WIRED reported that 12 It was months before we knew that 2022 would prove to be the year of electric cars. We were correct judging by the 18 models that we recommended you watch for and the long waiting lists for electric cars. 

These wait times aside, there was a steady trend towards increasing EV sales and decreasing internal combustion engine car sales. The US saw a 49% increase in electric vehicles sold during the first half 2022. China saw a staggering 113 percent increase in electric car sales. Full EVs accounted to 13 percent in global new vehicle sales last year. International Energy Agency projects that electric cars will make up more than half of all new vehicles by 2010. 

Combining this consumer demand with the newer battery technology, you can see that the popularity of electric cars is moving in the right direction. 

The best rides will be tested, from $5K Chinese minis to German super saloons. Maybe our editor-in-chief will even review more electric motorcycles. Here’s our selection of the top electric cars WIRED believes will be available in 2023. 

DeLorean Alpha5

DeLorean Alpha5

Photo by DeLorean

Followers of Back to the Future should be sitting down as we tell you that this is DeLorean’s first car in more than 40 years. This car is not powered by gasoline, but it can be fully electric. It will accelerate from 0-60 mph to 60 in less than three seconds. Next, it will reach its maximum speed of projected 155 mph. The Alpha5 is a remake of its movie-star predecessor with a louvered back window and gullwing doors. However, the DMC-12’s blocky, wedge shape has been ditched in favor of a smoother styling that reduces drag enough to help it achieve the 300-mile range DeLorean claims. Cambridge Audio’s high-end stereo experts have been brought in for this purpose. Love is the power of Love sounds superb. Delivery to lucky customer is planned for 2023. What? Really? Ok, now it’s time to get from zero to about 88 mph in 4.35 seconds. Bravo Scott 

Kia E9

Revealed at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show and expected to hit UK showrooms in 2023, Kia’s EV9 SUV looks to continue the transformation of the brand from ICE also-ran to a leading EV player. It features a solar panel embedded in the bonnet of the vehicle and an interior that is made with sustainable materials. Then there’s the “pop-up” steering wheel, a 27-inch ultrawide display, panoramic sunroof, and three rows of seats. With its rugged design, the EV9 is poised to challenge Range Rover’s all-terrain car. It will run on the Kia group’s superb Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the same used in the EV6, which means top-drawer 800-volt electrical architecture and lightning-quick charging at rates of up to 350 kW. Lastly, the EV9 will be the first Kia to offer Automode, the company’s autonomous driving tech.

BMW iX1

Yes, the luxurious i7 will be the EV poster child for BMW in 2023, but it’s the iX1 that will be more important in the coming year for the brand. Why? It replaces the iconic and sorely missed i3 as BMW’s entry-level EV. Customer deliveries will commence in early 2023, with pricing from £52,255 in the UK and $82,900 in the US, and the xDrive30 dual-motor version should offer an output of 313 hp and a WLTP driving range of up to 272 miles from the 64.7-kWh battery. It is possible to charge the battery at up 130 kW in as little as 29 minutes or to extend its range by 75 miles. What’s the clincher? This new X1 is a cleverly designed vehicle that transforms from a toy car into a rugged, reliable runabout.

Audi A6 E-Tron

Audi A6 E-Tron

Photo: Audi

The fully-electric A6 model has been awaited for a while. Audi presented the concept at the Shanghai motorshow in 2021. Positioned firmly as a rival to the coming BMW i5 and Tesla’s Model 3 and Model S, the Audi A6 E-Tron will be based on the group’s latest PPE (Premium Platform Electric) EV architecture, which will also be used on the next Porsche Macan EV and Audi Q6 E-Tron. The greatest advantage of the new platform will be that owners can enjoy fast 800-volt charging as well as longer range due to its 100-kWh capacity. The range could reach 400 miles. Audi may continue to be obsessed with door cameras, if you are crazy enough to go for that option. But projection headlights will still win the race. The Avant estate and 600-bhp RS6 E-Tron will also be available.

Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla, Photograph

Elon Musk promises that the Tesla Sci-Fi pickup will finally be available to customers by the end of 2023, regardless of whether you’re a huge fan or just think it looks strange. It’s happened before. Other Tesla models have experienced delays. But this time Tesla says it’s going to happen … it will arrive … pinky promise … even if the Cybertruck’s production is Jahre Later than initially planned. The Austin, Texas, Gigafactory has supposedly been readied for “early production,” and the plan apparently is to gradually ramp up output to full by the end of 2023. The pickup was $100 and hundreds of thousands of people who bought it will keep their fingers crossed that Musk delivers the promised performance. It has a 14,000-pound towing weight, an acceleration of 0-60 seconds, and can travel 500 miles. They will be watching the price closely. Musk claimed that the pickup would be priced below $40,000 but, surprisingly, those prices are now gone from the website.

