What car companies will go all-electric?
17 October, 2023
Some carmakers have clear goals to go electric, while others have more opaque goals to offer choice: that is, pure electric and “part-time” electric cars alongside combustion engine offerings.
Note, this list only applies to carmakers with EVs available currently in Australia.
Which car makers are going 100 per cent electric, and when?
Audi
Audi announced in December 2022 that it plans to only release all-electric cars from 2026, and will sell its last internal combustion engine vehicle by 2033.
To do this, it will introduce over 20 electric models by 2025. By 2026, it says all new models will be electric.
To achieve this, Audi plans to invest 18 billion euros – almost half its total expenditure - in electrification and hybridisation from 2022 to 2026.
In Australia, Audi sells the e-tron (now named the Q8 e-tron) and is about to launch the Q4 e-tron.
Cupra
In September 2021, Volkswagen Group subsidiary Cupra - which in Australia sells the Cupra Born electric hatch alongside a small range of petrol and plug-in-hybrids - committed to going fully electric by 2030.
The Cupra Born is the carmaker’s first model built with this goal in mind to assist the company in meeting European goals and lowering global CO² emissions.
Fiat
In June 2022, Stellantis brand Fiat said it aims to go fully electric from 2027.
To achieve this, it plans to release an electric-powered version of each of its models starting 2023.
In the UK, the brand stopped selling non-electrified vehicles from July 2022 and now offers at least a plug-in hybrid for all its models there.
Closer to home, the Fiat 500e entered the market in mid-2023.
JLR
As part of the Tesla-Honda-Jaguar Land Rover pool, Jaguar Land Rover (now known as just JLR) has offered just one fully electric vehicle – the I-Pace since its introduction in 2018.
Jaguar does plan to go fully electric though, investing £15 billion ($A29 million) over five years with a goal to become the leading luxury car manufacturer in the world.
Meanwhile, an April 2023 announcement said Land Rover would step up a notch, by becoming carbon neutral by 2039 and introducing electric models for Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender by the end of the decade starting with an all-electric Range Rover in late 2023.
Mini
In March 2021, Mini parent BMW said it wanted to make Mini the first all-electric group brand by 2030.
Under the plan, the last Mini model with a combustion engine will be launched in 2025 and by 2027, half of Mini sales are expected to be electric models.
In Australia Mini sells the Cooper SE electric hatch.
Lexus
Toyota’s luxury brand plans to have battery electric versions of all its cars available by 2035, it said in January 2023.
In Australia, Lexus sells the UX 300e and the RZ450e.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz in 2021 said it would be “ready as markets switch to electric-only by the end of this decade.”
In May 2023, Mercedes-Benz announced it would push back its interim goal for 50 per cent EV sales by 2025 by one year.
While its initial target has been delayed, it still reportedly aims to transition entirely to electric power before the end of the decade, “wherever market conditions permit”.
The German carmaker sells a wide range of luxury electric cars in Australia, from the EQA to the EQB, EQC, EQE and EQS.
Polestar
As an all-electric brand, Polestar has no electrification strategy.
Spawned from Volvo’s plug-in hybrid Polestar 1, the brand now only offers the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 battery electric vehicles.
While it does not need to electrify, Polestar recognises the need to decarbonise the entire manufacturing process, and in 2021 launched Polestar 0 which looks to achieve a completely climate-neutral vehicle by 2030 by eliminating emissions in all stages of production.
Tesla
Tesla, along with Polestar, are the only carmakers to have no need of an electrification strategy.
Tesla has arguably done the most to change the world’s perception of electric vehicles, starting at the high-end with its original Roadster and then with its luxury Model S and Model X.
The Model 3 and Model Y have now clinched the brand’s position as a true disruptor.
While the company does not have an EV target, it releases an impact report every year which looks at how it has worked towards its mission to accelerate sustainability.
Tesla sells the Model 3 and Model Y in Australia but in mid-2023 pulled the Model S and Model X from sale and all right-hand-drive production.
Volvo
In October 2022, Volvo revealed that it will sell only battery electric cars in Australia from 2026 – four years ahead of its global target.
By 2025, its interim target is for 80 per cent electric vehicle sales, and in September announced that 49 per cent of its August sales were all-electric.
Volvo sells the XC40 Pure Recharge, the C40 SUV and is planning to launch the EX30 compact SUV in the first quarter of 2024.
Which car companies are investing in electric cars?
BMW
BMW aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 per cent per car during use and 40 per cent over the lifecycle by 2030, compared to 2019.
