Automotive

2016 powers up: The best electric vehicles of the year

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The cutting edge EVs of 2016
The Mercedes Generation EQ concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show
Scott Collie/New Atlas
The Generation EQ electric architecture will underpin a family of vehicles starting in 2020
Scott Collie/New Atlas
The Mercedes Generation EQ concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show
Scott Collie/New Atlas
The LeEco LeSEE concept represents a rapid-fire EV program that's developed in just over two years
LeEco
LeEco didn't provide much detail about the LeSEE's underpinnings at its reveal in April, seeming more interested in making a splash and putting Tesla on notice
LeEco
LeEco LeSEE concept
LeEco
LeEco reveals the LeSEE concept in Beijing
LeEco
LeEco intends to give the LeSEE better range and top speed numbers than the Tesla Model S
LeEco
LeEco LeSEE
LeEco
More than a car, LeEco sees the LeSEE as another destination for its connected services platform
LeEco
The LeSEE's retractable steering wheel tucks away in autonomous mode
LeEco
Faraday Future is tied to LeEco but has its own vision of the future of electric vehicle design
Darren Quick/New Atlas
The Faraday Future FFZERO1 at CES 2016
Darren Quick/New Atlas
While an interesting concept car, the Faraday Future FFZERO1  wasn't the marketable vehicle some were expecting
Darren Quick/New Atlas
A snap of the FFZERO1's single-seat interior
Darren Quick/New Atlas
Faraday Future will follow the FFZERO1  up with another debut at the upcoming CES 2017
Darren Quick/New Atlas
Chevy originally estimated a 200-mile range on the Bolt, but it was EPA tested at an impressive 238 miles
Darren Quick/New Atlas
Chevy Bolt at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show
Darren Quick/New Atlas
Chevy first showed the production Bolt at CES, then the Detroit Auto Show
Darren Quick/New Atlas
Chevy Bolt at CES 2016
Darren Quick/New Atlas
Chevy Bolt underpinnings
General Motors
Chevy Bolt underpinnings
General Motors
Volkswagen believes it'll be able to give the ID-based car up to 373 miles of range
Scott Collie/New Atlas
Volkswagen's Modular Electric Drive Kit platform will underpin its future family of EVs
Volkswagen
Volkswagen debuts the ID concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show
Scott Collie/New Atlas
Like Mercedes, Volkswagen plans to get its EVs rolling by 2020
Scott Collie/New Atlas
The ID serves as a preview of Volkswagen's EV technology, electric car styling and autonomous features
Volkswagen
Chevy Bolt
General Motors 
Chevy Bolt
General Motors 
Inside the Chevy Bolt
General Motors 
One of the electric supercars of 2016: the NIO EP9
NextEV
NextEV may not be a household name like Tesla, but the Chinese company does have experience with high-speed EVs, through its participation in Formula E
NextEV
The 1,360-hp (1,000-kW) NIO EP9
NextEV
Tesla debuted the Model 3 back in March
Tesla
Tesla Model 3 debut
Tesla
A peek inside the Tesla Model 3
Tesla
Hyundai debuts the IONIQ Electric at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Jaguar's I-Pace concept blends coupe, sedan and SUV styling
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Jaguar plans to build an I-Pace-based EV in 2018
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Jaguar I-Pace
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Hyundai's IONIQ goes autonomous at the 2016 LA Auto Show
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Hyundai's IONIQ Autonomous concept demonstrates Hyundai's plans for a simple, low-cost autonomous driving system
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Next, Hyundai will show two autonomous IONIQs driving in Las Vegas during CES 2017
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Tesla's Model 3 will go into production next year
Tesla
Tesla plans to sell the Model 3 for around US$35,000
Tesla
Tesla's Model 3 promises around 215 miles of range
Tesla
Tesla Model 3
Tesla
Volkswagen ID Concept
Volkswagen
In September, the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 team reaffirmed itself as the world's fastest electric vehicle team
Venturi
Venturi previously set the world record in 2010 and beat that mark by more than 30 mph this year
Venturi
Under the VBB-3 skin
Venturi
Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3
Venturi
With rough conditions, not everyone had a successful year in Bonneville, but Venturi did
Venturi
Hyundai's IONIQ wheel design contributes to aerodynamics
Hyundai
The IONIQ Electric's motor puts out 118 hp and 218 lb-ft
Hyundai
Hyundai IONIQ Electric
Hyundai
Hyundai IONIQ Electric
Hyundai
Inside the Hyundai IONIQ Electric
Hyundai
Hyundai IONIQ Electric
Hyundai
Daimler Chairman Dr. Dieter Zetsche with the Generation EQ
Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes EQ has a 402-hp/516 lb-ft motor working for it
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes Generation EQ wireless charging
Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes Generation EQ has a high-tech digital interior
Mercedes-Benz
Faraday Future FFZERO1
Faraday Future
Faraday Future shows some serious aerodynamics
Faraday Future
The FFZERO1 is powered by a 1,000-bhp four-motor drive
Faraday Future
Faraday Future FFZERO1
Faraday Future
We saw Faraday Future's ideas for the track in 2016; 2017 promises some ideas for the road
Faraday Future
The FFZERO1's zero gravity seat is positioned to promote circulation and offset G forces
Faraday Future
Inside the FFZERO1
Faraday Future
Inside the FFZERO1
Faraday Future
Jaguar I-Pace interior
Jaguar
Jaguar I-Pace interior
Jaguar
Jaguar I-Pace
Jaguar
Jaguar I-Pace at the 2016 LA Auto Show
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
Jaguar I-Pace at the 2016 LA Auto Show
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas
The cutting edge EVs of 2016
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It was a big year for the electric vehicle. In fact, 2016 seems destined to be remembered as the year the EV really started its climb from niche product for trendsters and environmental eccentrics to viable option for all types of commuters. That storyline still requires a number of automakers to actually follow through on their EV plans, but those plans hatched over the course of a 2016 that saw the much-anticipated Tesla everyman EV; production car-previewing EV concepts from major names like Volkswagen and Mercedes; increased ranges, real and theoretical; more lightning-quick electric supercars; and a few new electric vehicle world records.

