Electric Cars

The ID Buzz is inching closer to production.
Volkswagen
On Friday Volkswagen announced a new R&D program for autonomous driving systems in its commercial vehicles, which will first be introduced in 2025. But that’s not the most important thing — alongside the autonomy announcement, VW released a sketch of what sure looks like the production version of the long-awaited ID Buzz.VW’s caption for the image says “concept car,” but there are too many differences from the original 2017 concept for this sketch to be of anything less than a close-to-production prototype. Thankfully, the shape of the ID Buzz remains extremely faithful to the concept, with a bluff front end that looks just like the one on the original Microbus. We were worried that VW might need to give the Buzz more of a “real” bumper or protruding hood for production, but that doesn’t seem to be the case — the front end has a bit more of a bump to it, but not enough to ruin the styling. It also retains that glorious greenhouse and the quarter windows at the A-pillars, though the pillars do look thicker than the concept’s.The 2017 ID Buzz concept.
Volkswagen

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The headlights have more of a rounded, elongated shape that matches that of the ID 4 crossover, instead of the angular units of the concept, and they extend onto the front fenders. The taillights are larger, too, and also extend onto the body side. There’s no more metal trim around the body and front end to give that classic two-tone look, but a line across the body side in the sketch suggests that the production Buzz will still be offered with retro color schemes. Another tell that this is the production model are the intakes in the front bumper, which look far more functional and feasible than the concept’s.Some other tells that this shows a production-ready Buzz? The wheels are nabbed from a production Volkswagen, there’s a spoiler at the rear of the car, the lower body has black plastic cladding like that of the ID 4, there’s a more protruding rear bumper and the VW badge at the front is a real badge and not a giant LED piece (though it does light up). That weird hump on the roof is most definitely part of Argo AI’s autonomous sensor suite, as are the cylindrical doohickeys on the doors and front bumper — don’t expect the normal Buzz to have those.Obviously, there’s a chance that what you see here isn’t actually the production Buzz. But released images and sketches like this are always intentional, and with the Buzz set to finally enter production in 2023, VW says it will be revealed next year. That means the final production design is definitely locked in by now, and thus a drawn-out teaser campaign could begin. What remains to be seen is whether the production model will retain the ID Buzz name, or ditch the Buzz moniker for a number or a less silly name.
Looking at the Volkswagen ID Buzz concept never gets old
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Alright, back to the autonomous stuff, because it is actually a big deal. Volkswagen says it will introduce autonomous systems for use in real-life traffic by its commercial vehicles in 2025, and field trials are beginning this year in Germany. The self-driving system is developed by Argo AI, which VW made a major investment in last year (alongside Ford), and VW’s aim is to create an autonomous ride-hailing service using the ID Buzz. Said service will be available to regular people in the middle of the decade in “select cities,” likely all in Europe.While VW’s commercial vehicle division is using Argo AI’s systems, the company is handling self-driving development for road cars in-house, with Waymo as the benchmark. Volkswagen is also investing billions of dollars in the Car.Software Organisation, which is developing Level 4 autonomous systems for the private mobility sector.

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There has never been a better time to make the jump to an electric vehicle than right now. Seriously. The technology is better than it’s ever been. Even the most pedestrian of production EVs offer ranges that will get most Americans through at least a day or two of commuting in between charges.The problem is figuring out which of the many electric vehicles on sale today will best fit your life and your budget. Do you want something cheaper and with a more limited range, or do you want to pony up some cash for luxury features and enough range for charge-free road trips? How are you supposed to choose the best EV for you?We can’t tell you exactly which EV is right for your life, but we can narrow your choices down. See, we’ve driven just about every permutation of every current-production electric vehicle on sale in the US today, so we here at Roadshow have a better-than-average view of what’s good and what’s not in EVs right now.After taking a look at our recommendations, don’t forget to check out our tips afterwards for buying your first EV.Read more: Here’s every electric vehicle on sale in the US for 2020 and its range

Mini

Mini might be new to the EV game, but the brand’s first effort is a great one. What it lacks in overall range, it makes up for in being fun to drive and great to be in, all at a surprisingly reasonable price. We’re also a total sucker for those electrical outlet-style wheels.The Mini SE may only do 110 miles to the charge, but with 181 horsepower and a boatload of torque in a small package, they’ll likely be 110 very fun miles. The good news is that on a 50-kilowatt fast charger, you’ll be able to get an 80% charge in around half an hour.

