Four of the best EVs from Shanghai

There were plenty more stars, especially of the battery-powered variety in a Chinese market that is rapidly establishing itself as electric-car central. We have looked at the new electric Audi and NIO already, here are four more we blew a fuse over…

MG goes electric

MG wants to get back on to enthusiasts’ radar and this could be the car to do it. The E-Motion concept unveiled in Shanghai almost certainly previews a sporty new offering from the Chinese-owned brand.

It’s a very forward-looking proposition with plenty of ambition – more Aston Martin than the supermini-and-SUV diet of the current MG range. The E-Motion is all-electric with target figures of 0-62mph in 4secs and a 310-mile range. The two-door “sportsback” coupe also stands out for dramatic looks, complete with butterfly doors. How good it is to see the octagon badge on something a bit special!

There’s no production confirmation but plenty of upbeat talk, like this from MG’s sales chief Matthew Cheyne: “The MG E-motion electric supercar concept demonstrates our global vision for the future … the next-generation model is the latest step in achieving the ultimate driving experience.”

Volvo’s China connection

Volvo’s first electric car will be built in China and could be in British Volvo showrooms in 2019. Why China? Because that’s the home of its parent, Geely, and increasingly the country at the centre of the electric car industry, as well as the biggest single electric-car market.

All this was confirmed by the company at the Shanghai Motor Show, along with the fact that the all-electric Volvo will be based on its compact platform, suggesting it will be a version of the forthcoming XC40, Volvo’s smallest new SUV. The new 40 range, to include plug-in and pure electric versions as well as conventionally-powered models, is to be built in China. It is thought that a lot of the technology will be shared with the new electric range from Lynk & Co, which Geely also owns. Volvo wants to sell one million electric cars and hybrids by 2025. 

VW all Crozzed up

While Volvo wants a million electric and hybrid sales by 2025, Volkswagen is targeting sales of a million pure electric cars by the same date. If it achieves that it will be largely thanks to this Shanghai debutant, the ID Crozz, which goes into production in 2020.

In VW’s forthcoming zero-emissions ID family, this is the potential big seller: a four-door, high-riding crossover with coupe-esque styling. Like previous ID electric concepts (a hatchback and a reprise of the Microbus) the Crozz gets an all-new and bespoke electric-car architecture, design and interior treatment: this is all clean-sheet electric car stuff from VW as it seeks to move away from troublesome diesel power. The bones of the car are also being used in the first electric Skoda, the Vision E concept, which was also shown in Shanghai.

What will the ID Crozz do? With the equivalent of 302bhp, the electric all-wheel driver is said to have plenty of acceleration, a top speed of 112mph and range of 310 miles. A neat trick is that, although a saloon body, you can get a bike in the back if you fold up the back seats. 

Renault’s 1300bhp F1 vision 

The fastest and most specialised electric car at the Shanghai Motor Show had a Renault badge on its nose. No, this was not some crazy crossover but a concept of what the French firm believes a Formula 1 car could be like in 10 years’ time. 

Surprisingly the RS2027 Vision is not pure electric like today’s Formula E racers but a hybrid of petrol V6 and electric motors. The car would be environmentally cleaner than today’s cars – with the electric side doing more of the work, including all the pitlane running, thanks to new high-density batteries. There would also be an autonomous mode that would take over in the event of an accident.

The car would not be slow: with a total output of one megawatt – that’s 1300bhp – Renault says the four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering machine would make F1 faster and more spectacular than ever. A key part of the car’s design is its transparent cockpit so spectators can see the driver at work. LED lights in the wheels and wings and viewable telemetry data would also allow people to interact more with the car, according to Renault.