As we looked at last month, the electric vehicle finally seems to be coming of age. Things really got underway last year, with big debuts like the Audi E-tron Quattro and Porsche Mission E, both of which are slated for production, but it soared higher throughout 2016 with more global automakers and startups committing to electric futures and showing the first fruits of their labors. Here are what we'd call the most promising, seminal, intriguing and just plain cool of the lot.

Tesla Model 3

We generally don't do these year-end lists in any particular order, but given the huge hype machine behind the Tesla Model 3, we feel it's the perfect example of why 2016 was a pivotal year in EV history. So, here it is, our first pick.

Tesla Model 3
Tesla

After years of building the electric vehicle to beat, a vehicle out of reach for most, Tesla finally revealed the affordable car that will take its electric technology mainstream. The Model 3 looks as sexy as we knew an entry level Tesla could, and its projected performance and price are just as sexy. According to Tesla, the five-seater will offer around 215 miles (346 km) of range, fire to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in less than six seconds and price in at US$35,000 before incentives. Tesla also plans for a five-star safety rating, Autopilot hardware and performance models.

Tesla revealed the Model 3 in March, and though the car won't go into production until next year, the public responded immediately, reserving more than 325,000 cars within one week of the announcement. The world will continue watching this one very closely as Tesla moves toward production and delivery, but whatever happens in the future, the Model 3 is unequivocally the "Electric Car of 2016."

Volkswagen ID

Tesla may have had the EV announcement of the year, but it certainly wasn't the only big EV reveal. Volkswagen was among multiple major global automakers revealing concepts and production cars to lay the foundation of an electric future, and it gets extra credit for showing two electric concepts and jumpstarting the electrifying year at January's Consumer Electronics Show. It was there that Volkswagen detailed the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) that will underpin its future EVs. It showed it on a rather disappointing reimagining of the Microbus, called Budd-e, then followed up at the Paris Motor Show with a preview of its first planned MEB-based production car, the ID concept.

Volkswagen believes it'll be able to give the ID-based car up to 373 miles of range
Scott Collie/New Atlas

The ID is far from a near-production concept car, but it doesn't have to be seeing as how VW won't be introducing the production version for another few years. The company admits that there's still work to do in developing battery and fast-charge technology, but it expects a 250 to 373-mile (400 to 600-km) range by launch. The concept has a 168-hp rear-mounted motor, showcases electric-driven design cues like the grille-free front-end, and previews autonomous technologies like a retractable steering wheel. The fully autonomous driving experience previewed on the concept won't be ready until at least 2025, but Volkswagen plans to have the ID-based electric car ready to go in 2020.

NextEV NIO EP9

Time for something less "absolutely game changing ... in a few years," more "immediate awesomeness." Beyond production-previewing concepts from name brands, 2016 was also a big year for all-out electric supercars from smaller, less established brands and startups, some of which we'd never heard of before 2016. There was the long-awaited debut of the Rimac Concept One, some details and photos of a high-powered battery bullet from Lucid Motors, a 1,500-hp piece of Singaporean insanity, and the NextEV NIO EP9.

One of the electric supercars of 2016: the NIO EP9
NextEV

Chinese company NextEV has been honing its high-performance EV skills in the Formula E racing series, where it won the inaugural championship last year with Nelson Piquet Jr. at the wheel. The NIO EP9 brings some of that battery-and-wire prowess to the roads, bringing a full megawatt (1,360 hp) of power from four inboard motors, each with its own gearbox. NextEV says the hypercar is capable of a 7.1-second 0-124 mph (200 km/h), 195-mph (313-km/h) top speed and Nordschleife lap of under 7:06. Last year, it looked like it was going to be Toroidion and Rimac battling for electric hypercar supremacy, but now it might be NextEV and Vanda Electrics, the outfit behind that 1,500-hp car from Singapore, which also has some Formula E know-how behind it.

