Electric car plans of every European car maker

Big, small, rich or broke, every automaker present in Europe has an electrification plan.

The ones not preparing to release a battery-electric model between 2019 and 2024 have instructed their research and development department to develop hybrid powertrains. Incorporating different degrees of electrification into a line-up is the most straight-forward way to comply with the strict emissions regulations scheduled to come into effect after 2020.

Join us as we examine the electrification plan of every European car manufacturer:

Aston Martin

Aston Martin is serious about electrifying its catalogue of models. It will show what it’s capable of when it unveils the Rapide E electric vehicle (EV) in 2019. It’s a silent, zero-emissions version of the Rapide S that ditches V12 power in favour of a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors. The limited-edition saloon will boast over 602hp and 738lb ft of torque and it will take four seconds to reach 60mph.

Engineers are developing the Rapide E for “repeatable performance” and they stress the saloon will be able to maintain its 155mph top speed for 10 consecutive minutes. Aston teamed up with Williams Advanced Engineering to make the Rapide E compatible with the ultra-quick 350kWh DC chargers that are beginning to appear in Europe and in the US.

Aston will stop making the Rapide E after it builds 155 examples. Other electric cars will follow, including super-luxurious saloons and SUVs placed under the newly-formed Lagonda sub-brand. Production will begin in Wales in 2021. Meanwhile, Aston Martin offers a reversible EV conversion for some of its classic models. PICTURE: Lagonda Vision Concept, 2018

BMW Group

BMW sped ahead of its rivals in the electrification race by releasing the i3 and the i8 in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In 2019, it makes many of its cars available with a hybrid powertrain, including the 3, 5 and 7 Series, and it will continue to expand its petrol/gasoline-electric catalogue in the early 2020s.

BMW’s hybrid and electric technology will also benefit its Mini and Rolls-Royce brands. All told, the BMW Group hopes to offer 12 electric models spread across its three divisions by 2025. PICTURE: BMW iX3 concept

BMW

BMW learned taking the costly, time-consuming route of giving electric models a stand-out design and a high-tech chassis doesn’t necessarily lure buyers into showrooms. It’s trying a different approach as it continues its electrification offensive. The iX3 is, as its name implies, simply an electric X3. It will largely look and drive like one but it will gain the fifth generation of the firm’s battery-powered drivetrain.

The firm is also preparing to take the fight directly to the Tesla Model 3 with a sleek-looking, fastback-like saloon tentatively named i4 (pictured). Spy shots indicate the model is largely based on the second-generation 4 Series though its styling draws inspiration from the iVision Dynamics concept introduced at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. Sales will start in 2021.

The i3 will continue to evolve but Autocar learned BMW likely won’t replace the plug-in hybrid i8. It will instead develop a range-topping supercar with up to 700hp from a plug-in hybrid powertrain like the i8’s but with a larger conventional engine.

Mini

Mini experimented with electric powertrains when it built 600 battery-powered, second-generation Hatchbacks in 2008. Over a decade later, it’s finally ready to mass-produce the technology. The Mini Electric will make its debut in 2019 with technology borrowed from the BMW i3.

It'll stand out from the Hatchback with model-specific design cues like a filled-in grille and four-spoke wheels first seen on the 2017 Mini Electric concept. Technical specifications (including its output and range) remain unconfirmed.

Rolls-Royce

In 2011, Rolls-Royce made an experimental electric Phantom named 102EX to gather feedback from its clientele. Owners unanimously complained about its limited range, its long charging time and observed it lacked the V12-powered model’s charm. Rolls-Royce decided not to move forward with the project. Fast forward to 2019 and the possibility of putting the Spirit of Ecstasy emblem on an EV is back on the table.

While Rolls-Royce has no interest in going hybrid, an electric version of the Phantom (pictured) is likely to see the light of day sooner rather than later. The firm admitted none of its customers have manifested an interest in going electric but it needs to offer a battery-powered car to comply with looming regulations.