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Chevrolet

The 2021 Chevy Bolt is our runner-up thanks to its less-than-exciting driving dynamics and interior quality, but it offers phenomenal range for something in both its size and price classes. The Bolt benefits from a refresh for the 2022 model year, so if you have your heart set on an American EV, maybe wait a few months.The Bolt is still one of the best bargains on the market when it comes to range versus cost. With a range of 259 miles in a cute-ish hatchback body style, there’s plenty of reason to recommend it. It’s also decent to drive thanks to its 200 horsepower. If you can spare the extra cash and need the range, the Bolt is a good way to go.

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Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Ford is also new to the dedicated EV platform game with the Mustang Mach-E, but it’s a stellar effort. Despite its controversial name, the Mach-E offers good range, a great interior and excellent driving dynamics in an uber practical package that also boasts 29 cubic feet of cargo space with all the seats up.The Mach-E is currently available in several flavors, with hotter (and more expensive) GT versions on the horizon, but even the base model is pretty fun to drive and deserving of its Mustang badge. With 290 horsepower on tap in RWD form, or 346 hp in all-wheel drive trim, the Mach-E easily gets out of its own way. The chassis is great and the cabin is a pleasant place to be. The Mach-E is one of the best all-rounder EVs on sale now.

Read our 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E preview.

Tesla

Tesla’s Model 3 is a super popular choice among electric car shoppers, and for good reason. It’s great to drive, cool to look at and offers both a killer range and a very, ahem, active community of owners. But because of its higher price tag (when you include the FSD bundle), build quality issues and lack of service centers in some areas, it had to be our runner-up.While it’s far from perfect, the Model 3 is still a perfectly lovely car to drive. It offers tons of electric power to make passing or merging a breeze and its chassis is way more competent and sporty than it has any right to be. The interior is basic, sure, but it offers plenty of storage space thanks to its two trunks. Being a Tesla, the Model 3 also offers awesome, best-in-class range. The cheapest version will still let you travel 263 miles between charges, but if you move up to the Long Range version, that goes to 353 miles. You’ll be able to skip a few charging stations.

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Steven Ewing/Roadshow

On paper, the Porsche Taycan is kind of a tough sell. It’s expensive (it’s a Porsche, after all) and its range estimate looks straight-up bad. Driving a Taycan tells a completely different story and we’re confident that this is the best EV you can buy right now. Its real-world range is totally adequate for all but long road trips and its build quality and driving dynamics are basically unassailable.Presently, the best you’re going to be able to do officially with a Taycan is 227 miles and that’s in the 4S trim with the performance battery option. Even if that were totally accurate in the real world, that’s still plenty for most people on most days. Even the base Taycan offers a driving experience that’s leaps and bounds beyond any other EV on sale right now and does so with just 400 horsepower. Once Porsche figures out the range thing, the rest of the industry better look out.

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2021 Porsche Taycan is a good-driving EV in an awesome pink wrapper
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Tesla

There’s no arguing that right now Tesla’s Model S is the king of the jungle when it comes to range. It’s also an aging platform with well-known and oft-criticized quality control issues. It’s a great car to drive — in previous forms, since nobody has driven the refreshed version — but it still falls behind the brilliant Taycan in this regard.While Tesla can’t quite keep up with Porsche when it comes to driving dynamics or build quality, the Model S has the kind of name recognition that it does for a reason. It’s still a comfortable, ludicrously powerful luxury EV and if you’re only interested in doing insanely long drives without too many charging breaks, then it’s the way to go for sure. The new Plaid Plus version takes the whole fast EV thing to another level entirely, too. Tesla claims that it will do better than 520 miles on a charge while delivering over 1,100 horsepower and sub-2-second launches to 60 mph. Will this actually play out as Elon Musk says? We don’t know, but it’d be cool if it did.

