All the new electric car models coming to Australia this quarter

Seven new electric car models have arrived or are arriving in Australia this quarter, increasing the somewhat limited choice available to drivers.

Five come from a European pedigree – Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and BMW, plus Polestar if you count the fact it is the all-electric offshoot of Swedish-Chinese Volvo (it is actually made in Chengdu, China). Two – the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the Lexus ux300e – will arrive from Asia.

While it’s the first time to the all-electric market for Volvo, Polestar and Lexus, it is the second or third time around for BMW (which entered the Australian EV market long ago with the i3), Mercedes-Benz (which introduced the EQC in late 2019) and Hyundai, which sells both an electric version of the Kona and the Ioniq in three electrified drivetrains.

Despite the higher cost of purchase price compared to combustion engine equivalents, carmakers report that those already available to purchase or order are generally proving very popular.

The $76,900 (before on-roads) Volvo XC40 Recharge has already surpassed expectations, and Volvo says it has already ordered more to satisfy demand. In September, the XC40 Recharge became the top non-Tesla EV with 131 sold, accounting for 1 in 5 of Volvo’s sales.

The odd one out – the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which starts at $71,990 before on-roads – has also been a sell-out success. After the opening of order books caused the South Korean carmaker’s website to crash, the entire allocation of 400 vehicles was accounted for within hours (and customers who missed out were not very happy about it).

The Mercedes-Benz EQA is also already available, and the German carmaker has sold 63 in the last two months it has been available.

Joining these electric models shortly will be the Polestar 2 in three battery/motor configurations, two models from BMW – the iX, which is available in three variants, and the singular iX3, and the Lexus ux300e, the only one for which we do not yet have pricing but which will debut at the upcoming Melbourne Cup.

The Polestar promises to be an interesting addition to the market not least because it is the first time Polestar has set up base in Australia.

As mentioned, it is available in three configurations including a Short Range (SR) with single motor, a Long Range (LR) with single motor and a Long Range with dual motor (see full pricing below). Of the three, the single motor Long Range offers the most range at 540km WLTP (real-world driving range will likely come in under the 500km mark).

In pricing the Polestar 2, Volvo’s all-electric offshoot has taken a divide and conquer approach: that is, divide up the premium features into “packs” to allow the base pricing of $59,990 that meets the Tesla Model 3 head-on.

The only criticism of this is that to get the features like a heat pump to reduce energy consumption, or adaptive cruise control (both standard features on the Tesla), you have to buy an additional package.

More details can be found here, but in short there is a $5,000 Pilot pack that adds additional safety features, a $6,000 Plus pack that adds premium trim and heat pump, and a Performance pack that can only be added to the long-range dual motor variant.

The BMW iX is also available in three variants, and sitting in the luxury end of the EV spectrum at $135,900 before on-roads has been available for order since April. The base xDrive40 and its Sport trim both offer 425km driving range (WLTP), with the Sport trim getting 22-inch wheels, sport brakes and other exclusive features.

The range-topping iX xDrive50 Sport gets these premium features plus a market-topping 630km range (WLTP), for the eye-watering price of $169,900 before on-roads.

BMW iX3 sits below the iX in terms of pricing but offers an equally premium electric driving experience. Available for order since April, it offers 460km driving range (WLTP), and is close to the X3 in terms of design.

The Lexus ux300e promises to be an electric incarnation of Toyota’s luxury ux series. As the Japanese brand’s flagship electric model, it will be offered in both luxury and sports trims, with premium features like heated and ventilated front seats, heated back seats, and specialised acoustic features like front0side glass and insulation around the tyres and fenders to help ensure a quiet ride.

The chart below gives a comparison between all these new electric models. Expect to see more of these soon on a road near you: