Electric vehicles on the horizon

Despite the lingering effects of the microchip shortage, supply-chain issues, and the global pandemic, automakers, the automotive press, and the general public are still extremely enthusiastic about cars and light trucks that might come to market soon—especially new electric vehicles (EVs). Here are some of the most-anticipated EVs likely to come down the pike in the next few years.

Taking styling cues from the Precision EV Concept (pictured), the Acura ZDX and performance-oriented ZDX Type S will be the automaker’s first fully electric vehicles.

The midsize SUVs will be produced in collaboration with General Motors at GM’s Springhill, Tennessee, assembly plant and will use GM’s Ultium battery. The base model could have a 340-hp rear-mounted electric motor; the Type S is likely to be equipped with a dual-motor, 500-hp setup. Both will be fitted with a 102-kWh battery pack, good for a range of just over 300 miles.

Look for the ZDX sometime in 2024 with a base price of about $60,000. A smaller, similar-looking SUV, the ADX, may follow soon afterward. 

Based on GM’s Ultium EV platform—and sharing virtually nothing but a name with the gas-powered Equinox—the Equinox electric compact SUV will be offered in 5 trim levels and 2 powertrains.

Front-wheel-drive versions will put out 210 hp and have a range of 250 to 300 miles; all-wheel-drive versions will generate 290 hp and have 280 miles of range. Higher trim levels will feature an impressive 17.7-inch infotainment screen; Super Cruise hands-free assisted-driving tech is available on all but the base model.

The 2RS trim will be for sale in limited quantities in fall 2023; the full lineup arrives in spring 2024. Base pricing starts around $30,000 and tops out at around $48,000.

Dealers will fill existing reservations for the Silverado in fall 2023; a full lineup is expected to be for sale in summer 2024. Pricing will range from around $40,000 to more than $100,000.

It will be designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed the original, and will start production in late 2024. The automaker expects a 0-to-60 time of just under 3 seconds and an estimated range of about 300 miles from the 100-kWh battery pack. Base pricing will start around $125,000.

Fiat is betting on a couple of things with the (re)introduction of its petite 500e: that consumers are sick of pricey EVs and that they’d be happy to buy a small EV for driving around town and on short trips.

That descriptions fits the 500e, which may be available in both hatchback and convertible forms. It received a makeover in 2020, and it will have a 117-hp electric motor, a 32.3-kWh battery pack, a range of about 150 miles, and front-wheel drive. Its interior will feature a digital instrument cluster and a 10.3-inch infotainment touch screen.

The 500e is scheduled to arrive in early 2024 with a base price of around $35,000.

Fisker’s midsize Ocean crossover will be available in 4 versions. The base model, the Sport, will have a single motor, front-wheel drive, a 250-mile range, and a base price of $37,500. Three dual-motor, all-wheel-drive versions will be equipped with high-performance battery packs, deliver up to 360 miles of range, and have base prices ranging from $50,000 to $69,000. The Ocean’s minimalist interior will feature a 17.1-inch touch screen and eco-friendly, recycled materials.

Deliveries will begin late this year, though all Oceans are sold out through 2023. A city car, the Pear, and a high-performance sports car, the Ronin, are in the works.

Honda is collaborating with GM to develop its first pure EV, the midsize Prologue SUV, which will slot between the CR-V and the Passport. Honda designed the Prologue’s exterior and interior, and GM will provide its BEV3 platform and Ultium battery.

Features include 21-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and 11-inch digital instrument and infotainment displays. Powertrain specifics were scarce as late as mid-2023, but to be competitive, Honda will likely offer a single- or dual-motor option and driving ranges from 250 to more than 300 miles.

The Prologue will debut in the first quarter of 2024 with a base MSRP of around $45,000. A smaller, upscale version of the Prologue may surface as the Acura ADX.

