Prepare for an emission-free future.
There are no more internal combustion engines. No more polluting trucks and cars. Only 100% electric vehicles will be displayed and sold at dealerships.
The automakers are shaking and electrifying their lines, provoking drivers with images of the next vehicles without gas. The US automotive industry will look very different in 2025 than it is today.
The online shopping website for automobiles Edmunds predicts that 2021 will be a “crucial year” for electric vehicles, with sales in the United States increasing to 2.5% against 1.9% last year. Consumers will also see a deluge of new models entering the market in the next 11 months: 30 EVs from 21 brands, versus 17 models in 2020, according to Edmunds.
Stephanie Brinley, an industry expert at IHS Markit, said that a wider selection of affordable EVs will help change Americans’ attitudes toward emissions-free vehicles. Car manufacturers, however, will have to work hard to highlight why EVs are the smartest choice, she added.
“Cost is still a factor and anxiety over reach will be partly addressed by education,” Brinley told ABC News. “There is no reason why a consumer cannot adjust to an electric vehicle.”
Which automakers are carrying their portfolios and investing heavily in battery technology?
Jaguar Land Rover
British-owned Indian company Tata Motors has become the latest manufacturer to commit to an electrical future.
Jaguar, the famous sports car maker known for its seductive designs, will become a “fully electric luxury brand” in 2025 to “realize its unique potential”, the brand announced on February 15. Future Jaguar models will be built “exclusively on pure electrical architecture,” noted the company.
Jaguar currently manufactures an EV: the I-PACE. Global sales of the stylish and futuristic SUV totaled 7,807 units in 2020.
The first all-electric Land Rover model will arrive in 2024, followed by five “purely electric variants” in the next five years, the company said. In addition, JLR expects that almost 60% of Land Rovers sold by 2030 will be equipped with no exhaust power train.
The company has set another ambitious goal: Zero net carbon emissions in its supply chain, products and operations by 2039.
Ford Motor
Dearborn’s new and flashy Mustang Mach-E SUV has Tesla owners swapping their vehicles for this all-electric Ford. The company’s next launch of a battery-powered electric vehicle will likely be the F-150 pickup in early 2022.
The launch of Ford’s battery-powered vehicles in the United States has been slow compared to the competition. In Europe, however, Ford’s entire line of passenger vehicles will run exclusively on batteries by 2030.
This week, Ford pledged to spend $ 1 billion to renovate its plant in Cologne, Germany, as a basis for the production of electric vehicles. Two-thirds of Ford’s commercial vehicle sales are expected to be fully electric or plug-in hybrids by 2030 and Ford’s recently announced partnership with Volkswagen will help the company achieve its EV goals.
“Our announcement today to transform our Cologne facility, home to our German operations for 90 years, is one of the most significant that Ford has made in more than a generation. It highlights our commitment to Europe and a modern vehicle future at the heart of our growth strategy, “said Ford Europe President Stuart Rowley in a statement.
The 117-year-old automaker recently doubled its investment in electric vehicles to $ 22 billion by the end of 2025.
Elected officials in Europe have aggressively regulated exhaust emissions. To avoid costly penalties and fines, automakers are eliminating oil-powered cars and trucks for EVs.
Bentley Motors
The formidable and powerful W12 and V8 engines that drive Bentley’s expensive sedans, grand tourers and SUVs will soon become part of the automotive legend.
The ultra luxury carmaker announced in November that its first electric vehicle will be launched in 2025. Then, in 2030, all vehicles assembled at its factory in Crewe, UK, will be battery powered.
Adrian Hallmark, Bentley’s CEO, acknowledged the company’s bold move, calling it a “profound change in the industry”.
“It’s really a business transformation,” he told reporters. “There is a demand for a Bentley EV.”
Bentley’s EXP 100 GT concept car may provide additional clues to the company’s plans. The slender and radical-looking grand tourer incorporates sustainable materials and comes programmed with autonomous electric steering technology. The battery-powered electric power train propels the EXP 100 GT from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, according to Bentley.
General Motors
The auto giant has not yet done with internal combustion engines.
The Detroit automaker presented its optimistic plans for electric vehicles in January, promising that 40% of US models will be battery-powered electric vehicles by the end of 2025.
By 2035, most of the GM vehicles sold will be EVs.
GM’s big male pickups have generated reliable money for the company and consumer demand for these gas drinkers skyrocketed in the spring and summer.
Expectations for GM’s reborn all-electric Hummer, scheduled for the 2022 model year, have not abated since its debut last October.
The company sparked interest in the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq with its fun Super Bowl ads. And GM’s small Bolt hatchback has been redesigned, along with a brother, the Bolt EUV (electric utility vehicle), for 2022. The Bolt EV’s global sales have exceeded 100,000 since its market launch in 2017.
These vehicles are part of GM’s roadmap for launching 30 new EVs globally by 2025.
More EVs
Automakers around the world are busy preparing their EV models for drivers. German luxury automaker Audi recently launched its 2022 e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT, two high-performance electric cars with 522 horsepower and 637 hp, respectively.
Volkswagen’s new compact ID.4 promises to be a serious challenge for the best-selling Tesla Model 3. All-electric carmaker Rivian has been testing its $ 67,500 R1T truck in the Arizona desert; the truck can achieve more than 300 miles of range on a full charge.
Then there is Lordstown Endurance, which will compete in the exhaustive San Felipe 250 desert race in April in Baja, California.
The sheer number of EVs hitting the market could turn the industry around, noted Brinley of IHS Markit.
“Consumers’ willingness to consider EVs will change as products improve,” she added.