16 Exciting electric crossover-SUV cars releasing in 2020 & 21 – Part 2/2

Here’s the second installment of the list of electric crossover-SUVs arriving in 2020 and 2021 that could soon be getting charged in your driveway. EVW has picked from a massive pool of upcoming electric SUVs/electric crossovers, filtering it for relevancy and excitement.

1.     Rivian R1S

One of the biggest electric SUVs to arrive in 2021 comes from Rivian, an American electric car startup that caught big attention when they unveiled the R1S 7-seat SUV and R1T electric pickup at the 2018 LA Auto Show.

The R1S sets itself apart from its closest rival – the Tesla Model X – by focusing on something the latter lacks – off-roadability. The R1S will have massive battery packs on offer: 105 kW/hr,135 kW/hr and 180 kW/hr. This would ensure that the electric SUV will have an electric range between 240 miles (386 km) and an impressive 410 miles (660 km), depending on the battery pack size. Rivian claims that the top-spec 180 kW/hr version can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. Prices will start from $72,500 for the company’s first SUV.

2.     Audi Q4 e-tron

Unveiled as a concept at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Q4 e-tron will be the Audi’s third all-electric offering, alongside the e-tron and e-tron Sportback. It will be the German manufacturer’s answer to other compact luxury electric SUVs like the Tesla Model Y, Mercedes EQB, and Volvo XC40 Recharge.

The Q4 e-tron concept had two electric motors on the front and rear axles each, producing a total of 225 kW that is brought down to the road via its quattro AWD system. This enables it to accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in 6.3 seconds, before hitting a limited top speed 180 km/h. Providing power to the motors is an 82 kWh battery pack located in the underbody for a low centre of gravity. From 100% charge, it is capable of driving over 450 km (WLTP cycle) and can be had with rapid charging that allows it to charge the pack from 10% to 80% SOC in 31 minutes (with a 150kW DC charging)

3.     Faraday Future FF 91

American-based electric car startup Faraday Future had revealed the FF91 concept luxury SUV at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, but since hadn’t made a production version while being embroiled in financial troubles. The company finally had a working prototype at CES 2020, even going further to claim that production will start in September 2020.

Faraday Future aims to set the FF 91 apart from other offerings by making it one of the most luxurious and performance-oriented full-electric SUV to go on sale. The production car will have more than 100 combined inches of screen real estate, the centrepiece being a 27-inch display folding from the ceiling for rear passengers.

The FF91’s performance comes from a tri-electric motor that produces a whopping 1050 hp total output. With an AWD system, it can do 0-100 km/h in 2.39 seconds. When the concept was unveiled, it was stated to offer 300+ miles of driving range per charge, with support for fast charging for low waiting times. The production version is estimated to cost $150,000 (INR 1.11 cr).

4.     Mahindra eXUV300 Performance

Bringing the focus towards India, where EVs are starting to get attention, one of India’s biggest automobile manufacturers, Mahindra, will launch the electric version of its XUV300 compact SUV in mid-2021. It was unveiled as a pre-production concept at the 2020 Auto Expo last month.

The production version would look largely identical to the regular XUV300 but could incorporate some of the exclusive changes previewed by the concept. Powered by the MESMA 350V high-voltage, high-performance system, the eXUV300 will come in two variants – Standard and Performance – the latter offering 370+ km of travel range per charge. Expect the eXUV300 to launch at INR 12-14 lakh when its hits the market next year.

5.     TOGG C-SUV

So far, we’ve had players from the U.S, EU countries, India and China stepping into the long-range EV segment, but another entrant could surprise what the former countries have to offer: Turkey. TOGG (Türkiye’nin Otomobili Girişim Grubu), the country’s first-ever automotive manufacturer, unveiled the all-electric C-SUV and a concept sedan last December. Expected to arrive at local dealerships in 2022, the C-SUV is promised to offer impressive straight-line performance at a low ownership cost.

The C-SUV will have two sizes of battery packs to choose from. They’ve yet to reveal the capacity but have mentioned that the smaller one will offer a range of 186 miles and the larger one will be able to hold a single charge for 300 miles. It will also support DC fast charging, with 0-80% promised in 30 minutes.

Base models will have a single motor on its rear axle and be capable of sprinting from 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. A more powerful dual-motor version that adds a motor on its front axle, giving it AWD grip, can enable it to go from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.

TOGG has also received interest from other government to open sales of the SUV in those countries.

6.     VW ID.4

VW’s first-ever electric crossover was scheduled to be unveiled with a pre-production testing wrap at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, but the show’s cancellation meant it could only be revealed online in a webcast. It will be the first ID product to be sold in the United States and join the VW ID.3 in Europe and China initially.

It is confirmed to have a single motor RWD layout or a dual motor AWD layout, with a large battery pack located in the underbody between its axles. The maximum range it will be capable of is 310 miles (500 km, WLTP estimated). VW will launch the ID.4 this year, and bring it to India in the second half of 2021.

7.     Tata HBX Electric

Tata is betting big on an electric future in India and is looking to expand the electric portfolio with all new EVs, one of them being the HBX Electric. Expect it to arrive at a Tata dealership in 2022, positioned below the Altroz Electric for a price of about Rs 10 lakh.

The HBX Electric could pack a derivate of the Ziptron EV powertrain that made its debut in the Nexon EV and will be offered in the upcoming Altroz EV. Given its budget focus, it’s likely to have a single electric motor on the front axle powered by a relatively small lithium-ion battery pack. The battery pack could be big enough to offer a driving range of over 300 km on a single charge in the ARAI test.

8.     BMW iX3

BMW’s first all-new electric car since the i3 compact is a derivative of the X3 luxury SUV – the BMW iX3. Unveiled as a pre-production concept at the Auto China 2018, the iX3 will focus on the Chinese market, given that it will be produced at the BMW-Brilliance JV plant in Shenyang, China and also exported to markets like Europe in 2021 where manufacturers are under pressure to meet new CO2 targets. It will be based on the LWB version of the BMW X3 sold exclusively in China.

The iX3 will have a high voltage 74 kWh battery pack located in the vehicle floor that can be capable of lasting for 440 km on a single charge (WLTP cycle). The single electric motor will produce about 286 hp and 400 Nm of peak continuous torque.

BMW plans to cut 50% of its regular powertrain variants and plans 5 all-electric cars by end of 2021. By the end of 2022, the zero-emission lineup will include the BMW 7 Series electric (BMW i7).