Concept cars offer us a glimpse into the crystal ball – previewing car manufacturers’ design themes and engineering in the future. It may be only a few months away, or perhaps a couple of years, but concept cars give designers the chance to let their creativity loose, as well as showing what is set to hit UK roads in the not too distant future.
With a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK due in 2030 – and anything non-electric from 2035 – many concept cars are EVs. There’s a race to get electric cars to the dealerships and listed on leasing provider websites that are suitable for all drivers and price ranges, as well as looking interesting and featuring some fascinating tech.
Because of this, we have some amazing cars that are due to either reach UK car buyers’ hands in the coming months and years or will influence those production models that actually get made.
Here’s our sneak-peek into the coolest new electric cars to hit UK roads in 2023 and beyond:
The legendary Renault 5 is being reborn! And just look at it; this 5 for a new age looks fantastic. Plenty of retro nods, but undeniably futuristic, the all electric Renault 5 is expected to look pretty close to this prototype.
Set to be affordable and compact, but still pack in a range of almost 250 miles with the larger of two batteries on offer, the Renault 5 is set to challenge the MINI and Fiat 500 in the classic-inspired small EV stakes.
Not quite as stylish as the Renault 5 above, but potentially even more important is the VW ID.2 – think of this as an all-electric Polo. This compact EV will sit below the ID.3 in the line-up, and actually go up against the Renault 5 above.
A range of around 280 miles will be possible from the electric supermini, and with a 0-62mph time of less than 7 seconds in normal form, we’re looking forward to the inevitable GTE performance version that will come along in due course.
This baby crossover is exceptionally efficient, thanks to a range of lightweight materials used. As such, a 44 kWh battery can achieve a range of almost 250 miles, because it weighs in at under one tonne.
Sustainable materials are used throughout, and Citroen has designed the Oli to be cheap to build and therefore cheap to buy. A classic example of Citroen doing things very differently, the Oli manages to go back to the French firm’s roots while simultaneously being advanced and interesting.
MINI will expand its all-electric line-up in 2024 with the arrival of the Aceman crossover. Due to rival the likes of the Ford Puma and Hyundai Kona Electric, the MINI will arrive with a choice of two battery packs for ranges of between 200 and 250 miles.
Set to sit below the Countryman SUV, the Aceman has already been sighted in camouflage as it undergoes prototype testing.
Kia is following up on the forthcoming EV9 SUV with a smaller version – the EV5. Currently only planned for the Chinese market, the EV5 would sit better on UK roads than the much larger EV9, and it’s expected to come to Europe in due course.
Details remain under wraps, but it will be based on the E-GMP platform which allows for large batteries with more than 300 miles of range. The Sportage-sized SUV uses many of the design details from the EV9 too, shifting Kia’s family-sized SUV upmarket.
The BMW iVision Dee is not likely to make it straight to production-form, but the design and technology will definitely influence BMW’s Neue Klasse – the German brand’s next-generation of EVs. The crossover hatch almost looks retro from some angles, but the proportions and design showcase a very different styling approach to the current BMW language.
Powertrain details are not revealed, but it has already been announced that the next generation BMW EVs will use an advanced new battery type. Technology such as the Mixed Reality Slider uses sensors in the dash to work out what information to show in the car-wide augmented-reality head-up display.
Peugeot has had a great few years with its electric concepts, and the Inception is the latest – an all electric saloon with hints of Peugeot’s Le Mans challenger to many of the car’s lines.
The Inception previews forthcoming styling, so expect the next 508 to get a toned-down version of the concept’s design and technology. We hope it keeps the dual electric motors that produce 680hp and 100kWh battery with 500 miles of range.
We may not get the Vision EQXX, but we will get many of the concept’s features since it’s the most efficient electric car Mercedes has made. The prototype has managed to cover more than 620 miles on a charge, driving from Stuttgart to Silverstone on a single charge.
The powertrain developments and aerodynamic shape will be transferred onto future saloons from Mercedes, so the coupe-saloon will certainly play a key part in the next generation of Mercedes’ electric cars.
The powertrain developments and aerodynamic shape will be transferred onto future saloons from Mercedes, so the coupe-saloon will certainly play a key part in the next generation of Mercedes’ electric cars.
The Polestar 6 has been confirmed for production, based on the previous Polestar O2 concept. A roadster with a range of more than 300 miles expected, and 0-62mph time of around three seconds thanks to more than 870hp.
It’s due after the Polestar 3 SUV in 2023, Polestar 4 SUV in 2024, and Polestar 5 saloon in 2025. The sleek four-seat roadster is a true Grand Tourer for the electric age.
The Renault 5 above has a cult following, the Lancia looks to build on an even more evocative name – the Stratos. Although not labelled as such directly, Lancia has said that the Pu+Ra HPE will influence forthcoming models from Lancia as it looks to its electric future and relaunch in certain markets.
Although little is said about the powertrain, Lancia did say it intends the Pu+Ra HPE to have a range of more than 434 miles. Plus, the four-seat coupe looks fantastic.
MG has rebuilt itself from bankruptcy thanks to Chinese ownership, but the models have, until recently, been worthy but rather dull. The likes of the MG 4 has started to change that, but the Cyberster brings the MG badge back to a sports car.
The electric two-seater convertible is a modern take on the cars that made MG a household name, and will be an EV challenger to the likes of Mazda’s MX-5 – except a range of 300 miles is expected, and a dual motor version will likely produce more than 500hp.
Hyundai hasn’t said that it won’t put the N Vision 74 into production, thanks largely to exceptionally positive public reaction to the sports coupe. Linking to the Pony concept of 1974, the N Vision 74 is different to every other car on this list in that it’s not a battery-EV.
Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, the N Vision 74 is still an electric car, but better suited to track work than pure-electric cars thanks to fast refuelling times. Ultimately the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure may stifle the N Vision 74 going into production, but we hope it makes it. Just look at it!
This entry was posted in Electric Car News on by Charlie Strand
Categories : Electric Car News