Jaguar I-Pace

Jaguar I-Pace at the 2016 LA Auto Show
C.C. Weiss/New Atlas

Back to business ... but sexy, fun business. The latest major production car-previewing concept comes from Jaguar. The I-Pace was a leading contender for coolest concept car at the 2016 LA Auto Show, and it's a concept car with a future, previewing a production electric SUV Jaguar plans to put into rotation in 2018. Jaguar could have just dropped an electric powertrain in an F-Pace and had itself the sexiest family-hauling EV out there, but instead it did the unthinkable: somehow, some way, mashing family sedan, SUV and sports car together and making it look pretty damn good. It also made the distinctive package exhilaratingly electric – 395 hp, 0-60 mph in 4 seconds, and 311 miles (500 km) of range. We're not sure how closely the production car will follow the concept, but Jaguar does promise that it will have the same kind of cross-genre inspiration.

Chevy Bolt

Chevy originally estimated a 200-mile range on the Bolt, but it was EPA tested at an impressive 238 miles
Darren Quick/New Atlas

The Chevy Bolt seems more like a 2015 story, because that's when we first learned about it, but Chevy's robustly ranged EV was but a concept last year, debuting in production form at CES 2016. It might be the least flashy car on this list, but it's also the one that's actually ready now ... not years from now or maybe never. It's also a pretty attractive mix of performance and price, offering a 200-hp electric motor, sub-6.5-second 0-60, and higher-than-estimated 238-mile (383-km) EPA-tested range ... all starting at $37,495 before incentives. With a $7,500 US federal tax credit, the Bolt slides in under $30K. It won't get people excited the way the Model 3 or I-Pace will, but it certainly takes a bite out of several of the issues that have been holding EVs back, namely range anxiety and very high prices.

Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3

Electric vehicles weren't just making noise at auto shows and electronics conventions this year. They were also out working hard to prove themselves on the track and salt. A number of electric car world records dropped in 2016, including the quarter-mile, the street-legal speed record, and the land speed record. The last was reset in a significant way by the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 after several years of weather delays and slower runs. In September, the 3,000-hp battery-powered streamliner set a 341.4-mph (549.4 km/h) world record, surpassing the VBB 2.5's 2010 record by more than 30 mph (48 km/h).

In September, the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 team reaffirmed itself as the world's fastest electric vehicle team
Venturi

As we saw when we traveled to Bonneville a month before the VBB-3's record, salt conditions weren't ideal this year, and they stymied many other world and national record attempts. But despite those subpar conditions, the VBB-3 pushed the electric vehicle record to within 100 mph (161 km/h) of the piston-engine, wheel-driven land speed record, which stands at 439.562 mph (707.4 km/h). The VBB-3 team has cited the potential for 440 mph, suggesting the electric land rocket has enough in the cells to edge out that 439.5-mph mark, but it'll have to wait for another year to break 400 mph (644 km/h) and climb toward the piston-engine leaders. And if it's keen on putting its electric tech on that same footing, even if only for days or hours, it'll have to do so before one of several piston-engine streamliners with 500 mph (805 km/h) in their sights set a new mark.

Faraday Future FFZERO1

If Faraday Future's 2016 game plan was to create a bunch of noise around the debut of its first concept car, grab its very first chance (CES 2016) to reveal said concept car as a rather overdone electric race car (as opposed to a substantive product-previewing road car), then sit back and watch more realistic electric cars continually overshadow it and silence its hype the rest of the year, we'd say it did a great job.

As we looked to make this list in December 2016, we didn't even think about the FFZERO1 until we came upon our January article when scouring through our coverage. Don't get us wrong: we love a good, cutting-edge electric supercar, but Faraday Future hinted at something more substantive than a billionaire's track toy when it first poked its head above ground, so the FFZERO1 felt like a showy letdown.

Faraday Future is tied to LeEco but has its own vision of the future of electric vehicle design
Darren Quick/New Atlas

Still, the FFZERO1 was one of the first and loudest reveals of what became the "year of the EV concept," so it deserves its place here. And while the aero-guided race car body may never end up on roads, the concept's skateboard-style Variable Platform Architecture and battery blocks will go on to underpin more serious vehicles. We reckon those batteries will send power to something just a tad more modest than the FFZERO1's 1,000-hp four-motor drive system when applied to the car that Faraday will show next month at CES 2017.

