confirmed that the ID.4 is going to be VW’s first global next-generation EV based on the MEB platform.
The keyword here is ‘global’. The ID.3 hatchback is the first MEB EV from VW, but it is only available in Europe.
The ID.4 is going to be available globally, including in North America as soon as 2021.
VW released some details about the vehicle like a range of “up to 500 km” (310 miles) — though that’s WLTP and the real-world range is expected to be a little shorter.
It is expected to be similar in size as the Model Y, which will make it compete in this rapidly growing segment of electric small SUVs/crossovers.
The production version of the vehicle is expected to be unveiled later this year and the final specs and pricing information should be announced at that point.
BMW iNEXT
This is BMW’s big bet in the small SUV/crossover segment. They have been touting it as a ‘Tesla killer’ for a while now and it is finally supposed to come in 2021.
Not much is known about the vehicle, but executives have previously talked about an insane 435-mile range — though they revised it down to 360 miles last year.
The price is expected to be competitive starting at about $45,000. The production version is expected to be unveiled soon.
Mercedes-Benz EQS
The luxury sedan segment is also going to get a few entries in 2021. It has so far been dominated by the Model S, but now the Mercedes-Benz EQS is going to help steal some market share from gasoline-powered sedans.
The German automaker unveiled the concept last year, but the production version is expected to be unveiled later this year and be toned-down from the futuristic concept.
Mercedes-Benz says that the EQS is equipped with a dual motor drivetrain capable of a 350 kW of power output with 760-newton meters of torque available.
It should enable an acceleration from 0-100 km/h in under 4.5 seconds.
As for the battery pack, the automaker didn’t disclose the capacity, but it is claiming a WLTP range of 435 miles (700 km) on a single charge.
They are also talking about a 350 kW fast-charging capacity, which they claim would recharge the battery to 80% in “considerably less than 20 minutes.”
Electrek’s Take
This is extremely exciting.
There are several more EVs planned for 2021, but can you imagine just the impact of these 10 vehicles? It is going to be massive.
Some automakers behind some of those EV models are planning annual production capacity in the six figures.
With these vehicles likely becoming the best options in their own segments regardless of the type of fuel, we are going to see a massive shift in electrification in 2021. Mark my words.
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