Daimler

Daimler sees electrification as a key part of its plan to remain a technology-driven, forward-looking company. In 2018, its leaders approved a £9 billion (roughly $12bn) program that will allow the firm to develop more than 130 electrified cars between 2019 and 2026. These models will compete in every segment Daimler’s two main passenger car brands compete in. PICTURE: Mercedes-Benz EQA concept

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz grouped its electrification efforts into a sub-brand called EQ. The first EQ-badged car, the EQC (pictured), will arrive in 2019 as a GLC-sized SUV with an electric powertrain good for about 250 miles of range. With it, Mercedes is taking aim at the Audi E-Tron, the Tesla Model X and the Jaguar I-Pace.

The EQC is the tip of the iceberg. Mercedes plans an EQA similar in size to the A-Class, a people carrier named EQV and a high-tech saloon named EQS positioned between the E-Class and the S-Class in terms of size. All three will arrive by 2022 but the line-up will swell to 10 EVs in the longer term.

Mercedes also plans to expand its line-up of hybrid models. It will release more mild hybrid, standard hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars.

Smart

Smart’s American division shriveled as it ditched petrol to go all-electric in 2017. Its European arm will flip the switch on the internal combustion engine in 2020, meaning the fourth-generation ForTwo will be developed exclusively with electricity in mind. That’s assuming it receives the green light for production.

Unverified rumours claim the current ForTwo will be the last. If they’re true, Daimler could replace the ForTwo with a brand-new Mercedes-Benz model positioned below the A-Class. PICTURE: Smart Vision EQ ForTwo concept

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

In 2019, FCA’s brands all trail their rivals when it comes to electrification. The company asked its research and development department to shift into high gear in order to catch up. We expect an array of electric and hybrid cars will join the Fiat, Maserati and Alfa Romeo catalogues after 2020:

Alfa Romeo

Positioning Alfa Romeo as Italy’s answer to BMW requires developing new technology. The five-year plan FCA presented in June 2018 called for the development of a 600bhp powertrain with a hybrid boost for a two-door variant of the Giulia set to revive the GTV nameplate. Alfa’s saloons and SUVs will receive some degree of electrification, too. The brand outlined three solutions: an electric turbocharger, a standard hybrid powertrain and a plug-in hybrid system. The product plan didn’t include an Alfa-badged EV, however.

The electrified Alfa we’re most excited about is the born-again 8C (pictured). It’s a range-topping, mid-engined supercar with a twin-turbocharged engine tasked with sending 700bhp to the rear wheels and an electric motor added to zap the front wheels into motion. Alfa promises a 0-60mph time of under 3sec.

Fiat

Fiat only released the 500e to comply with California’s stringent zero-emissions regulations. The late FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne famously urged motorists not to buy one because the company lost money on every example it sold. Surprisingly, he announced the model will return in 2020 as a battery-powered version of the next 500. This time, it will presumably be sold globally rather than in a handful of US states.

The 500e’s electric drivetrain will power a city-friendly estate inspired by the original, rear-engined 500 Giardinera. Think of it as Fiat’s answer to the Mini Clubman.

Lancia

Lancia is a dead man walking. In 2019, the once-great company sells just a single car, the Ypsilon, in a single market, Italy. Nothing suggests the Ypsilon will get a replacement at the end of its life cycle, meaning Lancia will join Autobianchi in the pantheon of automotive history without releasing a hybrid or an EV.

Maserati

The on-again, off-again Alfieri concept Maserati introduced in 2014 is finally on track for production. The line-up will include a battery-electric model and a plug-in hybrid variant. The Alfieri – which will be offered as a coupe and as a convertible – will hit 60mph from a stop in 2sec in its fastest configuration. Clearly, Maserati has Tesla’s second-generation Roadster in its crosshairs.

The Levante, the Quattroporte and a new Porsche Macan-sized SUV will get a plug, too. Maserati hasn’t announced plans to electrify the Ghibli – yet.

