It’s 2022, and it is also time you got yourself an electric car. Of course, Tesla might be on top of your list, but in case you haven’t been following the electric car scene, there are a host of other equally capable and well-appointed contenders which will be a great fit in your luxury fleet. Without much ado, then, let’s have a look at two cars from traditional luxury carmakers and one from a Silicon Valley startup.
BMW iX
If sedans are not your thing, you might want to take a good look at the BMW iX, the Munich-based carmaker’s new all-electric SUV flagship model. The iX’s looks might take time getting used to, but the car scores on every other front, from driving pleasure to luxury. The line-up includes the xDrive40, which gets 326bhp and delivers an electric range of 400km, and the xDrive 50 that gets a serious bump in both power (516bhp) and range (600km).
Lucid Air
A lot is expected of the Lucid Air, which is manufactured in Case Grande, in Arizona. And, justifiably so. This is an automobile that can deliver as much as 830km; goes from zero to 100kph in a mere 2.41 seconds, and get a 480-km charge in barely 20 minutes. At $169,000, the Air Dream edition doesn’t come cheap—the range starts at $95,000—but what you get is 1,111 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and avant garde, intuitive interiors.
Mercedes-Benz EQS
The EQS is the flagship of Mercedes-Benz’s all-electric EQ brand, and, like the company’s internal combustion flagship, the S-Class, this one, too, is loaded to the gills with technology and goodies. The sleek, four-door sedan, which is pitted against the Tesla model S, among others, is the first Mercedes model to be built on the manufacturer’s Electric Vehicle Architecture Platform, and features a cab-forward profile and frameless doors. The interiors are quite obviously top notch, with Mercedes’s new Hyperscreen taking centerstage. The 56-inch, one-piece curved screen spans across the dashboard and incorporates AI, which adds a whole new dimension to the operation and display of vehicle functions and infotainment. The EQS gets a 107.8 kWh batteryÑthe EQS 450+ model gets a single 334hp motor, while the EQS 580+ is equipped with dual motors and produces 523hp. Claimed range? About 770km.
