Of all the cars I drove this year, it was the plug-in kind that drew the most intense interest. Picture: BLOOMBERGIn March, nine EU countries urged the European Commission to accelerate an EU-wide phaseout of petrol and diesel vehicles. In November, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced legislation to require all newly built homes and office buildings in England to include electric vehicle charging capabilities.
We have a long way to go before EVs are perfected. Most require hefty price premiums over conventionally powered vehicles, and many had glitches in electric and software functions in early test drives. Others have poor interior craftsmanship and chintzy quality. Then there is the issue of driving range, which is really about the lack of a national electric charging network for drivers.
It is not the fastest vehicle of the lot — the line-topping EQS 580 4Matic gets 516hp and 631 pound-feet of torque and goes from zero to 100km in 4.1 seconds on its four-wheel-drive chassis, which is slower than the highest versions of the Taycan and Model S. But the owner of an EQS with interior accoutrements and technology that far exceeds those models will hardly notice or care about the difference.
I drove it for a few days on and off roads near Breckenridge, Colorado. The RiT’s software is still buggy — and it’s not as rugged as similarly priced standbys from Jeep and Land Rover — but it’s an exciting first offer from a company we are sure to see plenty of.The $139,900 Audi RS eTron GT is built on the same electric platform as the Porsche Taycan, with the same two-speed automatic transmission from their parent company, Volkswagen.
As for performance, the 637-horsepower eTron GT has a top speed of 250km/h and a zero-to-60-mph sprint of 3.1 seconds. Under relaxed driving, it has a range of 232 miles on one charge. According to Audi, it will charge from 5% to 80% on a 270kW charger in 22.5 minutes. The $150,900 Taycan Turbo boasts 670 horsepower, a 260km/h top speed, and a zero-to-10km/h sprint in 3 seconds flat. At best, it has a range of 340km.
My favourite part was the simplicity of the high-quality, calming cabin and excellent new infotainment interface. Frameless doors, a panoramic glass sunroof, the open-pore wooden dashboard, crystal-cut buttons, and a scrolling “shifter” all felt warmly modern and not, as sometimes happens, cold and robotic.Electric trucks and other truly function-focused electric rigs are coming, but an exceptional electric station wagon is already available.
Nearly 80 % of all new cars sold in Norway this fall are electric . Tesla is the leading brand. I am very satisfied with my Tesla 3 long Range that I bought in June this year.
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