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Hyundai

Many people shopping for their first electric vehicle are going to be looking for something affordable. While EVs still haven’t reached price parity with internal combustion vehicles, there are tons of great examples under $50,000. Our favorite among these is the Hyundai Kona Electric. We picked the Kona because it offers great range, a practical small-SUV-style body and a stellar warranty.  The Kona Electric offers a super respectable range of 258 miles and a drivetrain that produces 201 horsepower, all in a package that will work for most families. It has a decent amount of cargo space — 19.2 cubic feet with all the seats up, to be specific — and because it’s a Hyundai, it also has tons of creature comforts as standard equipment. Don’t even get us started on the warranty. If you can live with the styling (we like it) and you can stretch your buck far enough, the Kona is an almost perfect first EV.

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Tesla

We’ve talked about our issues with Model 3’s build quality, but what really kills it in this instance is price. The cheapest Model 3 you can buy comes in at $37,990, though it doesn’t include paint that isn’t white or any of the driver aids that are bundled with the now-$10,000 Full Self-Driving package. The range is good though, even in basic form at 263 miles, and so is the driving experience, hence our second place.The Model 3 offers a lot of practicality despite its sleek shape. Its two trunks mean there’s plenty of room for all your stuff, though some may prefer the big hatch of an SUV or a hatchback. The Model Y could serve this need, but we haven’t driven it, so we can’t recommend it. We also worry about how well the Model 3 will hold up to a family with kids, even with its basic interior.

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Porsche

So maybe you’re shopping for your first EV and you have a little more money to spend. In that case we can find no better EV to recommend than the Porsche Taycan. It’s comfortable, fast, practical and highly configurable. The real-world range is much better than the EPA estimate, too, so it’s going to work for most people. This one was a unanimous choice by Roadshow editors. The Taycan is tough to beat.If you want to live large, the Taycan Turbo S is basically unimpeachable when it comes to its power, chassis and interior quality. With 750 horsepower and a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds, you’ll rarely find yourself bored behind the wheel. Even if you do get bored, Porsche’s excellent PCCM infotainment system is easy to live with and a delight to look at.

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Ford

Maybe you’re specifically shopping for an electric SUV. There just aren’t that many to choose from yet and many of those that are currently available are kind of small. That’s why we’re once again recommending Ford’s Mustang Mach-E. It offers plenty of cargo space, lots of room for passengers, a good range, great driving dynamics and good infotainment. It’s also priced very competitively.Nothing is selling like SUVs these days, so Ford’s plan to make its first dedicated EV an SUV was a good one. It works out even better for the Blue Oval that the Mach-E is so damned nice to drive and easy to live with. Despite its rakish shape and sporty badge, the Mach-E should be a super practical midsize EV that almost any family would have no trouble living with. If you need something sporty, Ford even has you covered with a GT model that’s coming soon.

Read our 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E preview.

Tim Stevens/Roadshow

Audi’s E-Tron is one of those EVs, like the Taycan, that doesn’t seem as impressive on paper but once you drive it for a bit, its price seems much more justified. It features great build quality, as befits a German luxury SUV, and a lovely interior. It’s a well-considered first effort from Audi and even though it lacks huge range capability, it’s a compelling car with all the practicality of an SUV. It’s even got 28.5 cubic feet of cargo space with all the seats up. Its cost kept it out of the first place spot.We also really enjoyed Audi’s E-Tron Sportback, but had to go with the more traditional SUV for practicality’s sake, and practical it is. It’s the right size to fit a family and their stuff while also being easy to get around in a busy city. It looks and feels like an Audi and aside from the amazing Jetsons low-speed noise, you could mistake it for a Q5. For some folks, going under the radar is preferable to shouting things out. It’s also fun to drive thanks to its 355 horsepower and all-wheel drive. If you can afford one, you’ll be happy with it.

