Tesla won’t be the only all-electric car giant within the next few years, with some of the oldest brands committing to an electric future
Tesla is the poster child of the electric car revolution.
The American car-maker has shaken up the automotive industry over the past decade as the first – and still by far the biggest – exclusively all-electric global vehicle manufacturer.
Indeed, Tesla imported more battery Electric Vehicles (EVs) into Australia in 2020 than all other brands combined. Despite production challenges at its Fremont, California plant in mid-2020, figures obtained by carsales confirm Tesla shipped 2949 vehicles to Australia in 2020, and over 2600 of them were the mid-size Model 3 sedan.
The Model 3 sales result means that the battery-electric midsizer outpaced sales of conventional powered segment stars like the Audi A4 (783), but trailed (narrowly) those of the BMW 3 Series (3406) and Mercedes-Benz C-Class (3378).
But things are about to change over the course of the next decade due to a number of forces all colliding together.
Battery technology is improving at such a rapid rate and production costs are coming down that EVs are forecast to be on par with conventional vehicles in terms of driving range and price by 2025.
Natural demand for battery-electric vehicles is also growing as sustainability becomes a more conscious lifestyle choice.
And government regulations are putting a noose around the neck of emission outputs that could make it impossible for combustion-engined vehicles to be sold in some countries.
Because of these factors, Tesla won’t be the only all-electric international car giant within the next few years, with some of the oldest and most traditional brands committing to a battery-powered future.
Bigger, more mainstream car-makers, from Toyota to Subaru and BMW to Mercedes-Benz, have outlined plans to drastically increase their EV inventory over the same timeframe, but the following brands have promised to go all in and challenge Tesla.
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo has been attempting to revive itself for decades now. Most recently, the famous Italian marque wanted to go head-to-head with its German rivals and spent billions developing the Giorgio platform that underpinned the new Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV range.
As good as they are, it hasn’t worked as well as they hoped.
Now, with the recent formation of Stellantis following the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, Alfa Romeo is talking about another revival plan that sets a path for a fully electrified line-up by 2030.
Audi
Audi has been making serious headway into the electric car landscape with its ever-growing range of Audi e-tron models, and the German car-maker recently confirmed it intends to build its last combustion-engined vehicle in 2026 – suggesting it will become an all-electric brand within the next 10 years.
Bentley
The luxury of silence has been a hallmark of Bentleys for decades, so it was inevitable that the luxurious British car-maker would adopt some form of electrification.
But, just last year, Bentley went a step further and confirmed that its entire line-up would be exclusively plug-in hybrids by 2026 and completely battery-electric by 2030.
Citroen
Citroen revealed its latest future product plan earlier this year under the title ‘Electric for Everyone’, which confirmed the French car-maker will offer an electrified version of every model in its range by 2025.
Fiat
Like its sister brand Alfa Romeo, Fiat will also become a fully electric division of the newly-created Stellantis group by 2030, it was announced earlier this year.
The transition has already begun with the latest incarnation of the Fiat 500 city car exclusively offered as an EV in Europe, with plans to phase out combustion engines from 2025.
Ford (in Europe)
As one of the world’s automotive powerhouses, Ford is investing billions in electric vehicle development.
While it has already created cutting-edge models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning, the Blue Oval has yet to commit to becoming a fully electric brand across the globe.
However, Ford of Europe has pledged that its entire passenger car fleet will be fully electric by 2030.
General Motors
American giant General Motors, which produces brands such as Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC, is charging towards an electrified future with the born-again Hummer brand and individual models such as the Chevrolet Bolt small hatch.
But it won’t stop there. It’s promised to end production of all petrol- and diesel-powered cars, SUVs and trucks by 2035 and become carbon neutral by 2040, with plans to use 100 per cent renewable energy power sources across its entire manufacturing footprint.
Honda
Honda, which has been a pioneer of both hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) development, has pledged to transform itself into a zero-emissions brand by 2040.
The Japanese car-maker has outlined a staged approach that includes both battery-electric and FCEV models, some of which will be co-developed with General Motors.
Jaguar
Jaguar shocked the establishment when it announced earlier this year that it would transform its entire range into battery-electric vehicles as soon as 2025.
The iconic British car-maker has dipped its toe into the pond with the stunning Jaguar I-PACE, but now plans to quickly build a family of electric SUVs while likely merging the XE and XF sedans into one model.
Lotus
The iconic British sports car brand last launched an all-new car, the Lotus Evora, more than a decade ago and was struggling to survive.
Now, since it was purchased by China’s Geely – the same corporation that has revived Volvo – Lotus has been given a massive cash injection that promises to relaunch the brand as an electric-only proposition.
MINI
It makes perfect sense, as BMW’s most urbanised sub-brand, that MINI will become purely electric by the end of the decade.
Announced earlier this year, MINI plans to transition its entire range to plug-in hybrids from 2025 before deleting the combustion engine completely by 2030.
Maserati
Even the most traditional car-makers cannot ignore the shift away from big and loud combustion engines, and Maserati was one of the first sports-luxury brands to commit to an electrified future when it confirmed in 2020 that its entire range of vehicles would be either plug-in or fully electric by 2025.
First cab off the EV rank will be the new-generation 2022 Maserati GranTurismo.
Peugeot
In line with its related brands, Citroen and Fiat, under the umbrella of the Stellantis group, Peugeot has already confirmed that its entire model range will be offered as either hybrid or fully electric by 2025.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen has been leading the charge on EVs, particularly in Europe, in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal, and recently indicated that it plans to cull all new petrol and diesel combustion-engined cars in Europe by 2035.
But other markets such as the US, China and Australia will take longer.
The moves are in line with looming Euro 7 emissions regulations that will force manufacturers to speed up the development of electrified vehicle technology or face harsh penalties for exceeding CO2 limits.
Volvo
Just as it did with safety, Volvo has been a leading force in the race to become fully electrified.
It stated earlier this year that all its vehicles will be either hybrid or EV by 2025 and that it will phase out combustion engines entirely by 2030.
Australian EV movement gains momentum
While Australia has been slow to encourage electric take up, both the Victorian and New South Wales state governments have recently announced significant consumer purchase subsidies, as both seek to grow electric vehicles to 50% of new car sales by 2030.
The subsidies are likely to spell good news for Australian brands and dealers. In the recent carsales study Moving Electric Vehicles Forward, survey respondents were favourable to considering the purchase of an EV with the introduction of government subsidies, with initial purchase cost the number one barrier to EV adoption.
In the study, 62% of survey respondents that have not considered an EV would be more likely to consider one if government subsidies were made available.
Currently, electric vehicles make up less than 2% of new cars sold in Australia. However, the Moving Electric Vehicles Forward study also validates that consideration for EVs is high on carsales, with 47% of survey respondents having considered the purchase of an EV.
The full study is available to download here.