Ferrari

Ferrari removed any lingering doubts about the excitement hybrid cars can provide with the high-tech, limited-edition LaFerrari released in 2013. Looking ahead, it plans to release 15 new models by 2022 in a bid to double profits. The roster includes a controversial SUV named Purosangue and a wide range of hybrid models which the soft-roader will be part of.

The 488’s successor will get plug-in hybrid power and it will be joined by a new model positioned higher up in the Ferrari hierarchy also powered by petrol-electric technology. All told, Ferrari aims to hybridise at least 60% of its range by 2022. Concrete technical details remain vague but we know a hybrid powertrain built around a turbocharged V6 engine is in the works in Maranello. PICTURE: Autocar artist impression of Ferrari's SUV

Jaguar Land Rover

In 2017, Jaguar Land Rover confirmed every new model it releases after 2020 will spawn an electrified variant. That doesn’t mean the company is ditching internal combustion; it simply indicates buyers who want a Jaguar or a Land Rover that uses less petrol/gasoline will have the option of buying one. The types of technology offered will include 48-volt mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric.

Jaguar

The I-Pace won many international awards as it took Jaguar into the electric car segment. Executives now need to decide what’s next. In 2019, the battery-powered I-Pace is an exception to the rule. In the 2020s, it might be the status quo for the firm.

Autocar learned Jaguar’s top decision makers are considering transforming the brand into an EV-only car maker in a bid to combat sliding sales. If the plan is approved, the line-up would include a battery-powered XJ replacement aimed at the Tesla Model S, an electric crossover to replace the XE and the XF in one fell swoop and possibly an electric sports car to fill the void the F-Type (pictured) will leave when it retires. Insiders stressed the project does not have the green light yet.

Land Rover

Like sister company Jaguar, Land Rover will incorporate electrification into every nameplate in its portfolio starting in 2020. We could also see the brand launch an electric, road-focused 'Rover Rover' model based on the same platform as the next-generation Jaguar XJ. Allegedly due out by 2020, it will be primarily aimed at the US and China. Insiders peg its driving range at 300 miles in ideal conditions.

Plug-in hybrid and 48-volt mild hybrid technology will continue to spread across the Land Rover family in the early 2020s. The long-awaited Defender will notably offer a hybrid option. PICTURE: Autocar artist impression of the 'Road Rover'

Koenigsegg

Though Koenigsegg is no stranger to hybrid powertrains, it’s taking a more unconventional path to electrification than the other players in the megacar space. It wants to leverage the power of electrification to take the internal combustion engine as far as it can in terms of power, driving enjoyment and fuel economy.

Its clever, cam-less Freevalve engine and a significant investment from National Electric Vehicles Sweden (NEVS) should help it achieve its goal in the coming years. We’ll get a taste of how Koenigsegg sees the future when it reveals a brand-new car at the 2019 Geneva motor show.

Lotus

Geely picked Lotus like a ripe apple and placed it next to Volvo in its hamper. All of the brands the Chinese giant invests in end up adopting electrification and we don’t think Lotus will be any different. In December 2018, we learned Lotus is plotting £2 million-plus (US$2.6 million) electric hypercar possibly called Omega that will be produced in strictly limited numbers. It will blaze the path the firm’s future models will follow.

What remains to be seen is how engineers will offset the weight inevitably added by the bulky battery pack needed to power a hybrid car or an EV. Lotus must make light, nimble cars to stay true to its heritage. PICTURE: Autocar artist impression of the Lotus Omega

McLaren

McLaren is in the process of hybridising every car in its portfolio. Half of the firm’s models will boast a petrol-electric powertrain by 2022 and all of them will have gone hybrid by 2032. Don’t look for a battery-electric McLaren anytime soon, though.

McLaren is putting the technology through its paces but Mike Flewitt, its chief executive, believes EVs aren’t exciting enough to drive yet. McLaren will release a model without a petrol tank when it finds the right formula.