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Comparison of the best electric cars for 2021

Make

Model

Range

Cost

Best electric small car

Mini

Cooper SE

110

$29,900

Best electric small car runner-up

Chevy

Bolt

259

$36,500

Best electric midsize car

Ford

Mustang Mach-E

211

$42,895

Best electric midsize car runner-up

Tesla

Model 3

263

$37,990

Best electric large car

Porsche

Taycan

192

$79,900

Best electric large car runner-up

Tesla

Model S

412

$79,990

Best affordable electric car

Hyundai

Kona Electric

258

$39,390

Best affordable electric car runner-up

Tesla

Model 3

263

$37,990

Best luxury electric car

Porsche

Taycan

192

$79,900

Best electric SUV or crossover

Ford

Mustang Mach-E

211

$42,895

Best electric SUV or crossover runner-up

Audi

E-Tron

222

$69,500

Consider this before buying an EVPicking a car isn’t the only consideration when making the jump to an electric vehicle. Not being able to just zip over to the gas station around the corner does complicate things a bit, but we can help you with this too.The first thing you should consider when shopping for an electric vehicle — hell, even before you start shopping — is figuring out how you’re going to charge it. The fact is that while every EV comes with an adapter that will let you plug into any old 110-volt outlet (in the US, anyway), the size of modern EV batteries means that you could spend days waiting for a decent charge.If you own your own home, you’ll need to look into getting a Level 2 charger installed. Luckily, these aren’t that expensive on their own. While getting one put in does require a contractor’s services (these are dangerous voltages and currents we’re working with here), there can be tax breaks for doing so — especially if you decide to make the jump to solar at the same time.If you don’t own your own home, you’ll be using a charging network. You should look into which ones are the most well-established where you live and drive most often. If you have a Tesla, this is pretty easy. If you have other EVs, you’ll have to do a little research, but the most common nonproprietary networks are Electrify America, Chargepoint and EVGo. They all have different apps and pricing, but they all work more or less the same. These charging networks will offer Level 2 charging or DC fast-charging. The latter is considerably more expensive, but it’s much faster.The next thing to think about is maintenance and service. EVs, in general, require a lot less service than an internal-combustion-powered car. Still, if you have your heart set on a Tesla and you don’t live anywhere near a Tesla service center, you might end up in an inconvenient position should something break. In this case, maybe an EV from a more traditional brand would be better for you.Tax incentives are an important part of many people’s decisions to switch to an EV, and that’s totally valid. It’s important, though, to understand that not all manufacturers qualify for all of the incentives (Tesla, notably), and not all buyers will be able to take advantage of the full federal incentive, even if it’s offered. It’s worth talking to a tax professional before factoring a $7,500 tax credit into your purchase — even if a manufacturer tries to include that in its advertised prices. Also, be sure to look into whether you might qualify for state and local tax incentives — don’t leave money on the table.Finally, be prepared to talk about your electric car. People will ask you about it — friends, family and strangers — especially if you live somewhere EVs aren’t super common yet. Some of those questions might seem silly or even dumb, but you’re going to hear them, and depending on how you answer, you might just help convince those people that an EV could work for them too.
Driver Leh Keen sets indoor land speed record with Porsche Taycan Turbo S
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The Ioniq 5 is Hyundai’s all-new electric effort.
Hyundai
As the first of an upcoming line of Ioniq-branded electric cars, Hyundai needs to put its best foot forward with the new Ioniq 5. Fortunately, the freshly debuted crossover makes a bold first impression with its geometric exterior design and the promise of big interior space, despite its compact footprint.But striking good looks will only get the Ioniq 5 so far. It will have to compete with the likes of Volkswagen’s ID 4 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, each bringing their own unique balance of value, performance and efficiency. Of course, the Ioniq will also have to contend with the 800-pound gorilla of this class, the Tesla Model Y.DimensionsSmall in stature and perhaps more of a tall hatchback than a CUV, the Hyundai may also find itself cross-shopped with the likes of the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt. Eventually, it’ll find itself in the similarly sized company of the Nissan Ariya and Bolt EUV, but for today, the Ioniq 5’s 182.5-inch length makes it the second-shortest model in this comparison, just edging out the 180.5-inch VW ID 4. The Model Y and Mach-E are notably longer at 187 inches and 186 inches, respectively. Width and height are similar proportionately, with all four models falling within a few inches of one another and the 74.4-inch-wide and 63.2-inch-tall Ioniq 5 landing in the middle of the pack.You might be surprised to learn that the little Ioniq 5 has the longest wheelbase of the pack at 118.1 inches from hub to hub. It’s followed by the Mach-E (117 inches) and the Model Y (113.8 inches), with the ID 4 trailing the rest at just 108.9 inches. Hyundai’s use of drive-by-wire and steer-by-wire technologies allow the Ioniq 5 to really push its wheels out to the extreme corners, resulting in short overhangs and more space in the cabin for people and cargo than its compact footprint suggests. Dimensions

