The 11 most exciting electric vehicles hitting the road next year, from Ford's F-150 Lightning to an ultra-sleek Cadillac SUV
- Uninspired by the electric cars currently available? Lots more options are coming your way.
- Tons of exciting EVs are hitting US streets in 2022 from startups and established car companies.
- The Ford F-150 Lightning, Cadillac's first EV, and Subaru's debut e-SUV all arrive next year.
BMW i4
The new, gigantic beaver-tooth grille that adorns some of BMW's latest models is controversial, to say the least. But if you want to drive the luxury carmaker's first true electric sedan come 2022, you'll have to get on board.
The i4 will deliver 335 horsepower and a range of around 300 miles, BMW says. A sportier version promises 536 horsepower — at the expense of some range, of course.
Bollinger B1
Bollinger Motors was supposed to deliver its first rugged vehicles in 2021, but now says production will start in late 2022. That means we have some chance of seeing these things on the road by the close of that year.
The B1 SUV looks more like a vintage Land Rover than any sleek new EV of the 2020s, which I think is pretty neat. But these vehicles don't come cheap, despite their exposed rivets and manual crank windows. A B1 will cost you $125,000.
Bollinger B2
The B2 shares a basic platform with the B1, but has a little more space for stuff out back thanks to its bed. Like the B1, it has useful features like a pass-through that goes all the way down the center of the vehicle. Also like its fraternal twin, it's aiming for a range of 200 miles and a base price of $125,000.
By the numbers, the B2 will be able to hand with the best of them. Bollinger says the dual-motor truck will be able to tow 7,500 lbs and have a payload capacity of 5,000 pounds.
Cadillac Lyriq
In case you weren't aware, Cadillac is going all-electric. Its first EV, the Lyriq SUV, hits dealerships in 2022 with an attractive base price of $59,995. It'll compete with the Tesla Model Y, Jaguar I-Pace, and Audi E-Tron.
The long, sleek EV will deliver more than 300 miles of range, GM says. Cadillac began accepting $100 reservations in September. Expect it to showcase all of the latest and greatest tech GM has to offer, including a 33-inch driver display and Super Cruise, the company's hands-free driving feature.
Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle
Although EV startup Canoo's model names may be bland, its vehicles themselves are anything but.
The Lifestyle Vehicle, a pill-shaped van that Canoo says can be adapted for all sorts of commercial and consumer uses, is set to launch in late 2022. Canoo says it has the interior space of a large SUV and the footprint of a compact car.
It starts at $34,750 and promises 250 miles of range. A Premium version will come with seven seats and a panoramic glass roof, while a future Adventure trim sports roof racks and a tow hitch.
Ford F-150 Lightning
Ford's F-Series pickup isn't just the best-selling truck in the US — it's the most popular vehicle, period. If car companies want to bring cleaner vehicles to the masses, it's going to take electric versions of vehicles people already love.
The F-150 Lightning starts at around $40,000 for a basic work truck, while the consumer-oriented XLT trim starts at around $55,000. The truck offers unique features like a giant frunk and the ability to power your house in a blackout. As I learned during a test ride, it's mighty quick, too.
The F-150 Lightning promises up to 300 miles of range and deliveries start in spring 2022.
Fisker Ocean
EV startup Fisker, founded in 2016, plans to start producing its first model, the Ocean SUV, in late 2022. The SUV will be built by Magna Steyr, an Austrian contract manufacturer. Fisker is the second car company from Henrik Fisker, whose Fisker Automotive sold the hybrid Karma luxury sedan starting in 2011 and went out of business in 2014.
We don't know many details about the Ocean yet, but Fisker says it'll have a starting price of $37,499.
Kia EV6
Plenty of battery-powered Cadillacs, BMWs, and Benzes on the way, but it's nice to see more mainstream options are in the pipeline too. The EV6, the latest EV from Kia, is an SUV-hatchback thing that the company promises will get up to 300 miles of range.
Kia hasn't released pricing yet, but expect the EV6 to run you somewhere in the mid-$40,000 range to start. It'll come in all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive versions.
Genesis GV60
Genesis, Hyundai's luxury brand, is getting into the EV game as well. Its first entry: the GV60, a higher-end counterpart to the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Like those two vehicles, the GV60 has a hatchback shape that's refreshing in a car market where hatchbacks are a dying breed. Plus, I actually dig its bug-like mug.
It'll be available in rear-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, and performance variants.
Mercedes-Benz EQB
Mercedes-Benz is preparing an onslaught of new electric SUVs and sedans over the next few years. But if any of its models are going to sell in real numbers, it won't be the $100,000 EQS sedan or the undoubtedly more expensive electric G-Wagen.
The EQB, though, has a real shot. The company's first electric SUV for the US, the EQB will check a lot of boxes for a lot of people. It'll have seating for seven, a small-ish footprint, and a more approachable starting price somewhere around $50,000. Mercedes pegs range at around 260 miles and says a long-range version is in the works.
Subaru Solterra
Subaru's first EV is coming in mid-2022 through a partnership with Toyota. Accordingly, the Subaru Solterra, from what we can gather from teaser photos, looks nearly identical to Toyota's upcoming bZ4X SUV.
There's not much we know about the Solterra, except that it will come standard with all-wheel drive, like most Subarus.