The 5 Hottest Electric Vehicles of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show: Day 2
From race cars to grand tourers and urban runabouts, there are electric cars of every flavor in Geneva.
There are too many head-turning electric vehicles at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show to be worthy of just a single installment of the event's greatest hits. Tuesday's list was mostly German, with a dash of British and French mixed in, while Wednesday's features a broader mix of five nations (two of which reappear from volume one), and fewer concept cars to boot. At least three cars on this list already have been—or will soon be—built.
Peugeot E-Legend Concept
Peugeot's E-Legend concept coupe is a rear-wheel-drive rocket ship inspired by the beloved Peugeot 504 series of vehicles. This French fairway-slayer can manage an estimated 373 miles on a full charge, or turn that charge into a smoky burnout with its 456 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. These are much more aggressive numbers than those achieved by Peugeot's first mass-market EV, the comparatively pedestrian E-208, though the subcompact's performance figures make the E-Legend's supposed stated performance (if not its range) look feasible.
Polestar 2
Volvo-owned Polestar revealed its first electric sedan, the 2, at the end of February. While it may bear an unfortunate resemblance to the Scion tC, its performance makes it a competitor for specced-up Tesla Model 3s with 408 all-wheel horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque to match. Zero to 60 miles per hour is vanquished in under five seconds, and up to 275 miles can be dispatched on a single charge of the Polestar 2's 78-kilowatt-hour battery.
Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01
Mercedes-Benz has dominated in Formula 1 since 2014, and it hopes to replicate that success in Formula E with its 2019-2020 season car, the EQ Silver Arrow 01. It may not be silver, but with 335 horsepower on tap and aerodynamics that call to mind the Batmobile, the EQ Silver Arrow 01 will definitely be quick. It won't be something that the general public (or even insiders) can just buy; only a handful will be built, exclusively for the purpose of racing.
Honda E Prototype Concept
Honda's E Prototype Concept pays tribute to the compact cars that helped popularize the brand in Western markets in the 1960s and 1970s. At least 124 miles of range will be possible with this retro, rear-wheel-drive hatchback, whose final design will reportedly debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before a dealership invasion early next year. Don't expect to find them for sale in North America, though.
Italdesign DaVinci Concept
Italdesign's DaVinci concept is a stunning electric grand tourer with gullwing doors and the ability to accommodate a variety of powertrains, from electric to internal combustion. The Italian styling firm doesn't necessarily have the capabilities to manufacture this vehicle, though, and has offered it up to any automaker willing to buy the design, the most promising candidate of which looks to be Italdesign's owner: Lamborghini. CEO Stefano Domenicali has spoken about Lamborghini's interest in building an electric two-plus-two grand tourer, and Lamborghini happens to have had a design dropped at its feet by a subsidiary. It seems like only a matter of time before the Italdesign DaVinci resurfaces as a renewed Lamborghini Espada or similar.