Ioniq 5

Model Y

Mustang Mach-E

ID 4

Wheelbase

118.1 in

113.8 in

117.0 in

108.9 in

Length

182.5 in

187.0 in

186.0 in

180.5 in

Width

74.4 in

76.0 in

74.0 in

72.9 in

Height

63.2 in

64.0 in

63.0 in

64.4 in

Spacious little Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric crossover is all angles
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Cargo capacityHyundai has not released specific passenger volume as of this writing, so we don’t know exactly how Tardis-like it’s interior really is. However, we do know that Hyundai gave the Ioniq 5 a fancy set of seats and a sliding center console aimed at making the cabin a more flexible space than we’ve seen in any of today’s competitors.Hyundai did release cargo capacity, at least. The little Ioniq 5 boasts just 56.2 cubic feet of cargo space with its second row seats folded flat, a bit less than the 59.6 cubic feet found in the Mach-E and significantly less than the ID 4’s 64.2 cubes. Tesla’s numbers are a bit of a question mark — we know that it shares 68 cubic feet between its rear and generous front cargo areas, but we don’t know exactly where the split happens.Speaking of frunks, the Ioniq 5 has one, sort of. North American models only have about 0.85 cubic feet of space beneath the hood for cargo, which isn’t much at all. Meanwhile, the Mustang’s got that big ol’ 4.8-cubic-foot waterproof frunk that can serve as a cooler and Tesla’s got about a carry-on bag’s worth of space up front. The ID 4, however, doesn’t have any underhood storage, devoting its engine bay to, well, powertrain stuff and electronics. Cargo capacity

