Frankfurt goes green: all the new electric cars on show

The Frankfurt Motor Show has been targeted by climate protesters this year, but there are plenty of new electric cars on display. Welcome to your cleaner future...

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

With environmental protests and controversy blighting this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and the re-brand the event has undergone, the most important cars on display are arguably those with electric power. We round up the EVs you could drive away from Frankfurt with a clean conscience.

Porsche Taycan

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

One of two show-stopping EV reveals at Frankfurt, this is Porsche’s hotly-anticipated Taycan sports saloon. Its 800-volt architecture should show the Tesla Model S what repeatable performance looks like.

Volkswagen ID.3

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

The other headline-grabbing EV at Frankfurt is the Volkswagen ID.3. Call it reparations for ‘Dieselgate’ if you will, but this car might outsell the Golf one day. The reaction is good thus far.

Volkswagen ID.4

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

As VW has been at pains to emphasise, ‘ID’ isn’t just one car – it’s a model range. The ID.4 SUV is coming soon, as teased by this disguised prototype at Frankfurt.

Mini Electric

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

The Mini seems like the right car to go electric and, finally, the British marque has obliged. The Mini Electric has a 124-mile minimum range and is available to lease from £299 a month.

Vauxhall Corsa e

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

Another electric car for the people is the Vauxhall Corsa e. This small EV is a revolution for the marque, and is twinned with Peugeot’s e208. It’s capable of 200 miles on a full charge

Mercedes-Benz EQV

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

Mercedes calls the EQV the world’s first fully-electric MPV. With a range of 252 miles and top speed of 100mph, your many passengers should have no problem getting to their destination.

Honda e

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

The Honda e will be one of the most interesting new cars of 2020. A futuristic small EV with retro styling, it also – like the Mini – is available from £300 a month.

Smart EQ

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

Smart has updated its EQ models, the ForTwo and ForFour. This comes shortly after an announcement that the marque is going electric-only. A bold move.

Volkswagen e-Up

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

All eyes were on the ID.3, but there’s another small electric car from Volkswagen at Frankfurt. This is the updated e-Up, with an impressive 160 miles of range. It can also replenish its battery to 80 percent charge in 60 minutes using a 40kW charger.

BMW i Hydrogen Next

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

Diverting from battery-electric vehicles at Frankfurt, here’s the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT. Essentially, it’s an X5 powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. No details are available yet, but we do know BMW is working with Toyota on the project.

Byton M-Byte

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

Chinese EV startup Byton revealed the production version of its M-Byte electric SUV at Frankfurt. If you don’t remember who Byton is, just think back to that SUV with a 48-inch screen inside. This is a handsome-looking effort.

Aiways U5

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

Aiways is another Chinese brand with a new EV. To prove its performance, it completed a road trip from China all the way to Frankfurt. On the way, it passed through 12 countries, including Kazakhstan, Russia, Finland and the Netherlands. It was a world record for a journey by a prototype electric vehicle – a full 9,300 miles.

Opel Elektro GT

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

Now we enter the bonus round, of electric cars that were way ahead of their time. Long before the Corsa e came the Opel Elektro GT. This diminutive prototype sports car was the pet project of Georg Von Opel, grandson of the company’s founder. In May 1971, as part of a record attempt, it managed 27 miles on a charge.

Volkswagen Beetle Electric

Electric cars at Frankfurt IAA

This is a very modern classic: an original Beetle fitted with the electric powertrain from a modern e-Up EV. There’s talk of retro-fit kits being made available, and of other Volkswagen Group classics getting the EV treatment.

Related Articles

Ethan Jupp
Ethan Jupp
I'm Content Editor at MR. Road trips music and movies are my vices. Perennially stuck between French hot hatches and Australian muscle cars.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Find a Car Review

Latest

Salon Privé London to host three days of champagne and supercars

Salon Privé London returns to the Royal Hospital in Chelsea next month, with special celebrations of McLaren and the Porsche 911 Turbo.

How to protect your car with an OBD port locking device

We explain how to prevent your car being stolen by criminals targeting its On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port.

New Volkswagen ID.Buzz GTX gets 340hp and all-wheel drive

The retro-styled ID. Buzz people carrier is now offered with 340hp, making for an unlikely addition to Volkswagen’s sporty GTX range.

Kia EV9 is World Car of the Year 2024

The Kia EV9 is the latest pure electric car to be named World Car of the Year – and it also scooped the World Electric Vehicle 2024 prize