In early 2024, Hyundai’s Ionic sub brand is expected to release the Ioniq 7, a 3-row EV crossover based on the Ioniq Seven Concept (pictured). It will seat up to 7 passengers and ride on the same e-GMT platform as the Kia EV9 and Ioniq 6. The Ioniq 7 will have 2 electric motors that produce 308 hp, all-wheel or rear-wheel drive, and a 100-kWh battery pack good for 300-plus miles of driving. DC fast charging—from 10% to 80% capacity in less than 20 minutes—will be standard.

Other cool features include a frunk (front trunk) and a panoramic sunroof. The spacious cabin will have a minimalist, high-tech ambience made with eco-friendly materials, with multiple touch screens, advanced air filtration, and (possibly) rotating, lounge-like seating. Estimated pricing is likely to range from $50,000 to $70,000.

Estimated ranges are 197 miles and 260 miles, respectively. Front-wheel drive is the only option. New interior elements include dual 12.3-inch screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment system, rear A/C vents, and a steering-column-mounted shift lever. Gasoline-powered Konas went on sale in mid-2023; the Kona Electric will be available in late fall 2023 as a 2024 model. Pricing is estimated to start at $35,000.

One of the first EVs that Jeep is introducing in the U.S., the Recon is the electric sibling of the automaker's iconic Wrangler, from which it takes design cues.

The Recon is definitely an off-road beast: Noteworthy features include Jeep’s Selec-Terrain traction management, removable doors and windows, multiple drive modes, a 1-touch power top, electronically locking axles, tow hooks, chunky bumpers, aggressive off-road tires, and underbody skid plates. Its electric motors will likely produce about 375 hp, and its STLA Large platform can accommodate battery packs up to 120 kWh, potentially giving the Recon a range approaching 400 miles.

The Recon will be built in North America. Reservations opened in early 2023; deliveries will begin in 2024. Pricing will likely range from $60,000 to $80,000.

Following the Jeep Recon 4xe’s debut, the sporty 2-row midsize Wagoneer S SUV will arrive. It’ll have a different name, based on the results of a fan contest, but it’ll look a lot like the vehicle pictured here—upscale, sleek, with an illuminated 7-slot grille and a roof-mounted rear spoiler. The new EV will have a dual-motor setup with 600 hp (which will propel the Wagoneer to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds), all-wheel drive, all-terrain management, and a battery size up to 118 kWh, good for a range of up to 400 miles.

Jeep started taking orders for the Wagoneer S in early 2023; production will begin in North America in 2024. Pricing will likely start at about $75,000.

The big, boxy Kia EV9, a cousin of the Hyundai Ioniq 7, will be closely based on the EV9 Concept (pictured).

Kia’s flagship 3-row SUV, the EV9 will seat 7 and be offered in single- and dual-motor configurations good for up to 308 hp. It will also have a 100-kWh battery pack with an automaker-claimed range of 336 miles and 350-kW fast-charging capability (a 10% to 80% charge in 24 minutes). The biggest news is that the EV9 will feature Highway Driving Pilot, Kia’s upcoming semiautonomous driving system, expected to be functional as soon as 2025.

Beginning in 2024, the EV9 will be produced in Hyundai Motor’s new EV plant in Georgia. The EV9 is scheduled to arrive in dealerships in Q4 of 2023, with pricing starting around $60,000.

The Polestar 3 is a luxury midsize electric SUV, the first from Swedish carmaker Polestar, a Volvo offshoot. It’s powered by dual electric motors (all-wheel drive), producing either 489 hp or 517 hp (in the Performance trim), good for a 0-to-60 time of 4.6 seconds. Its 111-kWh battery will deliver up to 300 miles of range.

Additional features include a panoramic sunroof, adaptive air suspension, Level 3 autonomous driving capability, a 14.5-inch infotainment display, DC fast charging, and a full suite of advanced safety features.

Polestar will deliver the 3 in the first quarter of 2024 with a base price of $85,000. A smaller, sporty SUV, the Polestar 4, will be released at about the same time, with a base price of $60,000.

You say you want a revolution? Well, you know, Ram just might have the truck for you: the 1500 REV, based on its Revolution concept.

