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Jaguar I-PACE
If you’re thinking of buying an electric car then you need to be aware of these new plug-in cars going on sale in the UK in 2018. Read on for our Top 10 Electric Cars.
Sales of electric cars are increasing at a rapid rate, and there’s more choice of plug-in cars as the months progress. Ranges are also increasing; 100 miles may have been a typical real-life figure a year ago for a pure EV, but as 2018 progresses, 200-300 miles will become the norm. There’s also an increasing choice of plug-in hybrids.
Check out our Top 10 Electric Cars coming in 2018 as follows; if you can’t wait, then below this is a list of all the electric cars that you can buy today – with links to expert, independent reviews by Green Car Guide.
The Jaguar I-PACE has to be one of the most eagerly anticipated electric cars of 2018. It looks fantastic, it’s an SUV, it’s due to have a Tesla-rivalling range of at least 300 miles, along with supercar-bothering performance, and we’re expecting it to exhibit Jaguar handling genes.
We’ve tested the Audi Q7 e-tron which is a plug-in diesel hybrid – one of only two diesel plug-in hybrids that are on sale in the UK (the Volvo V60 D5 Twin Engine being the other), but the Audi e-tron is due to be a pure electric vehicle, in a similar SUV format to the Jaguar I-PACE.
The Nissan LEAF was the first mass-market all-electric hatchback. The new Nissan LEAF has been revealed and it’s now being built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK, with first deliveries in early 2018. The exterior styling aims to be more conventional than the last model, and the new LEAF has a 236 mile driving range.
The Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport will both be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain in 2018 – with the new model name ‘Range Rover P400e‘. They won’t be fully electric – yet – but at least these models will be ideal for electric running over short distances in urban areas – or off-road.
Things must be changing – Bentley is due to launch a plug-in hybrid in 2018 in the form of the Bentayga. This will share the same petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain as the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, which means that zero emission local driving will be on offer, in addition to lots of performance, but will the new WLTP fuel economy test endow it with official MPG figures that might disappoint Bentley?
The BMW i8 Roadster is based on the existing BMW i8 Coupe, but with a folding roof. It’s a plug-in hybrid, its powertrain consisting of a 1.5-litre petrol engine based on the same unit found in a MINI, combined with an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery. The BMW i3 is also receiving minor updates, and the new BMW i3s is being introduced.
It may not be as attention-grabbing as the BMW i8, but the BMW 530e will be of a lot more interest to fleet buyers. The BMW 530e was officially on sale in 2017, but in reality, production is only just coming through now in 2018. The BMW 530e shares the same powertrain as the BMW 330e, which is an excellent car, and, crucially for fleets, it’s economical in real-life motorway driving – something that is unusual for many plug-in hybrid SUVs. The downside is that there is no Touring version of the BMW 330e or 530e. Our BMW 530e review will be live next week!
The Tesla Model 3 may have started production but there are still very few on the roads in America, and there are even less in the UK. The Model 3 is Tesla’s BMW 3 Series rival, complete with a boot rather than a hatchback, and a minimalistic interior with the only main feature being the touchscreen sitting right in the centre of the dashboard. We’re yet to see how quickly the orders for the Model 3 will be satisfied in the UK in 2018. In the meantime there’s always the Tesla Model S or the amazing Tesla Model X.
The Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid will use the same powertrain as the Hyundai IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid, which has a 39 mile official electric range. Whereas the IONIQ is a family hatchback, the Kia Niro is a crossover.
The Hyundai Kona-E is based on the recently launched Kona but it will have an electric powertrain – the same as that in the Hyundai IONIQ Electric, which is an excellent car. This will give Kia and Hyundai two plug-in compact SUVs. The Hyundai Kona-E isn’t due to be on sale until the end of the year.
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