New EVs are arriving thick and fast – here’s your guide to what’s coming this year
A big year looms for the UK’s electric car market, as all major car makers are bring forced to sell a significantly greater ratio of EVs under the new zero emission vehicle mandate.
In simple terms, slightly more than one in every five cars that a firm sells in the UK during 2024 will need to emit no carbon; and without a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure to speak of, those cars are bound to be battery-electric.
It’s a good thing, then, that most brands are set to massively expand their EV offerings over the coming months.
New entrants range from properly affordable options like the Citroën ë-C3 and Dacia Spring to multi-million pound works of art like the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. There’s something arriving to suit everyone.
Read on for our guide to the all-new electric cars going on sale in 2024 – or, if you’re curious to see what petrol and hybrid cars are also on the way, check our full list of the new cars worth waiting for.
Abarth 600e
The fun-focused version of Fiat’s cute new electric crossover is expected to receive a similar set of chassis tweaks as the smaller Abarth 500e, riding lower and stiffer to improve handling. It may also gain a slight power uplift compared with the base car’s 154bhp, plus an Abarth-typical lurid paintjob and more aggressive styling.
Everything we know about the Abarth 600e
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Alfa Romeo’s new supercar will offer both petrol and electric powertrains, with the latter deploying three motors for a combined output of 739bhp. As its name might suggest, just 33 examples will be built, with Alfa remaining tight-lipped about how many of these will be electric.
Everything we know about the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Alfa Romeo Milano
Alfa’s first mainstream EV will be a sporting sibling of the Jeep Avenger, taking Alfa Romeo back into the B-segment for the first time since the Mito was retired. It’s set to have a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain and a chassis prioritising engaging handling. A hotter Quadrifoglio version is also under consideration.
Everything we know about the Alfa Romeo Milano
Aiways U5
The Aiways U5 is a competent, if uninspiring, family SUV from China that has been on sale in mainland Europe since 2020. It’s set to go on sale in the UK later this year, priced to rival the Skoda Enyaq.
Read our Aiways U5 review
Alpine A290
Alpine’s push into the mainstream market will begin with the A290, an electric hot hatch based on the forthcoming new Renault 5. It has been designed to prioritise agility, with torque vectoring to simulate a traditional limited-slip differential on the front-mounted motor and a series of chassis upgrades including hydraulic bump-stops to improve the ride without compromising handling, plus the four-piston brakes from the A110.
Everything we know about the Alpine A290
Alpine GT X-Over
Alongside the A290 will be an entry into the critical C-SUV class, based on the CMF-EV platform of the Renault Mégane E-Tech. It’s expected to be a similar proposition to the Lotus Eletre and Polestar 3: a luxurious model with sufficient space for a family yet also a sporting character.
Everything we know about the Alpine GT X-Over
Audi A6 E-tron
The arrival of the electric A6 will bring with it a major shake-up in how Audi badges its cars: ICE models will receive odd-numbered designations, while EVs will use even numbers. The new A6 will be based on the PPE architecture (also used by the new Q6), delivering ranges north of 400 miles and the potential for power outputs above 500bhp.
Everything we know about the Audi A6 E-tron
Audi Q6 E-tron
Audi has prioritised efficiency for the A6’s chunky equivalent, deploying trick silicon-carbide semiconductors to minimise energy wastage. The result is a range of 373 miles from a battery of around 100kWh – on a par with the likes of the BMW iX.
Read our Audi Q6 E-tron prototype review
BMW i5 Touring
Want a posh electric estate? Until now, your only option has been the Cross Turismo and Sport Turismo versions of the Porsche Taycan, but that will soon change as BMW grafts a hatchback boot onto the i5 saloon. Expect this to significantly improve luggage capacity, with a minimal compromise in terms of range and performance.
Everything we know about the BMW i5 Touring
BMW iX2
The second-generation version of BMW’s entry-level coupé-SUV gains an electric powertrain packing 308bhp and 364lb ft. It touts an official range of 279 miles and a maximum charging rate of 130kW.
Everything we know about the BMW iX2
BYD Seal U
Chinese giant BYD will expand its European line-up later this year with its foil to the Tesla Model Y, dubbed the Seal U. It’s based on the same e-Platform 3.0 as the impressive Seal saloon, with battery capacities of 71kWh and 87kWh, plus the ability to recharge at rates up to 150kW. In keeping with BYD’s UK pricing strategy, it’s expected to undercut the Model Y, which currently starts at £44,990.
Everything we know about the BYD Seal U
Citroën ë-C3
The electric version of the new C3 is one of the most important cars arriving next year, because it will be priced between £22,000 and £23,000, making it the one of the UK’s cheapest EVs by a significant margin. That nets a 44kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack that delivers an official range of 199 miles, with the ability to charge at rates of up to 100kW.
Everything we know about the Citroën ë-C3
Cupra Tavascan
The sporting sibling of the Volkswagen ID 5 will be available with a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain outputting 335bhp and 501lb ft of torque. It packs an 82kWh battery – the same unit as in the ID 5 – good for 341 miles of range in 282bhp, single-motor models.
