Electric vehicles

While the E-Tron GT sedan will likely draw the headlines at Audi upon its arrival in the third quarter of the year, don’t forget the tri-motor Audi E-Tron S, priced from $165,600 before on-road costs for the E-Tron S, or $172,700 for the E-Tron S Sportback.

In S mode the E-Tron S produces a mighty 370kW and 973Nm, the latter figure representing the highest ever in the Audi stable, behind the defunct Q7 V12 diesel.

An 86kWh lithium-ion battery enables 413km of claimed ADR range in the normal E-Tron S, increasing to 418km with the more aerodynamic Sportback body style.

The 2022 BMW i4, BMW’s answer to the Tesla Model 3, is expected by March 2022. The all-electric sports sedan will be offered in two models to start: the eDrive40, priced from $99,900 plus on-road costs, and the i4 M50, from $124,900.

The eDrive40 is powered by a 84kWh battery, and is claimed to deliver a driving range of 590km (according to WLTP protocols). A single motor driving the rear wheels delivers 250kW and 430Nm, and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds.

The i4 M50 features the same 84kWh battery, but adds a motor to drive the front wheels, for total outputs of 400kW and 795Nm in overboost mode. The M50 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.9 seconds – about the same as BMW’s petrol-powered M3 Competition.

The seven-seat Mercedes-Benz EQB SUV is expected here in the second half of 2022.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed it will offer a range of electric powertrains in front and all-wheel-drive configurations, with battery capacity starting at 66.5kWh.

The EQB350 4Matic has a power output of 215kW and a driving range of 419km (WLTP). A less potent (and less expensive) EQB250 variant is also expected.

The EQB isn’t the only electric Mercedes-Benz model set to arrive in Australia this year, with the brand confirming the EQA350 small SUV, EQE large sedan, EQS flagship sedan, eVito delivery van, and EQV and eVito Tourer people movers for launch by the end of 2022.

The Mercedes-Benz EQE is the second model to use the German marque’s new MEA electric vehicle platform, and will go on sale in the latter part of the year. Details are scarce, with only one variant confirmed thus far: the EQE350, which features a 90kWh battery and can deliver 215kW to the rear wheels.