Premium company cars: time to switch from ICE to electric

Many OEMs will enter the EV market next year under regulatory pressure from the EU. In 2020, every vehicle that emits less than 50 grams of CO2 counts double in their weighted average CO₂ emissions – something that is called super credits.

Especially premium brands need them, because they sell a lot of heavy SUVs. Although not all details are known at this point, the following six models have been confirmed for a 2020 launch. With the exception of the Polestar 2, you shouldn’t hope to get your hands on these electric novelties before Q3, though.

Audi Q4 e-tron

As its names suggests, the Q4 slots just below the Q5 and is supposed to feature an 83kWh battery which should be good for some 450 kilometres of range. The internal charger can handle 11kW which will allow the battery to be fully charged in some 9 hours at a wall box. Through its CCS socket, fast charging will be possible at a power of up to 125kW. The e-motor(s) will deliver 225kW and the car will come with four-wheel drive.

BMW iX3

Customers looking for a Bavarian alternative to the Mercedes EQC and Audi e-tron will have to wait just a bit longer: in 2020, BMW will finally launch the iX3, indeed, an electric version of the successful X3. It will allegedly deliver 200 kW (272 bhp) and 500 Nm of torque to the four wheels and promises a range of 400 kilometres with its 75kWh battery, which can be charged to 80% in less than 30 minutes at a 150kW DC fast charger.

Lexus UX300e

The Toyota C-HR-based Lexus UX becomes all-electric and goes by the name UX300e, featuring a 54.3kWh battery for roughly 400km of NEDC range, so expect the WLTP range to be around 300km. If there is one direct rival in this segment, it’s the DS3 Crossback E-Tense, which features similar specs. The Lexus is a lot more powerful, though: it puts 150kW on the front  wheels, compared to just 100kW in the case of the fancy Frenchman.

Mercedes-Benz EQA

The EQA concept car was first shown in Frankfurt in 2017, but rumour has it the actual car will not be an A-Class based hatchback but a crossover derived from the upcoming GLA. That would make sense, because a higher platform provides more space for the battery pack. The EQA is expected to deliver 200 kW (272 bhp), drive all four wheels and have a 60kWh battery for roughly 400 km of range.

Polestar 2 (main picture)

Volvo’s performance-oriented sister brand clearly aims at the Tesla Model 3 with its ‘2’. It features 300kW (408bhp) and a 78kWh battery for about 500 kilometres of range. Unlike its cousin, the Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge, the Polestar 2 can only be ordered online. The emphasis is on an entirely new digital user experience, with Google’s Android OS as backbone.  

Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge

Plug-in hybrid specialist Volvo also goes electric and does so with the EV-version of the compact XC40 crossover. It shares its technical specifications and price positioning with the Polestar 2. Two electric motors produce 300kW and are fed by 78kW worth of lithium ion cells, which can be charged at 150kW through DC fast chargers. The maximum range should  exceed 400 kilometres (WLTP).