LeEco LeSEE

If we're going to discuss Faraday Future, we should also discuss LeEco, the multifaceted Chinese tech company whose hip Faraday is joined at. LeEco and its CEO Jia Yueting want badly to dethrone Tesla as electric vehicle king, and the LeSEE concept it debuted in April might not be such a bad way to do it. Like the Model S, it has smooth, endearing style, and while the design certainly shows evidence of Tesla influence, it doesn't look like an unapologetic knockoff the way lesser Chinese electric cars do. LeEco plans to tie the LeSEE into its greater tech ecosystem, with visions of an autonomous electric car that serves up LeEco video and other connected services.

LeEco LeSEE concept
LeEco

LeEco didn't provide details on the powertrain, either at the LeSEE's Chinese debut in April or at its US debut in October, but the company has stressed that it wants the car to be faster than the Model S, with a greater range. The LeSEE is basically just a "first look" at LeEco's developing electric vehicle program, and its future is unclear, especially taking into consideration headlines that LeEco is running into money problems due to the feverish expansion mentality that led it to pursue an electric vehicle program in the first place. It remains to be seen if the company's Chinese Tesla fighter ever becomes a serious proposition, but if it does, we saw it first in 2016.

Mercedes Generation EQ

The Mercedes Generation EQ was another big concept car previewing the bright EV future on the way in just a few years' time. And like Volkswagen's CES and Paris efforts, this concept car is more than just a single car, being built on a modular electric architecture designed to deliver an entire family of battery-powered cars. Mercedes' "sporty SUV coupe" styling isn't quite as effortlessly on point as Jaguar's, but the EQ's curves are still attractive. We're not sure we're sold on the idea of a digital rendition of the classic vehicle grille, but Mercedes gets credit for trying something other than carrying the now-unnecessary grille over from ICE cars or blanking the face out completely.

The Mercedes Generation EQ concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show
Scott Collie/New Atlas

The EQ offers the very familiar promise of 311 miles (500 km) of range by way of its 402-hp electric powertrain and 70-kWh battery pack. Mercedes estimates 0-62 mph (100 km/h) at under five seconds. It plans to roll out the Generation EQ-based production car in 2020, by which time we reckon it'll have some shiny, new autonomous features to include.

Hyundai IONIQ Electric

Instead of promising an onslaught of modular architecture-based electric vehicles in the 2020's, Hyundai went a different route this year, unveiling three same-platformed production cars plugged into electric power. The new IONIQ gives buyers a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery power, becoming the world's first car with three different electrified powertrain options.

Hyundai IONIQ Electric
Hyundai

The battery-powered IONIQ Electric relies on a 118-hp electric motor and 28-kWh battery pack for up to an estimated 110 miles/177 km (US) of range and 125 mpg-e rating. The IONIQ managed to stay in the headlines long after its Geneva debut, experimenting with autonomous capabilities, earning its own land speed record at Bonneville, and gaining an "IONIQ Unlimited" subscription-based purchase option. It already launched in Europe and will start rolling out in the US this winter.

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5 comments
sutski123
"The fully autonomous Volkswagen driving experience previewed on the concept won't be ready until at least 2025" hahahahahaha Really? Isn't Tesla switching on their fully autonomous software to all their (post September made) cars this week?
Nicolas Zart
I agree with Sutki123 with only three cars are going, or now going into production.
While I like to dream, I feel mainstream carmakers have been more active beating the hype dream with cars by 2020 and beyond. Cute, but others are making those cars right now. The Tesla Model 3 will be good. I'll have to have a new front fascia though. The GM Bolt is a solid contender. And finally, the Hyundai IONIQ is already being produced in Europe.
The rest is nice, but it needs to be balanced with actual deliverables and less far, far away stuff that might eventually happen, or judging from their CEO's latest comments on the no EV demand, maybe never.
Calson
It is being eccentric to care about global warming? It is more like those who still insist on buying cars and trucks with double or triple the horsepower needed who are being childish and irresponsible in the extreme. I have to wonder what planet some people think they are living on. They need to get out more and smell the manure they are shoveling for public consumption.
An electric powered car can be filled up at now cost if one has solar panels and for pennies on the dollar at overnight rates otherwise. No maintenance with the electric motors and batteries than in California are warranted for 150,000 miles. No filter or oil changes and brakes last many times as long as with carbon fuel powered cars.
In a country where the auto, oil, and tire companies conspired to rip out all light rail public transit systems across the USA after World War II, the only recourse left is an electric car if one wants to minimize their carbon footprint and still get around.
Timelord
The headline says "electric vehicles," yet the article focuses exclusively on electric cars. Aren't motorcycles and bicycles vehicles? If so, aren't there any exciting developments in those areas?
KaiserPingo
The Volkswagen is a joke, and should not be mentioned. They are way behind. And most likely, they cannot be trusted !
The Chevy Bolt is the one most likely to be the electric car for the masses, that is nesesary to change the global automotive culture.