Lucid Air Sapphire

Lucid Air Sapphire

Lucid Motors

I’ve seen the Lucid Air Sapphire up close—I’ve even sat in it—and I’m happy to tell you that it’s got much more character than the aerodynamically friendly jelly-mold design would suggest. It is a four-door, large EV with high performance. Three of Lucid’s mightily impressive, comparatively slender motors (instead of the standard Air’s two) will result in this Sapphire version outputting more than 1,200 bhp. Maybe quite a bit more. Even though it weighs in at 2.5 tonnes, the EV can accelerate from standstill to 60 mph in under two seconds and then to 100 mph within four. According to the rumors, it will reach quarter-mile in nine seconds. It is close to Rimac Nevera territory. The hypercar cost $2.1 million. Sapphire costs $249,000 with carbon-ceramic brakes, stiffer suspension and custom Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber. You’ll also find seats at the back.

Ford ‘Medium-Size Crossover’

Ford’s 2023 “Medium-Size Crossover” EV

Ford Photograph

At the time this article was written, very little information about Ford’s new EV is available. Why do we add it? It’s a beautiful piece of art that we have seen in person and will surely be a hit in Europe. We can safely say it borrows design elements from the Ford Explorer. Others might describe it as an SUV-sized Mini-Me. The “Medium-Size Crossover,” part of the raft of vehicles Ford announced back in March, is going to be the kind of car that those waiting for Range Rover to pull its finger out and just get the hell on with making a full EV Evoque may well jump ship for. Even though the EV Evoque is coming in 2024, Discovery Sport and the EV Evoque are still a ways off. Ford’s Cologne plant will produce the Ford EV.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

Hyundai Ioniq 6

Photo:

WIRED has always been a big fan of Hyundai and Kia’s work in the past. The latest offering coming in “early 2023” is this, the sleek and sporty Ioniq 6. Because it gives them greater range, EVs love being aerodynamic. The Ioniq 6’s efficient profile—pleasingly with more than a whiff of Porsche 911 about it, albeit with four doors—results in a low drag coefficient of 0.21, making it one of the world’s most aerodynamic cars. Hyundai has managed to get up to 338 miles from its long-range lithium-ion battery pack with the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive variant. With two integrated electric motors at the rear and front axles, this all-wheel-drive version delivers 239kW power in a time of just 5.1 seconds. The group’s 800-volt fast charging system is standard, however, it may be better to skip optional digital side mirrors if the vehicle you intend on purchasing.

Fisker Ocean

Fisker Ocean

Photo by Fisker Inc.

Fisker Ocean takes the award for best-looking electric SUVs, coming in 2023. If you’re a keen observer, the Ocean was the winner of our last-year selection. It has been delayed since then, making it difficult to choose the vehicle again. However, our love for this EV doesn’t seem to have diminished over the wait. When enabled on the 17.1-inch screen, the Hollywood Mode rotates it from landscape to portrait so that occupants can enjoy streaming movies. The battery has a range up to 391 mile. It takes less than 3 seconds to go from 0-60. Don’t overlook the SolarSky roof that extends to full sun exposure. It can purportedly emit as much as 1,500 methanol-emissions to drivers.free One hundred and fifty miles per annum. Bidirectional charging allows you to charge your whole home up to 7 days. It can also boost other EVs. Finally, California Mode sees at the push of a button all eight glass panels (including the “Doggie Windows”) open simultaneously to transform the SUV into a “convertible.”

Toyota Prius 2023

Toyota Prius 2023

Toyota

What about a sleek, shiny new Prius? This one looks really cool. Auto world nearly exploded at the announcement. While previous Priuses—Pri-i?—have long been seen as dowdy, and justifiably so with their nondescript shape and normcore vibe, this 2023 iteration looks positively sleek by comparison. But, until you see the car in person, our final verdict will be withheld. The car could be improving upon a flawed design. The car isn’t an electric vehicle, it is a combination of a gasoline-electric engine and a combustion-electric one. Toyota’s new Prius claims to get 57mpg. Solar panels allow for the charging of the battery when the car is not in motion. Other new features include a hands-free Driving mode

Mini Aceman

Mini Aceman

Photo: Mini

Although the Mini Aceman Concept was announced last year, it will not be the final version until 2023. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2024 before we can test the car. This is why the Aceman is on the list to reveal the design. It is because this rugged and urban crossover SUV is quite a departure from Mini’s previous designs. And we hope they stick with this version. This may well happen, too, as Mini says this concept is “80 percent true” to the final production design. “This concept is previewing everything that will come after it. Whatever model follows will take a few leaves out of this new book of design,” Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group’s design director, told us at the launch. Even though it’s just over 13 feet in length and just under 6 feet wide, the Aceman will fit between Cooper and Countryman models. It will run on the same platform as that of the coming “classic” three-door Mini, set to hit roads next year, also with a complete design refresh. We expect the Aceman to be able to travel less than 300 miles. But, we hope for much more. 