PSA

PSA dipped its toes in the volume-produced electric passenger car segment when it re-badged the Mitsubishi i-MiEV as a Citroën and as a Peugeot in 2011. We’re not sure anyone noticed. The firm is preparing to give EVs another shot and this time it’s developing the technology and designing the sheet metal that surrounds it entirely in-house. In the meantime, it continues to sell electric Citroën and Peugeot vans in a handful of European markets. PICTURE: Peugeot iOn

Citroën

Citroën has outlined plans to release an electric variant of the second-generation Cactus and a second EV jettisoned into the C-segment around 2020. Much of the technology used to power the models will be shared with other PSA brands but both cars will wear an expressive, Citroën-specific design.

The big saloon the firm is developing as a single-pronged replacement for the C5 and the C6 will offer an electrified powertrain option, too, and some of its SUVs will gain a plug-in hybrid option. PICTURE: 2019 Citroën Cactus

DS

The future of DS largely hinges on its success in China, so offering different electrification options is of utmost importance. The DS 3 Crossback SUV will gain a battery-electric powertrain shortly after it goes on sale. Called E-Tense, the system will consist of a 50kWh lithium-ion battery and a 134bhp electric motor. Early estimates peg its range at 186 miles.

Looking further ahead, the DS range will get a flagship saloon in the vein of the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The yet-unnamed model will offer plug-in hybrid power.

Peugeot

Peugeot remains on track to release a battery-powered version of the second-generation 208 it will unveil during 2019. The 2008 will get an electric variant, too, and several plug-in hybrid models will join the Peugeot range after the turn of the 2020s. The firm notably plans to offer electric versions of petrol-powered cars but its product roadmap doesn’t yet call for the launch of a standalone EV. PICTURE: current Peugeot 208

Vauxhall/Opel

Vauxhall/Opel will benefit from the electric and hybrid technology under development in Peugeot’s research and development department. It’s finishing work on the next-generation Corsa (spyshot pictured), which will share its platform with the second-generation Peugeot 208, and it will expand the line-up with an electric model aptly named eCorsa. The hatchback will be joined by a battery-powered version of the next-generation Mokka X.

Vauxhall wants to offer an electrified version of every car in its range by 2024. Smaller models will get an electric powertrain while larger cars will be available with plug-in hybrid technology. Like parent company Peugeot, Vauxhall is not planning standalone EVs.

Renault

Motorists who hail the Tesla Model 3 as an affordable, mass-market electric car need to stop by a Renault dealership and check out a Zoe. Released in 2012, it was the first vehicle sold in Europe that proved an electric car doesn’t have to feel, look or drive like a golf cart. Renault is preparing to replace it with a second-generation model (spyshot pictured) expected to share some of its powertrain components with the latest Nissan Leaf. This time around, we’ll hopefully see the long-rumoured high-performance version tuned with input from RenaultSport.

As Autocar reported, Renault aims to release 21 new models by 2022. Eight of them will be electric and 12 will incorporate some form of electrification. The EVs will ride on a modular platform shared across the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in order to slash development costs.

Volkswagen Group

An EV tsunami is about to sweep across the entire Volkswagen Group. Eager to bury the 2015 Dieselgate scandal once and for all, it’s investing over £30 billion (US$39 billion) to spread electrification, autonomy and connectivity across every single brand it owns. Executives want to transform Volkswagen into the number one player in the field of electric mobility by 2025.

2019 is a pivotal year in their strategy. PICTURE: Volkswagen ID Buzz concept

Audi

As a research powerhouse, Audi plays a leading role in Volkswagen’s electrification offensive. The E-Tron SUV it released in 2018 is the first of 12 electric cars the company will release by 2025. The list includes a sleeker, sportier model tentatively called E-Tron Sportback and a production version of the Porsche-derived E-Tron GT concept (pictured) from 2018. Audi also confirmed an A3-sized model and at least five additional SUVs powered exclusively by electricity.

Mild and plug-in hybrid technology will have a seat at the table, too. The firm will launch at least 10 plug-in hybrid models by 2025.