Ioniq 5

Model Y

Mustang Mach-E

ID 4

Max rear cargo

56.2 cu-ft

68.0 cu-ft

59.6 cu-ft

64.2 cu-ft

Max front cargo

0.85 cu-ft

NA

4.8 cu-ft

NA

Combined cargo

57.1 cu-ft

68.0 cu-ft

64.4 cu-ft

64.2 cu-ft

2021 Volkswagen ID 4 aims to electrify America later this year
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Battery and rangeThe Ioniq 5 comes in Standard and Long Range configurations, boasting either 58 kilowatt-hours or 77.4 kilowatt-hours of respective capacity. The longest-range Ioniq 5 trim is estimated to return about 300 miles on the European WLTP cycle, using a slightly smaller 72.6-kWh battery that won’t be available in the US. Our EPA cycle is usually a bit less forgiving, so expect that number to drop when the Ioniq 5 reaches the states. I’m guessing — based on some rough napkin math — it’ll be around 260 to 270 miles, also accounting for our bigger battery, but take that with a big pinch of salt.For an electric car, one of the most important metrics separating the winners from the losers is range. For that, you usually need a big battery, but smart use of aerodynamics, tuning, thermal management and software can often be just as important as kilowatt hours. For comparison, Volkswagen’s ID 4 has a bigger 82-kWh battery, but just an estimated 250 miles of range. The Mach-E offers up to 300 miles from its largest 98.8-kWh pack. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Model Y manages to squeeze as much as 326 miles from its smaller 75-kWh battery, which is downright impressive.On the other side of the range equation is the question of how quickly you can recharge the battery. The Ioniq 5 supports up to 350-kW DC fast charging and is able to rapidly fill to an 80% state of charge in as little as 18 minutes. That’s about on par with the Model Y’s 20-minute charge at the fastest Supercharger stations, but remember that the Tesla probably packs more miles into that 80%. The Mustang Mach-E’s 150-kW DC fast charge capability takes up to 45 minutes for an 80% charge with its biggest battery. Finally, the ID 4 has a 125-kW pipe and 38 minute rapid charging, slower but also shorter than the ‘Stang due to its smaller battery. Battery and range

Ioniq 5

Model Y

Mustang Mach-E

ID 4

Battery

58 to 77.4 kWh

75 kWh

75.7 to 98.8 kWh

82 kWh

Maximum range

270 mi (est.)

326 mi

210 to 300 mi

250 mi

DC fast charging

350 kW

250 kW

150 kW

125 kW

80% state

18 min

20 min

45 min

38 min

Fastest charge

62 mi / 5 min

162 mi / 15 min

61 mi / 10 min

60 mi / 10 min

Powertrain and performanceWhile rear-wheel drive is standard, the Ioniq 5 can be had in a dual-motor, all-wheel drive configuration. For purposes of comparing performance, this is the setup — along with the larger battery — we’ll be using against the Tesla Model Y Long Range, Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium and VW ID 4 Pro. So equipped, the Ioniq 5 boasts a total of about 306 horsepower between its two motors and combined 446 pound-feet of torque. The two-motor ID 4 Pro, which will follow the rear-wheel-drive First Edition later this year, brings up at the rear of the pack with 302 hp. Volkswagen doesn’t list torque or a 0-to-60-mph time, but they’re sure to be modest.Tesla also doesn’t officially list horsepower or torque, but the general consensus is that it’s packing about 384 hp and 376 lb-ft between its dual motors. With less torque, but more power than the Hyundai, the Model Y is the quickest of this bunch to 60 mph, at just 4.8 seconds. Meanwhile, the 332-hp Mach-E targets the “mid-5-second range” with the Extended Range battery and AWD, according to Ford.Ford and Tesla have more powerful trims — Mach-E GT Performance and Model Y Performance — that can each sprint to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds, but they’re a bit too potent (and pricey) for this apples-to-apples comparison. Powertrain and performance

Ioniq 5 Long Range AWD

Model Y Long Range

Mustang Mach E Premium

ID 4 Pro

Power

306 hp

384 hp

332 hp

302 hp

Torque

446 lb-ft

376 lb-ft

417 lb-ft

NA

0-60 mph

5.2 sec

4.8 sec

5.5 sec (est.)

NA

Pricing and availabilityIf money wasn’t an object, we’d all be driving Porsche Taycan Turbos and Tesla Model S Plaids, but in this small SUV class, value for the dollar is a very important metric. Hyundai hasn’t released pricing for the 2022 Ioniq 5 yet, but we’re hoping that it will be competitive at least with Volkswagen ID 4’s manufacturer suggested retail price starting at $39,995 before its yet-unknown destination charge or any tax incentives or rebates. The Mach-E starts just above $43,000, but that’s for the standard range rear-wheel-drive model; more range or performance come at an additional cost. The Tesla Model Y has the highest starting price of the bunch with a suggested price of $47,490 for the Long Range model. The Tesla also justifies its price with the longest range of the group, longer even than the most expensive version of the Mach-E.The Ioniq 5 will be available this fall and, presumably, we’ll start seeing the first preordered Volkswagen ID 4 Pro models reaching buyers around the same time. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and the Tesla Model Y are available for order today.

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