A Quick Look at What Is on the Electric Horizon
Roll Call
Faraday Future FF 91
Jeep EV
Kia EV9
Lexus EV Sports Car
Mullen 5
Polestar Precept
Polestar 02
Sony Vision-S
If you’ve been napping the past couple months, you may have missed a glimpse of the future of electric vehicles. As with all concepts, there is no guarantee they will be built or will look much like the concept once it arrives at your local dealership. Those details don’t diminish the importance of these early previews.
To be included in this overview of what could be on the way the EV had to have physical model, not merely an artist’s wild rendition. And even if you’re taking deposits (we’re looking at you, Henrik), we need to see something three dimensional for drop in here.
In alphabetical order, let’s take a look at what may be in your driveway in a few short years.
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Faraday Future FF 91 Futurist
The short history of Faraday Future (b.2016) has had as many twists and turns as a Halloween corn maze. With several false starts, premature product and factory announcements, the company finally rolled out some concrete news and a functional model. On February 23, 2022, Faraday Future pulled the sheet off its first-ever production-intent electric vehicle–the FF 91 Futurist EV.
With three electric motors producing 1,050 horsepower (hp) and 1,328 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque, the FF 91 Futurist is claimed to have a 0-60 time of 2.39 seconds and is rated up-to 379 miles of driving range on a fully charged lithium-ion battery. With all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering and rear wheel torque vectoring, the handling should be great. This flagship car for Faraday Future will be produced in limited quantities with production beginning in Hanford, California, in late 2022, so customer deliveries could be sometime in 2023. Pricing has not been released, but expect it to be somewhere between north of $120,000.
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Jeep Electric Vehicle
Stellantis, which sells Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo in the United States, announced on March 1, 2022 they will be releasing 25 all-new all-electric models across these brands by 2030. The first to make it to dealers will be the 2023 Jeep EV. No other information was provided, including the actual name, but it looks like it will fit right into the Jeep lineup. It’s the logical next step for Jeep, which has been successfully launching plug-in hybrids as it warms up for a full battery electric.
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Kia EV9
Hot on the heels of the well-received Kia EV6, the Kia EV9 three-row SUV is slated to begin production in second quarter 2023 and American sales sometime in early 2024. Complete details have not been released by Kia, but we do know it is not quite as large as the Kia Telluride. With short front and rear overhangs, the interior should be spacious. All-electric driving range has been announced at 300 miles and should be able to connect to 350kW DC chargers for an 80% charge in about 20 minutes. Expect dual motors and all-wheel drive to be an option, if not standard. Pricing has yet to be announced.
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Lexus Sports Car
Details are sketchy, but if the photos of the Lexus EV sports car are any indication, this thing is going to be awesome. Lexus doesn’t call it a concept, which usually means some iteration of it will make it into production. But they have gone pretty far already for it to be just a design exercise, so start saving now. What we do know: a very fast 0-60 mph in the low 2-second range and 435 miles on a full charge, making it a very compelling EV. Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, is late to the EV market with their first model, the Toyota BZ4X, being released later this year. But don’t let that tardiness fool anyone, as the world’s largest car company has plans to release 30 EVs by 2030. Pricing has not been announced.
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Mullen Five
With a corporate motto of “Imagine What’s Possible”, the Southern California-based Mullen Technologies planted its flag in 2014 with the goal of helping to lower the impact of fossil fuels on the environment. Their first foray into being part of the solution for better air will be the Mullen Five with an estimated 325-mile all-electric driving range. With a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds and a 155 mph top speed, the dual motor, all-wheel drive Mullen Five should offer spirited driving and handling.
This strikingly designed premium compact SUV will be a direct challenger to the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6 and Polestar 2. They call the interior design “Approachable Luxury” that has customizable seating configurations. This is a truly American vehicle as it is designed, engineered and will be built in the United States at a factory in Tunica, Mississippi. Pricing is set at $55,000 before any federal or state rebates. Deliveries should begin in mid-2024.
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Polestar Precept
The Polestar Precept is a real-world example of a car going from concept to reality. In this case the Precept will become the Polestar 5, with a release date in 2024. As shown in this video, Polestar explains the design process of going from the sketch to a clay model and then a working prototype. The clean, progressive design is engaging, with crisp lines and smooth body panels not burdened with chrome or cladding.
Polestar began as the performance tuning division of Volvo, and then broke away to become a stand-alone electric car company. The first car, the plug-in hybrid sport coupe Polestar 1, was released in 2019; the Polestar 2 compact SUV with a 270-mile electric range came to market in early 2021. Next up will be the Polestar 3 SUV in 2022, the Polestar 4 SUV in 2023, and the Polestar 5 luxury GT sedan in 2024, each with projected 600-mile electric driving ranges. Polestar plans on being a major manufacturer of all-electric luxury vehicles, competing with the likes of Lucid, Porsche and Tesla.
The Polestar 5 will replace the Polestar 1, which was a limited production high performance luxury sports coupe. While no mechanical specifications have been provided, expect the Polestar 5 to be fast, nimble, luxurious, efficient and packed with advanced technology. Pricing and on sale dates have not been announced.
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Polestar 02
If the Polestar Precept concept catches your eye, the Polestar 02 may give you whiplash and make you drool. Both cars come from the vision of Maximilian Missoni, Polestar head of design, who has done a wonderful job of imagining what it will be like to go topless and never hear an engine. Whoosh!
This retractable hard-top convertible sports car is exactly what the world of car design needs, as we suffer through one crossover or SUV after another. Only the Lexus LC 500 will garner as many double-takes as the Polestar 02. “The Polestar 02 is the hero car for our brand,” said Polestar’s CEO Thomas Ingenlath. If this quote is any indication, Clean Fleet Report feels strongly it will come to market. How can the Polestar 02 be the hero car for the brand if it doesn’t become a reality? It can’t, so keep checking back for updates on this exciting car.
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Sony Vision-S 01 and Vision-S 02
At CES 2020, Sony surprised everyone by displaying its concept Vision-S 01 sedan and announcing the creation of Sony Mobility, Inc, a new division that will concentrate on electric vehicle development. Was it possible the renowned consumer audio company was really going to start building cars? Fast forward to CES 2022 where Sony again displayed a concept EV, the Vision-S 02 SUV. It now appeared Sony must be serious, but having never built anything larger than the 100-inch Bravia X92 LED television, how did they think they could build a car or SUV?
Sony cleared the picture on March 4, 2022, by announcing they and Honda have formed “a strategic alliance that aims to create a new era of mobility and mobility services.” This joint-venture will develop electric vehicles together. Honda will build them, and the first Vision-S will be on sale in 2025. No details about the cars have been provided, but this is an exciting development coming from two very proven companies with a rich history of designing and building top quality products.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and the manufacturers (more photos below).
