In the last year or so, the world has witnessed an unprecedented surge in the sale of electric vehicles. We have seen a 47% increase as of 2020, with 3.1 million units being sold globally, as per Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (BNEF) ‘Zero-Emission Vehicles Factbook’. The report also stated that the surge continued well into 2021, where, in the first six months more than 2.5 million EV’s were sold globally.
While on one hand the figures certainly reinforce the notion of EV’s being the future, on the other hand, there is also an adoption resistance in many markets. A resistance to EV’s that stem from concerns primarily over their range, as well as a lack of availability of roadside charging facilities, and concerns over the amount of time it takes to charge them.
Worry not, though! To help alleviate some of these fears, we decided to put together a list of EV’s with ridiculously long ranges launching in 2022, and help you make an informed decision as a prospective buyer in the currently booming EV market.
The electric powered version of Mercedes Benz’s S-Class flagship saloon, the EQS is one of the newest entrants in the EV market. Powered by a 107.8 kWh battery pack, it can be charged at 200 kW at fast charging stations. 15 minutes of charging at one of these fast charging stations can provide the car with enough juice to run for up to 300 kilometers. And on a full charge the car has a range of upto 780 kilometers. Furthermore, the car features Mercedes’ ‘Navigation with Electric Intelligence’ technology, that can plan the fastest routes with an adequate amount of charging stations on the way to one’s destination, factoring things like traffic, driving style, and so on. Rather surprisingly, to achieve a longer range, Mercedes Benz has in no way compromised on luxury, with the EQS featuring a 710-watt, 15 speaker Burmester 3D sound surround system, the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice assistant, as well as the optional Executive Rear Seat package, which offers ventilated/heated seats with a massage function and electronic reclining.
Equipped with a 100 kWh lithium ion battery, the Model S Long Range has an estimated range of 651 kilometers. The amount of time taken to charge the vehicle varies with the kind of charger and power supply used. With Level 1 AC like the kind we see in a 110-120V outlet at home taking upto 20 hours, AC Level 2 with 220-240V chargers taking between 8 and 12 hours, and Level 3 DC Superchargers which are in excess of 480 volts taking a mere 20 minutes for an 80% charge. The car’s dual motors at the front and rear have a combined output of 534 BHP, that can propel the car from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.8 seconds, and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. The car also has enough to keep the geek in all of us happy with a slew of features, which include a 22-speaker, 960-watt audio system, a 17-inch touchscreen infotainment system from which various parameters of the car can be controlled, as well as up to 10 teraflops of processing power, along with wireless controller compatibility making in-car gaming possible. Most importantly, the car’s USP is the Tesla Autopilot system, which enables the car to steer, accelerate, and brake in its lane on its own. Furthermore, it also includes multiple self-driving features such as Navigate on Autopilot, Auto Lane Change, Summon, and Autopark.
Equipped with a 105.2 kWh battery, BMW’s flagship electric vehicle, the iX xDrive 50 boasts of a 630 kilometre range on a full charge. It has two electric motors which produce a combined 516 hp and 765 nm of torque, which means that despite weighing in at nearly two-and-a-half tons, the SUV is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in under six seconds. It can be charged up to 80% using a 150 kW DC fast charger within 30 minutes, or in just over an hour using a 50 kW DC charger. While using the 11 kW BMW Wallbox charger at home, the SUV can be charged overnight from 0 to 100% in just under eight hours. It features the latest version of BMW’s iDrive system, which enables the driver to control various parameters of the vehicle. The iDrive system also features BMW’s intelligent digital assistant, which, through voice and gesture control, allows a user to control various functions such as the climate control, calling, music controls and so on.
The iconic Mustang nameplate is globally recognised and has been around for 60 years now. However, a crossover EV is not what comes to mind when one thinks of it. There is, therefore, pressure on Ford to impress, perhaps more than usual. And impress it does, with the California Route 1 model, which, when equipped with rear wheel drive and the 98.8 kWh Extended battery, has an estimated range of 505 kilometers. The battery can be charged at home from 0 to 100% in 15 hours using a standard Ford Mobile charger plugged into a 240V outlet with 32 amps of charging power. That gives it an average of 32 kilometers of range being added per hour of charging. At an extra $799, one can also opt for the Ford Connected Charge Station, which uses a 240V outlet with 48 amps of charging power, resulting in a charge speed of 0 to 100% in 10.9 hours. This adds around 45 kilometres of range on an average, per hour of charging.
Warren Buffet backed BYD, or ‘Build Your Dreams’ recently released its E6 electric MPV in the Indian market for commercial fleet purposes. Equipped with a 71.7 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, the E6 has a Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) range of 520 kilometres (combined), and 415 kilometres in the city. This makes it the most efficient electric vehicle currently on sale in the Indian market. As per BYD, its battery can be charged from 30% to 80% within 35 minutes, using DC fast charging. The E6 develops 93.7 hp and a peak torque of 180 NM, and its top speed is limited to 130 km/h. Priced at `29.15 lakh (ex-showroom), the E6 MPV is equipped with a slew of features such as 10.1 inch rotatable infotainment system with Bluetooth as well as WiFi connectivity, six-way adjustable driver and front passenger seats, daytime running LED lamps, and more. One of the most important features on offer, though, is a CN95 air purification system, which offers medical mask grade purification in the cabin. Along with this, since it is currently on sale for fleet purposes, the E6 MPV also has an extremely practical boot space of 580 litres.
This article was first featured in the January 2022 issue of the Digit magazine. To subscribe to the magazine, head to this link. To get the digital subscription, head over to Geek.Digit.in