Electric cars are growing in popularity all over the world, and it’s no surprise – they’re quiet, easy to drive and smooth in acceleration, but which one to choose?
Whether we like it or not, this electrified trend will only intensify in the near future. The main thing that has kept customers from choosing an electric car so far is the short duration of the trip on one charge and infrastructure problems. However, these issues are not so acute in modern models – the mileage of 300 km is the norm, and the number of charging stations on roads is growing like mushrooms after the rain.
So, which e-cars should be considered for purchase in 2019? Here’s a list made by auto expert, James Smith at the Best Arny blog.
Hyundai Ioniq
Ioniq is a modern budget model that can be purchased with three different electrified powertrain options:
- soft hybrid;
- chargeable hybrid;
- fully electric version.
The last version has a quite comfortable interior, where there are no longer those “good old” hard panels and poor design as if intentionally scaring off customers. You can even order premium equipment and heated front seats. In addition, a mileage of 280 km on a single charge is quite enough for daily trips around the city and its suburbs.
BMW i3
The model exists for about six years on the market, which means that the manufacturer has already dealt with all the “infantine diseases”. As for the design, i3 still looks modern and also has a unique body with carbon and aluminum components that compensate for the weight of lithium-ion batteries.
Of course, in six years the model has become a little outdated technically, but after the last upgrade, it has become better driven, and the range of mileage has increased to 255 km per charge – not the most outstanding figure, but quite sufficient for urban conditions.
Tesla Model X
At first glance, an electric family SUV looks like a dream come true, offering exterior design and Range Rover luxury with green energy savings from Tesla. Of course, in terms of appearance, great battery life, and practical interior – there are no questions for this Model X – it’s almost the best in the class. Still not ideal, though, because the entry-level versions are quite simple in the interior. On the other hand, even the basic version allows you to drive up to 380 km on a single charge, while the top models can drive up to 475 which is quite enough even for long distance trips.
Volkswagen e-Golf
As Volkswagen prepares for large-scale electrification and the launch of a range of electric vehicles, including minibusses and crossovers, customers are offered an electric version of e-Golf which, unlike BMW i3 or Nissan Leaf models, is based on an ordinary hatchback. On the other hand, it’s not bad, and, in the case of e-Golf, even good because the car has all the advantages of the classic and most popular in Europe hatchback, along with fuel economy of the electric model. Mileage is classical for the given class – 300 km per charge.
Renault Zoe
The main strength of the French e-car is that it looks like a normal, stylish and a kind of fun hatch, and is also relatively cheap for the current market.
The power of the electric motor Zoe is quite enough to win traffic light jerks. The interior space and the volume of the trunk are large enough in comparison with the models of the same class. Plus, Renault promises that the updated model, which soon will appear in salons, will be able to cover up to 400 km per charge, what makes it, in fact, Tesla.
Tesla Model S
Speaking of Tesla. With all due respect to Renault, the American company, which has already become an icon of electric cars in the modern world, is still ahead of its competitors in terms of technical, design and marketing strategy, and the Model S is almost ideal e-car of today in terms of price/quality ratio.
Judge for yourself – quite a spacious sedan with a well-done interior and smart information stuffing which gives the opportunity to control every part of the car through a 17-inch display. The cherry on top of the whole thing is acceleration up to 100 km in 4.1 seconds and a range of 500 km per charge.