Everything we know about the Cupra Tavascan
Dacia Spring
The Spring is already a big seller in Europe but will have one of its biggest shortcomings – interior material quality – addressed before landing in the UK. In doing so, Dacia will take the fight to Citroën, potentially beating the starting price of the ë-C3 by several thousand pounds while offering similar on-paper specifications.
Read our Dacia Spring review
Fiat 600e
The replacement for the petrol Fiat 500X adds an electric powertrain to its repertoire, with a single front-mounted motor sending 154bhp and 192lb ft through its front wheels. It’s fitted with a 54kWh (51kWh usable) battery, giving a range of 249 miles. Prices start at £32,995.
Read our Fiat 600e review
Fiat Panda
“Less is more” is the guiding philosophy behind the next-generation Panda, according to Fiat boss Olivier François. It will be a small, value-focused crossover similar to fellow Stellantis brand Citroën’s ë-C3, taking heavy inspiration from 2019’s Centoventi concept.
Everything we know about the next Fiat Panda
Fiat Topolino
Few cars are as bold a statement of a brand’s identity as the Topolino. It’s the Citroën Ami redesigned in line with Fiat’s ‘dolce vita’ mindset, gaining retro styling and one colour option: mint green. You can even have one with nightclub-style ropes instead of doors.
Everything we know about the Fiat Topolino
Ford E-Transit Custom
Perhaps the most consequential of all the year’s arrivals, given that it’s an electric version of the UK’s best-selling commercial vehicle. Twinned with the next-generation Volkswagen Transporter, the new E-Transit Custom van will be available with a choice of 134bhp and 215bhp rear-mounted motors, both making 306lb ft of torque. Its payload capacity tops out at just above a tonne.
Everything we know about the Ford E-Transit Custom
Ford Explorer
Ford’s tie-up with thw Volkswagen Group has also manifested the Explorer, a family SUV based on the German giant’s MEB platform. It will be offered in 168bhp, 282bhp and 335bhp guises, with the rangiest Max variant targeted to deliver 311 miles between charges. The Explorer will arrive this summer, following a delay rooted in new battery legislation.
Everything we know about the Ford Explorer
Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
Inspired by the Ford Focus RS, this off-road-focus version of the Mustang Mach-E sports SUV boosts power to 480bhp and gains specially tuned Magneride shocks.
Everything we know about the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Early signs suggest the Ioniq 5 N is a rare industry milestone. It’s the first EV capable of taking the fight to the world’s best petrol-engined driver’s cars, with sharper handling than the Porsche Taycan, a whopping 641bhp (on overboost) and a dizzying array of driving modes.
Read our Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review
Jeep Recon
This electric alternative to the Jeep Wrangler will arrive with 600bhp and a 0-62mph time of 3.5sec. The doors can be removed, too, although we’re not sure how useful that will be in wind-swept Blighty.
Everything we know about the Jeep Recon
Kia EV3
Kia’s push to offer more affordable electric cars begins with the EV3, due to arrive with a price below £30,000. It’s underpinned by the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform and will offer multiple powertrains, with outputs likely to range from 215bhp to 302bhp.
Everything we know about the Kia EV3
Lotus Emeya
Lotus’s first saloon since the infamous Carlton is effectively a slimmer version of the Eletre, offering the same 905bhp and 726lb ft powertrain as the SUV. It’s said to offer a “broadly similar” range to the Eletre, which provides 304 miles between charges in its rapid R guise. Prices, too, are expected to mirror those of its Chinese-made sibling.
Everything we know about the Lotus Emeya
Maserati Granturismo Folgore
A trio of 402bhp motors provides this grand tourer with a combined 751bhp and 996lb ft – limited only by the battery’s inability to handle such power flow yet. The 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in just 2.7sec and top speed is 199mph.
Read our Maserati Granturismo Folgore review
Maserati Grecale Folgore
As one of six electric cars being launched by Maserati by 2025, the Grecale will prove instrumental in steering the future of the storied Italian brand. The SUV will pack more than 500bhp and deliver 0-62mph in 4.5sec.
Everything we know about the Maserati Grecale Folgore
Maserati MC20 Folgore
The flagbearer for Maserati’s electric sports cars is anticipated to share its powertrain with the Granturismo, but in a lighter, more compact body, with a greater focus on outright performance.
Everything we know about the Maserati MC20 Folgore
Mini Aceman
The new Aceman is a crossover sandwiched between the Cooper and the Countryman, based on a stretched version of the former’s new Chinese-developed Spotlight platform. It will be offered with 181bhp and 215bhp electric motors, and a hot John Cooper Works version is set to arrive around 2026.
Everything we know about the Mini Aceman
Mini Cooper
The next-generation Mini hatchback is priced from £31,945, which nets you an entry-level Cooper E with a 181bhp motor and a range of 190 miles between charges. An early drive in a camouflaged prototype suggests it’s still a hoot to drive, with a darty front end and a playfulness through bends.
