E-Day looms as Paris car fair showcases new electric vehicles

Above, the completely redesigned Discovery by Land Rover. David Shepherd / Getty Images for Land Rover

BMW X2 concept car on display at the Paris Motor Show. Ian Langsdon / EPA

When will electric-powered cars become a practical choice for ordinary people? The question hangs in the air at the Paris Motor Show, where Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors among others are showing off electric cars they hope are the on-ramp to a profitable future.

Volkswagen compared its ID electric compact to its historic Beetle and mainstay Golf models and said it was the leading edge of 30 new electric models it plans to put out by 2025.

Daimler touted the Mercedes-Benz EQ, a battery-powered crossover 4x4 concept. The vehicle aims to illustrate the company’s longer term strategy that connects electric cars with other new technology, such as autonomous driving and vehicle sharing.

The company aims for 10 electric vehicles by 2025, making up 15 to 25 per cent of global sales — a bold prediction that was immediately tempered by Daimler saying that was based on “continued development of infrastructure and customer preferences”.

Daimler said it needs to prepare for electric mobility as a mass phenomenon yet remain flexible if demand is lower — or even higher — than predicted.

Subsidies and incentives have been key in government efforts to help electric vehicles get a foothold. That has been the case in urban areas such as Norway’s greater Oslo area, around San Jose, California, and in Shanghai, China.

But companies are also laying the groundwork for the day when the cost of electric falls to, or below, that of internal combustion. It is a day that some analysts think is only a few years off. When that happens, sales could hit a tipping point — a moment car makers want to be ready for.

The arrival of such an “E-Day” could be accelerated by increasing government regulation mandating lower average emissions and higher mileage. Electrics in the product line-up would help car makers meet new, lower European Union limits on greenhouse gas emissions blamed by scientists for global warming that go into effect in 2021. In the United States, nine states have followed California in adopting a requirement that 15 per cent of new vehicles sales be zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance issued a report in August that predicted electrics would match internal combustion vehicles in ownership costs in 2022, assuming oil prices of US$50 to $70 per barrel and battery prices of $125 per kilowatt hour. That key cost has fallen from $1,000 per kilowatt hour in 2010 to about $350 per kilowatt hour today — faster than many expected.

Thomas Turrentine, the director of the Plug-In Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California, says electrics will reach price parity “after 2020” but still might need some incentives to win over consumers.

He said the key will be the usual motive: “Once there’s profit, you will see the car companies rush in and make more investments” in production.

Brett Smith, an expert on alternative power trains at the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan, cautions that car makers will still face a lot of consumer hurdles to overcome.

Those include battery durability, places to charge up, charging times, and reluctance to commit hard-earned cash to unfamiliar technology.

“In the midterm, it offers uncertainty. Most buyers are going to trust what they know, and most buyers don’t know electrics,” Mr Smith said.

The Renault-Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said consumer choices can change, if the technology does. The company makes the Leaf battery-only electric.

“It’s like with a smartphone, in the beginning you had eight hours charging for 30 minutes of discussion,” Mr Ghosn said. “Today it is the reverse.”

“You need time for technology to do its job.”

The Paris show of course had its share of head-turners; an obscenely powerful hybrid sports car, a family-friendly 4x4 with enough space for seven adults, and an electric vehicle that promises to keep going for over 500 kilometres on a single charge.

But, as es executives ponder the arrival of the electric revolution, right now they have some cars they want to sell.

Here are some of the vehicles getting the most attention at the show, which runs through October 16.

LaFerarri Aperta

This limited edition of the Ferrari’s LaFerrari supercar is a hybrid, meaning its electric motor assists the monster 12-cylinder internal combustion engine to add even more powerful acceleration. The car does 0-100kph in less than three seconds, and offers a top speed of 350kph. All 200 are already sold at prices of €1.8 million (Dh7.4m) to €2m.

Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid

The all-wheel drive car draws on the technology used in the company’s 918 Spyder supercar so that the electric motor continually adds power; the car accelerates to 100kph in just 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 270kph.

It can go up to 50km on just the battery and emits a relatively low 56 grams per kilometre of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. The vehicle goes on sale in November. The price in France is €110,222, including value-added tax.

Jaguar Land Rover Discovery

The first complete redesign of the Discovery in 12 years, this family oriented large 4x4 has room for seven adults in three rows. The seats can be rearranged remotely through a smartphone app even when the operator is outside the vehicle, and the second and third rows can fold flat in 14 seconds. The suspension automatically lowers the car 4 centimetres (1.5 inches) to make it easier to get in and out. There are six charging points, places to store iPads, nine USB ports, and a 4G WiFi hotspot that can handle up to eight devices. There are three diesel variants of 180, 240 and 258 horsepower and a 340 horsepower petrol engine. Prices start at €50,900 and head north to €74,300.

Opel Ampera-E

This is the European version of the Chevrolet Bolt five-door hatchback going on sale this year in the United States and early next year in Europe. It has a range of 383km under the US standard on a full charge; the company promises a 500km range as measured by the European standard. It claims drivers can add 150km in 30 minutes of charging.

The US manufacturer’s suggested retail price is US$37,495, which does not count the tax break of up to $7,500.

BMW X2

BMW showed off a potential new addition to its X-series of 4x4s and crossovers. The company calls it a “sport-activity coupe”.

It is still a concept car, meaning there is no date for it to go on sale or price information.

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