Bentley

Bentley started making the transition to electrification in 2018 with the launch of the hybrid Bentayga. Unverified rumours claim its fourth model line will arrive as a four-door electric car that will borrow styling cues from the EXP12 Speed 6e concept. Insiders peg 2021 as its release date but Bentley is keeping its lips tightly sealed.

The Mulsanne could go all-electric, too, but the project hasn’t been approved yet and a conventional powertrain remains on the table.

Bugatti

We know Bugatti will discontinue the mighty W16 engine at the end of its life cycle. Odds are it will be replaced by a smaller unit teamed with hybrid technology but nothing is set in stone yet. Bugatti has time to plan its next move. The Chiron is expected to remain in production until 2024 at the earliest.

Lamborghini

Lamborghini confirmed it will replace the Aventador and the Huracán with plug-in hybrid models. The Huracán Evo that made its debut in January 2019 won’t retire until early in the 2020s but the Aventador is fast approaching the end of its life cycle. Lamborghini will allegedly preview its replacement with a low-volume, £2 million hypercar due out in 2019.

The naturally-aspirated engine isn’t going away, though. Maurizio Reggiani, the head of Lamborghini’s research and development department, told Autocar his team remains committed to keeping the V12 alive for as long as possible, even if that means teaming it with an armada of electric motors. PICTURE: Autocar artist impression of the new hypercar

Porsche

Porsche is leading Volkswagen's charge against Tesla. The electric Taycan saloon will lock horns with the Model S when it goes on sale in 2019 and it will spawn an estate previewed by the Mission E Cross Turismo concept. The Stuttgart-based firm is also planning to release an electric SUV by 2022.

We hear a Tesla Roadster-rivalling sports car is in the cards. But, as Porsche goes electric, it’s not leaving hybrids behind. Petrol/gasoline-electric powertrains are replacing diesels across its range by boosting both fuel economy and performance. The 992-generation 911 is expected to receive a hybrid option halfway through its life cycle, so in around 2022.

SEAT

SEAT is not on the front line of Volkswagen’s electrification offensive. It will nonetheless enter the segment with a plug-in hybrid version of the Leon scheduled to arrive in 2019 and it will continue its push the following year by offering its own version of Volkswagen’s ID hatchback. The yet-unnamed EV will be joined by a battery-powered SUV in the early 2020s. PICTURE: 2019 SEAT Leon Cupra R.

Skoda

Skoda will release five electrified models by 2020 and five more before 2025. Six of those will be purely electric while the remaining four will arrive with plug-in hybrid power. We notably expect to see a petrol-electric version of the Superb (pictured) and an electric Citigo appear in showrooms before the end of 2019. 

Volkswagen

Volkswagen allocated millions of euros to the development of a state-of-the-art modular electric car platform named MEB. The first MEB-badged car, a Golf-sized hatch, will make its debut in 2019. It’s expected to cost about the same as a diesel-powered Golf when it goes on sale.

It will be the first of nearly a dozen ID-badged cars including a people carrier with a heritage-laced design, a saloon and several SUVs. Insiders even suggest the dune buggy-like concept scheduled to break cover at the 2019 Geneva motor show will join the range.

Not every future Volkswagen will run on electricity, though. The company still sees a tremendous amount of potential in the internal combustion engine and it wants to significantly increase its hybrid offering.

Volvo

Volvo leapt on the electrification bandwagon before nearly all of its rivals. The brand is committed to offering different degrees of electrification across its entire line-up starting in 2019 and it predicts battery-electric models will represent 50% of its sales by 2025. Its first volume-produced electric car, a yet-unnamed five-door hatchback inspired by the 40.2 concept (pictured), will make its debut in 2019. Production will take place in China.

Newly-minted sister company Polestar is also preparing an EV blitz. Its first car, the 1, is a 600bhp coupe that started life as a Volvo concept car. Its second car, the 2, will arrive as a battery-electric liftback aimed at the Tesla Model 3. We’ll know more about how Polestar and Volvo will differentiate their EVs after both cars are introduced in 2019.