Geneva Motor Show 2019 preview: 13 electric cars and hybrids to eye
The 98th Geneva International Motor Show kicks off on March 5, and will play host to a huge number of new car launches, including many electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids.
From small electric city cars like the Honda Urban EV, to electric hypercars with almost 2,000 horsepower — like the Pininfarina Battista — Geneva promises to be a show with something for everyone.
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Here is the GearBrain guide to the biggest electric and hybrid cars to look out for at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
Aston Martin Lagonda SUV and Project 003
British sports car maker Aston Martin is expected to reveal its plans for an electric SUV under its revived Lagonda brand. This is not to be confused with the DBX, Aston Martin's own-brand SUV currently being developed. Instead, the Lagonda SUV will be electric and an altogether more luxurious vehicle, likely to rival the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. We'll likely only see a prototype at the show, with more details to follow over the next couple of years.
Aston Martin is also expected to unveil a new hybrid supercar, positioned slightly below the company's Valkyrie flagship. Deliveries of the Valkyrie begin later this year, while the so-called 'Son of Valkyrie,' known internally as Project 003, is unlikely to land in dealerships until 2020 or 2021.
Audi Q4 e-Tron SUV
Audi will continue to expand its e-Tron electric vehicle range in Geneva this year. The company released a sketch of what the vehicle could resemble, but at this stage, the visuals are far more reminiscent of a concept car than anything close to mass production. The newest member of the e-Tron family is expected to be smaller than the e-Tron SUV already on sale, and could become a rival to the upcoming Tesla Model Y.
Returning to the present day, Audi will next week show off four new plug-in hybrid versions of its Q5 SUV and three models of sedan, the A6, A7 and A8.
Citroen Ami One
Citroën is celebrating its centenary this year, and to help mark the occasion — and plot the company's roadmap to the future — we'll see the Ami One. This is a small, boxy city car that can travel at just 28 mph. In some countries, it may be considered a quadricycle rather than a car, meaning it can be driven without a license.
The Ami One is what Citroen sees as the future of 'urban mobility,' a buzzword almost all car manufacturers are currently tackling, and covers everything from public transport apps, to Uber, Lyft, scooter hire services like Bird, and vehicles like this concept.
Honda e Prototype
Honda's adorably retro Urban EV concept stole our hearts when it was revealed back in 2017. Thanks to a hugely positive response from the press and customers alike, Honda is now almost ready to put the car into production.
The result of two years' development, pictured above, has become softer and more rounded than the concept, but still looks striking and undeniably cute. The car is all-electric but, because it is intended primarily for city use, has a modest range of around 125 miles.
Honda admits the car, yet to receive its proper name, won't be aimed at drivers on a tight budget. Instead, the Japanese carmaker wants to channel Apple and the iPhone by producing a high-quality and desirable product with an inflated price tag. The interior features two 12-inch dashboard screens, along with a pair of additional displays for video feeds from two cameras, which replace conventional wing mirrors.
Although it has 'prototype' in its name, Honda says the car shown in Geneva is 98 percent representative of the final design, which will go on sale later this year.
Kia electric sports car
Korean carmaker Kia will unveil an electric sports car concept at the Geneva Motor Show. All we have seen so far is the official teaser image above, but we suspect the car will use a power system related to the 64 kWh motor used by the Kia e-Niro SUV.
Kia has described the car as one that "gives you goosebumps when you look at it, and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you drive it."
Mercedes electric minivan
Mercedes will bring a concept to Geneva to show what an electric minivan of the near-future might look like. The vehicle is expected to be based on the company's existing V-Class, a large seven-seater with sliding side doors.
Minivans like this make good candidates for electric vehicles, as their large size provides ample space to install batteries throughout the floor.
Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer Concept
Named after a Swiss ski resort, the Engelberg Tourer Concept was recently teased by Mitsubishi in the image above. Very little is known about this car for now, and it isn't even clear yet if the Engelberg is all-electric or an electrified hybrid. All will be revealed on March 5.
Peugeot e-208
Geneva will see the launch of a new electric version of the Peugeot 208 hatchback. Called the e-208, the car will have a modest 50 kWh battery pack powering a 100 kWh electric motor, and a range of up to 211 miles.
Piech Mark Zero
Making its motor show debut in its native Switzerland, Piech Automotive will reveal the Mark Zero, an electric two-seat sports car. Unusually for an electric vehicle, the Mark Zero's battery pack is located inside a central tunnel, where the transmission of a regular car would be, instead of in the floor.
We don't know much about the car's performance figures yet, except that Piech is aiming for a range of just over 300 miles.
Automobili Pininfarina Battista
Automobili Pininfarina will reveal the production version of its first car in Geneva next week. The company, spawned from the legendary Pininfarina design house responsible for many of Ferrari's greatest hits, is only ever going to produce all-electric cars, and it is kicking off with its flagship.
The Battista, named after Pininfarina's founder, will have 1,900 horsepower, four-wheel drive, and performance figures to embarrass a Formula One car. But instead of being a hardcore track racer, the Battista is road-legal and designed to be as much a luxurious long-distance cruiser as it is a race car.
When it isn't launching to 62mph (100km/h) in under two seconds, the Battista has a claimed range of at least 280 miles, and is intended to be the last word in automotive luxury and personalization.
Polestar 2
Polestar, a division of Volvo, will be taking its second car to the Geneva Motor Show next week. It's an all-electric sedan with a 78 kWh battery pack, 400 horsepower, a 275-mile range, and a $63,000 price tag.
The company also states that, a year from now, a cheaper version of the 2 will cost between $45,420 before federal credit and rebates, placing it in the same price range as the Tesla Model 3.
Uniquely, the Polestar 2 has an infotainment system entirely powered by Android. This isn't an in-house system with Android Auto for when your phone is connected, but a complete Android interface. As you might expect, this brings a suite of Google services to the car, including the Google Assistant, Google Maps, and the Play Store, all accessible via an 11-inch touchscreen.
Skoda Vision iV concept
Skoda will next week reveal its plans for electrification, starting with a concept car called the Vision iV. The car, as shown in the design sketch above, is set to go on sale in 2021, Skoda says. There will be two versions, a coupe and an SUV, each sharing the same platform.
Volkswagen ID Buggy
Finally, the latest addition to Volkswagen's growing ID electric vehicle range is a modern take on the classic Beach Buggy, also known as the Meyers Manx, from the 1960s.
The car will be showcased as a concept for now, but Volkswagen has a history of bringing its ID concepts to production, so we wouldn't be surprised if the ID Buggy follows a similar path.