Jeep Avenger

Jeep Avenger

Photo by Jeep

The best small SUVs, particularly if they can be fully electric, are the ones to buy. Jeep, just like Ford, has its sights on European dominance with the new Avenger. It will be available for purchase in 2023. Some might say with 150 bhp and front-wheel drive this is not a very Jeep Jeep—a four-wheel-drive version is coming, though. It is actually the sister vehicle of Vauxhall Mokka and Peugeot 2008, and will be made in Poland. Stellantis’s CMP platform produces up to 154 bhp and 260 Newton-meters of torque in the single-motor version, while the 54-kWh battery with rapid charging at 100 kW should be good enough to take the pack from 20 to 80 percent in just 24 minutes. Range? Distance: 249 mi (or 342 in stop-start traffic).

VW ID.7 (Aero B)

VW’s ID. Vizzion concept car

Photograph: INGO BARENSCHEE/Volkswagen

Pay attention! The VW ID.7 four door will soon be available as a production model. Aero, which is also a concept car that has been in production since the ID’s creation. Vizzion concept car. We are still here. Good. Good. A variety of single-motor RWD and dual motor AWD models are available, as is a GTX variant. It can reach zero to 62 MPH in only 5.6 seconds. A single-motor motor can go from 0 to 62 in 8.5 seconds. A 10-minute charge will add about 143 miles to the 200 kW engine. There is also talk of bidirectional charging for the ID.7. 

Xpeng G9

Xpeng G9

Photo by Xpeng Motors

Only a few months ago did Chinese brand Xpeng reveal its G9 “smart SUV,” the fourth car in the emerging brand’s lineup. After the G3i SUV and G5 saloons, the new model is the fourth in Xpeng’s lineup. G9 is the new brand’s flagship and will include all of the latest tech. RWD Standard Range models are 308 bhp with 430 Nm of torque and deliver zero-to-60 mph speeds of just 6.4 seconds. It claims a range of 354 miles. The RWD Long Range model, though, increases the G9’s range to a respectable supposed 436 miles. The selection includes the following all-wheel-drive models: 650X Performance, 650X Power, and 650X Launch Edition. Each car boasts 543 bhp, 717 Nm, and an claimed time to zero-to-62 of only 3.9 seconds. It also has 403 miles of range. All cars are equipped with lidar to provide driver assistance as well street-level routefinding. Supported charging rates up to 480kW mean that you can add as many as 124 miles in five minutes and a 10- to 80 percent charge in as little as 15 minutes. If true, this would make the G9 the world’s fastest-charging electric SUV. For music lovers, a “5D multimedia system” called Xopera is available with 28 speakers and an output of 2,250 watts.

Polestar 3

Polestar 3

Photograph: Stefan Isaksson/Polestar

The Polestar 3 can be ordered now but production will not begin until summer 2023. You get the slick Scando design, of course, which helps belie the car’s considerable size: 4.9 meters long, 2.1 meters wide—yet it still somehow manages to look sporty. The car’s impressively low drag factor (just 0.29) may be a help. A 14,5 inch touchscreen displays the Google Operating System (which is still a huge plus for Polestar Volvo), and five radar modules and five external cameras provide driver monitoring and safety. You can spec a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound audio system, which will be useful as the 111-kWh battery will carry you up to 379 miles, so you’ll be spending a lot of time in the car. It won’t take long to charge up the car, as it takes only 30 minutes to top up at 10 to 8 percent. Want speed? You want speed? The Performance Pack increases power by 510 HP, torque to 910Nm and zero to 62 MPH in just 4.7 seconds. It can also accelerate to 130 MPH. You can also get the EX90 Volvo with seven seats built on the exact same platform. It will not be released until 2024.

Lotus Eletre

Lotus Letre

Lotus photograph

As we pointed out earlier in 2022, Lotus’s good-looking all-electric SUV has a grill that “breathes” thanks to interconnected triangular panels at the front which close when the Eletre is stopped (or when it needs to reduce aerodynamic drag) but automatically open to scoop air to the radiator to cool the electric motors, battery pack, or front brakes when needed. During the cars locking and unlocking sequence, this active grill “breathes” as the illuminated flush-fitting door handles deploy, opening and closing the vented panels. Fancy. Fancy. The Lotus will be able to reach a range of 248 miles in as little as 20 minutes with 350kW charging. You can find the full article at The Standard KEF sound system is a 1,380-Watt, 15-speaker affair, while you can upgrade to the 2,160-Watt, 23-speaker “Reference” version if you have spare ears. One note for prospective buyers. Lotus has been pushing back on the Evija numerous times. We are crossing our fingers that 2023 will be available.

Rolls-Royce Spectre

Photo by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce is an unlikely candidate to convert to electric vehicles. But, it’s a subsidiary owned by the BMW Group and has been since 2003. Given that BMW embraces electric vehicles, Rolls-Royce’s first ever electric vehicle was the Spectre. The Spectre is an EV-designed vehicle. This is what’s most pleasing. A new aluminum chassis has been designed to provide the quiet, yet powerful rides that owners of other brand cars can expect. A car that is nearly 5.5 meters in length and almost three tons weighs just over 3 tons has an expected 300+ miles range. It also boasts a 4.4 second zero-to-60 speed. As you can see, EVs need to cut through the air efficiently. This is why the Spectre, a car that is nearly 5.5 meters long and almost 3 tons, is so aerodynamic.