It is now less than a decade until sales of pure internal combustion engines cease in the UK and the wholesale adoption of electrification marches forward. Still seems like a long way off, doesn’t it? Yet while nearly 10 years is a decent chunk of time for us, for carmakers that 2030 date will be on them in the space of a single model cycle – the blink of an eye in automotive terms.
It means that the switchover to EVs is gathering pace quicker than you might think, with the result that, like the internet in the late 1990s, battery-engined vehicles will appear to segue from novelty to necessity almost overnight. More importantly, it’s at the more ‘affordable’ end of the market that the fastest changes are now occurring. The megawatt hypercars, premium brands and ambitious start-ups funded by eccentric entrepreneurs have stolen the headlines so far, but now it’s the turn of the mainstream makers to take the baton. Leading the charge are Hyundai and Skoda, which have both recently launched family-friendly EVs with more than a hint of SUV about them in the form of the all-new Ioniq 5 and Enyaq iV. Both promise a range of around 300 miles, pack more than 200bhp and, in mid-spec guise, will cost in the region of £40,000. Impressive, but are these the sort of numbers that will convince budget-conscious family car buyers racked with range anxiety to make the leap to lithium-ion power sooner rather than later? Let’s find out.
This story is from the September 15, 2021 edition of Autocar UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 15, 2021 edition of Autocar UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MCLAREN ARTURA
A supercar that can do 1285 miles on one tank of fuel? Maybe after the update...
FORD RANGER RAPTOR
Stepping out of a tiny roadster and into the largest car on our fleet
BMW X6
Munich's fastest full-size SUV-coupé gets mid-life powertrain and chassis tweaks
Is Silence golden?
A Spanish firm has used its electric motorbike tech to create a miniature electric car' that we can buy in the UK. Matt Prior has a go
A DRAM WITHOUT DRAMA
The fabulously cultivated W12 engine that revitalised Bentley is retiring, at the same time as a very different type of Bentley arrives. Mark Tisshaw drives a Flying Spur up to Scotland for a first and last taste
BMW iX2
Sportier, more stylish alternative to the underwhelming IX] arrives in the UK
VOLKSWAGEN ID 5
More powerful motors, more efficient battery and improved ergonomics for EV
YANGWANG U8
The maker of the Seal and the Dolphin produces a car that can actually swim
MASERATI GRECALE FOLGORE
Big SUV relinquishes V6 engine as Italian luxury brand initiates electric transition
SKODA SUPERB ESTATE
Fourth-generation load-carrying stalwart sticks with tradition and retains its very conventional estate car form