The REV, as it’s called, will have dual motors that deliver up to 654 hp, 350 to 500 miles of range, 800-volt/350kW DC fast charging, a 2,700-pound payload, and a towing capacity of up to 14,000 pounds. Cool features that will probably make it into production include a 15-cubic-foot front trunk, air suspension, one-pedal driving, a midgate that lets the REV haul items up to 18 feet long, and Level 3 autonomous driving capability.

The Ram 1500 REV arrives in late 2024; pricing will start at about $50,000.

The faithful are still eagerly awaiting Tesla’s otherworldly Cybertruck, which has been described as a cross between a DeLorean and a doorstop. Its multitude of promises—up to 3 electric motors, a stainless-steel exterior shell, adaptive air suspension, a minimalist cabin with a 17-inch center touch screen, room for 6 people, a 3,500-pound payload, a 14,000-pound towing capacity, a less-than-3-second 0-to-60 time, up to 500 miles of range, and rear-wheel or all-wheel drive—requires a willful suspension of disbelief.

Tesla is still taking $100 refundable deposits, but its website gives no clue when production will start. Best guess? Sometime in 2024. Base pricing will start at about $40,000.

How hot is this? A stunning 2+2 coupe with a removable glass roof, 3 electric motors, a 200-kWh battery, all-wheel drive, a 0-to-60 time of 1.9 seconds, a 620-mile range, and a top speed of 250 mph. That would be the second-generation Tesla Roadster, which was expected to arrive in late 2020 with a price tag of about $200,000. But it’s been pushed back several times.

According to the Tesla website, you can still place an order for one: A credit card payment of $5,000 is required immediately; a $45,000 wire-transfer payment is due 10 days later—all fully refundable, of course. Expected production date? Sometime in 2024.

Toyota’s second EV is likely to be the sharp-looking bZ3X, based on the bZ Compact SUV Concept (pictured). Introduced at the 2022 L.A. Auto Show, the bZ Concept looks a lot like the automaker’s CH-R. No powertrain details are currently available, but to fend off rivals, the bZ3X will need to feature a single- or dual-motor setup (200 hp minimum), front-wheel drive, an all-wheel-drive option, and 250 miles of range. The bZ Concept has some interesting features—a virtual voice-command assistant, recycled interior materials, and a yoke instead of a steering wheel—not all of which will make it to production. Look for the bZ3X to go on sale in 2024 with a starting price of about $38,000.

Fast charging will take the battery from 20% to 80% capacity in 25 minutes. The interior will be spacious, with a simple dashboard that includes a 15-inch infotainment screen and an augmented-reality head-up display. Depending on trim levels, cabin materials could range from relatively basic to near luxurious in quality. Base price: about $38,000. On-sale date: 2024

The ID.Buzz, an EV version of VW’s iconic Microbus, will arrive in the U.S. around mid-2024—not soon enough for its legions of fans. The U.S. version of the Buzz will have 3 rows, either a single-motor (282 hp) or a twin-motor (330 hp) setup, and a 91-kWh battery pack. The exterior features an optional 2-tone paint scheme; the interior has flexible seating in 3 rows, 40 cubic feet of cargo space, eco-friendly materials, and lots of the latest amenities, such as wireless phone charging and 7 USB ports. Estimated base price: $45,000.

The EX90 is Volvo’s new flagship electric SUV; it will eventually replace the gasoline-powered XC90. It will feature dual electric motors (517 hp), all-wheel drive, a 111-kWh battery pack good for 300 miles of range, seating for 7, and a 14.5-inch screen in Volvo’s typically understated, luxurious interior.

With Volvo, safety is key, of course: The driver-assistance system includes 5 radar sensors, 8 exterior and 2 interior cameras, and 16 ultrasonic sensors. The EX 90 will be built at Volvo’s South Carolina plant; deliveries will start in early 2024 with a base price of about $80,000.

This article was excerpted and adapted from the AAA Car Guide, available online and in hard copy at AAA branches.