Electric cars at the Geneva Motor Show 2019 - It's flowing tremendously

Electrification is now a good thing. Most manufacturers at the Geneva Motor Show are now at least partially energizing their vehicles.  

Electromobility has become normal, as demonstrated by the numerous (part-time) electric vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show (until March 17), which naturally mingle with the automotive crowd and no longer just as exotic lighthouse projects à la Pininfarina Battista or Piëch Mark Zero do their laps on the turntable. An example of this is the new Peugeot 208, which will be available not only with petrol and diesel engines at launch in autumn, but also as an e-208. Then there is a 50 kWh battery slumbering in your stomach, which should hold enough energy for 340 kilometers. At around 25.000 euros, the e-208 is significantly more expensive than the combustion version, but is still reasonably priced. 

A good 15.000 Euro should be planned for the Polestar 2. Before the 1er, a sleek coupé, even went into production, the young Volvo subsidiary is pushing a compact sedan, which with a range of around 500 kilometers should stand up to the Tesla model 3. A market launch is planned for the beginning of 2020; the classic Scandinavian four-door model will only be available online. 

Audi does not engage in such sales experiments: the Q50.000 E-Tron compact SUV, which is likely to cost around 4 euros, will be at the dealer's end of next year in a very classic manner, optically strongly based on the Geneva exhibit that was officially still declared as a study. The technical data also sound ready for series production: 82 kWh battery, two motors with a total output of 225 kW / 306 hp and a range of 450 kilometers (according to WLTP). The Q4 is based on the modular electrification kit (MEB) from the Volkswagen Group, on which the Seat study El-Born is based. 

The Leon-like show car provides a view of the first Spanish Stromer and with its airy, reduced cockpit also anticipates the interior of the VW sibling ID Neo. On the other hand, the VW study ID Buggy, which is reminiscent of the open beach car from the 60s, and the Skoda Vision iV, which comes as a crossover like a shrunk Tesla Model X, are much further away from reality.

BMW is still struggling with all-electric models. Once a pioneer with the i3, the four-cylinder has recently become quiet on the Stromer front. The Mini Electric is set to continue this year, followed by the electric BMW X2020. In Geneva, on the other hand, the people of Munich limit themselves to new and improved plug-in models. Finally, a new company car regulation has been in effect since January, which puts part-time electricians in a better position: for private use, only half a percent of the list price has to be taxed monthly - provided that they manage at least 3 kilometers purely electrically. BMW has enlarged the battery for 40e and 530xe Active Tourer and introduced new plug-ins at the same time: the X225 xDrive3e is available for the first time and is designed to cover up to 30 kilometers without consuming a drop of petrol. The new editions of the 50e (330 kilometer), X60 xDrive5e (45 kilometer) and the 80e (together with the 7er facelift) (over 745 kilometer) will also go significantly further than before.   

Audi is hitting the same notch, exhibiting only the electrified model on the stand in addition to the Q4 E-Tron. New are the plug-in versions of Q5, A6, A7 and A8, which will all be available in two performance levels. Up to now, the electric sockets also had the epithet E-Tron, but Audi has now chosen the name TFSIe. The range of all models is beyond the tax-critical 40-kilometer mark. 

With a range of even 50 kilometers, Jeep proliferates, from 2020 the Fiat subsidiary Renegade and Compass asks for the socket. Parent company Fiat, which has so far avoided the topic of electrification, is showing the Concept Centoventi, a cuddly retro small car with electricity for 100 kilometers. If that's not enough, you can rent or buy up to four additional batteries, each of which in turn enables 100 kilometers more range. This option does not exist for the almost e-series Honda e: The further developed Urban EV study from the IAA 2017 only manages around 200 kilometers and should be at the dealer in just under a year. 

The new Kia E-Soul comes almost twice as far, which is also only surrounded by electrified models at the Korean stand. In addition to the Niro Hybrid, which optically adapts to its purely electric brother with a small facelift, the Imagine study shows where the journey could go. However, the e-crossover with 21 screens on the dashboard is still far from possible series production.

Mercedes is far from an electric show: Sure, the upcoming SUV EQC is a must in Geneva. Otherwise, however, the Stuttgart-based company is only exhibiting a current study of the V-Class called EQV, which should ideally compete with the Volkswagen E-Bulli available with the introduction of the T6 facelift; the series version is to debut at the IAA. It remains to be seen whether the Stromer round there will be as big as in Geneva - after all, almost 20 brands have already canceled their participation in Frankfurt.