Everything we know about the new Mini Cooper
Mini Countryman
The Countryman SUV has grown – both in size and price – to rival the likes of the Audi Q4. Two electric powertrains will be offered at launch: a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive one with 201bhp and a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive one with 309bhp. Both utilise a 64.7kWh battery, yielding a range of 287 miles. Prices start at £42,025.
Everything we know about the Mini Countryman
Peugeot e-3008
The first car underpinned by Stellantis’s new STLA Medium architecture offers two battery sizes, with the most capacious 98kWh version delivering a range of 435 miles. Our first impression is that it’s a perfectly competent family crossover that should be nice to own but an expensive one that’s lacking in flair.
Read our Peugeot e-3008 review
Polestar 3
The Polestar 3 is effectively a Volvo EX90 wearing a tracksuit and trainers, promising a more sporting dynamic character. Time behind the wheel of a prototype suggests it’s genuinely good fun to drive, and that the interior lives up to its price tag – which also happens to undercut the equivalent BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
Read our Polestar 3 prototype review
Polestar 4
Polestar’s most environmentally friendly car yet is also its strangest, forgoing a conventional rear window in favour of a roof-mounted camera. This allowed Polestar to reposition the 4’s header rail, giving a more rakish roofline – and therefore a longer range.
Everything we know about the Polestar 4
Porsche Macan Electric
The second-generation Macan adopts the PPE architecture also used by the Audi Q6 E-tron, with a dual-motor powertrain developing more than 603bhp and 738lb ft of torque. That’s significantly more than the V6-powered Macan GTS’s 435bhp and 406lb ft, although 0-62mph times are comparable: the electric SUV completes the sprint in 4.4sec, wheras the petrol one takes 4.5sec.
Read our Porsche Macan Electric prototype review
Range Rover Electric
This has been a long time coming. The Range Rover will finally gain an electric powertrain in 2024, and JLR bosses promise it to be the most refined Range Rover to date, all while offering performance comparable with today’s V8 flagship. Even its off-road credentials look to remain intact, with the ability to wade through 850mm-deep water.
Everything we know about the Range Rover Electric
Renault 4
The revived Renault 4 will share much of its mechanical make-up with the smaller Renault 5 but package it in a larger and trendier crossover body.
Everything we know about the Renault 4
Renault 5
Fun comes first in the new 5 – according to Renault boss Luca de Meo, at least. Its Ampr Small platform (formerly named CMF-B-EV) features a multi-link rear axle that’s said to provide much greater agility than the torsion beam used by the outgoing Renault Zoe. Weight has also been shed where possible, with a new battery layout and motor design credited with significant savings.
Everything we know about the Renault 5
Renault Scenic E-Tech
It may not be the paradigm-shifting MPV from three decades ago, but the latest Scenic remains a spacious, fashionable family hauler. It’s aimed squarely at the Tesla Model Y, undercutting the huge-selling American SUV on price while offering almost 100 more miles of range.
Read our Renault Scenic E-Tech review
Smart #3
The #3 is a better car to drive than the #1 and good value too, but it still doesn’t quite meet the class standard, due to its poor infotainment and driver-assistance systems.
Read our Smart #3 review
Vauxhall Crossland
The new Crossland will be bigger and bolder than the current car – a proper small SUV, rather than a lifted hatchback. As with its smaller sibling, the Corsa, it will be available with petrol and electric powertrains. The latter is expected to use Stellantis’s favoured combination of a 154bhp front-mounted motor and 51kWh battery for a range of around 250 miles.
Everything we know about the Vauxhall Crossland
Vauxhall Grandland
The Grandland will be reinvented as an electric SUV underpinned by the new STLA Medium platform, potentially allowing a range of more than 400 miles, as well as a rapid four-wheel-drive powertrain. It will be a similar proposition to the current Grandland but wears a more rakish roofline, and it might also take a new name.
Everything we know about the Vauxhall Grandland
Volkswagen ID 7
Think of this not as a Tesla Model 3 rival but instead a much cheaper alternative to the Mercedes-Benz EQE. The ID 7 offers a hugely practical, comfortable interior, as well as ranges of 386 to 435 miles, depending on which version you opt for. Provided you can get on with the touch controls inside, it’s well worth a look at the starting price of £55,570.
Read our Volkswagen ID 7 review
Volvo EX30
This small SUV is stylish and great to drive but doesn’t live up to expectations inside. The quality is fine, but the dominance of the infotainment touchscreen system – which most crucial controls are hidden behind – sours the taste.
Read our Volvo EX30 review
Volvo EX90
Volvo’s electric flagship was delayed due to software issues but is on track to launch later this year. Priced from £96,255, it offers a veritable feast of technology, with lidar sensors, interior lighting that mimics sunlight and bi-directional charging, plus much more besides.
Everything we know about the Volvo EX90
Xpeng G6
Chinese EV maker Xpeng’s UK launch will begin with the G6, a rival to the Tesla Model Y. There are two battery sizes in the SUV, 66kWh and 87.5kWh, giving ranges of between 360 and 469 miles, according to China’s CLTC test cycle.
Everything we know about the Xpeng G6
Source: Autocar