By 2030, it says it expects EV sales to make up 50% of its product mix.
In March, BMW reported it is on track for a 15 per cent share in sales of battery electric vehicles, which is more than 215,000.
According to Reuters, CEO Oliver Zipse stated in August that there is no indication that the world is abandoning combustion engine vehicles.
BMW currently sells a lineup of five electric vehicles in Australia: the i4, i5, iX, iX1 and iX3.
BYD
BYD ceased producing ICE only vehicles in March 2022, and at COP26 they committed to 100 per cent zero emissions sales in its car, vans and trucks segments by 2040 – no later than 2035 in leading markets for cars and vans.
For medium and heavy duty vehicles, there is a stepping stone target of 30 per cent sales by 2030.
BYD said that its electric vehicle sales globally reduce CO2 emissions by over 8 million tonnes, which is equivalent to planting 670 million trees.
In Australia the brand sells the BYD Atto 3 – the third best-selling EV so far in 2023 locally – and is also introducing the BYD Dolphin electric hatch, and the BYD Seal sedan.
GWM
Great Wall Motors (GWM) plans to scale its EV sales to 80 per cent by 2025.
In October 2022, it announced 50 new "new energy vehicles” (NEVs, which includes battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by 2025.
The company, the sales of which include that of Haval and all-electric brand Wey, sells the GWM Ora electric hatch in Australia.
It may also sell a GWM EV Ute locally in the future (known as the Poer in overseas markets.)
Hyundai and Genesis
Hyundai and its luxury brands Genesis in March 2022 said it wants to claim 7 per cent of the global market by 2030 by selling 1.87 million battery electric vehicles.
In an announcement at the 2022 CEO Investor Day forum, CEO Jaehoon Chang said the carmaker plans to introduce 17 new electric vehicle models by 2030, with 11 for Hyundai and six for Genesis.
At its 2023 investor day, the company said it would increase its EV production from 8 per cent in 2023 to 18 per cent in 2026 and 34 per cent in 2030.
In Australia, Hyundai sells the Kona EV, the IONIQ 5 SUV and the IONIQ 6 sedan.
Genesis sells the Electrified G80, the GV60 and the Electrified GV70.
Kia
Kia aims to increase its EV sales share to 25 per cent by 2026 and 33 per cent by 2030 (equating to 1 million and 1.6 million vehicles respectively,) it said as part of its 2023 CEO Investor Day announcements.
As part of this plan, it says it will release 15 new EV models by 2027.
In Australia, Kia currently sells the Kia e-Niro, and the EV6.
It also has plans to introduce the EV9 seven-seater SUV.
LDV and MG
Known as Maxus in China, LDV joins MG under Chinese car group SAIC which in 2019 committed to electrify all its models by 2025.
By the same year, it expects to reach 40 per cent new energy vehicle sales.
Reports state that MG said it would go all-electric from 2027, but there are no official announcements from the company other than that it is ready to be all-electric by 2035 in Europe.
In Australia, MG sells the ZS EV and the MG4, while LDV sells the eT60, the Mifa people mover and the eDeliver 9 commercial van.
Mazda
Mazda officially announced its plan for electrification in November 2022.
The strategy has three phases and aims to greatly enhance the production of electric vehicles (EVs) by the decade's end.
Mazda projects that by the year 2030, 25 per cent to 40 per cent of its worldwide sales will be attributed to EVs.
Nissan
In February 2023, Nissan announced plans to up its electrification plan from 23 electric vehicles, including 15 EVs, to 27 new electrified models, including 19 EVs, by fiscal year 2030.
Under this plan the Japanese carmaker intends to increase its electrification mix to over 55 per cent globally by 2030.
In Australia, Nissan sells just one electric car – the Leaf.
Porsche
In 2025, luxury carmaker Porsche has set its sights on delivering over 50 per cent of its new vehicles equipped with an electric powertrain, whether it be fully electric or as a plug-in hybrid.
By 2030, its objective is to have more than eighty percent of their new vehicles be BEV models.
Porsche sells the Taycan electric sports car in Australia.
Renault
Renault plans to go 100 per cent electric in Europe by 2030, but says it will continue to sell ICE and hybrid vehicles in Latin America, India, South Korea, and North Africa.
While it has been a remarkably successful seller of EVs in Europe, the carmaker pulled the Renault Zoe from sale in Australia in 2020 citing poor sales and policy failure.
It has now re-entered the local market with the Renault Megane e-Tech, and still sells the all-electric Kangoo ZE van.
