The 10 Most Anticipated Electric Vehicles Coming in 2024

Although they are becoming dominant in many markets, most notably in China and Europe, electric vehicles have been contentious for US customers. This is even more intriguing, considering the dominant EV maker, Tesla, is an American company. Despite selling more EVs in the US than all other carmakers combined, it didn't make a dent in the overall car market. This is expected, as the share of electric vehicles in the US is less than 10 percent of the overall market.

This is even more strange considering that Americans were once a nation of early adopters. When the first electric cars appeared in the US more than a century ago, acceptance was at the highest level in the world. Almost 40 percent of automobiles in the US were powered by electricity by 1900, or about 34,000 registrations. How have we got it so wrong this time?

Americans love their gas more than anything else and even despise electric vehicles. This is entrenched so deep in people's minds that problems solved years ago are still cited as the reasons for not switching to an electric car. Among them are the number of fast charging stations, long charging times, and high EV prices, none being true today.

Everything will fall into place for EV adoption in 2024

There are tens of thousands of charging stations in the US, and more are built every day. The US government pledged billions of dollars to expand the US fast-charging network. The wide adoption of Tesla's NACS standard will also ensure interoperability between various car brands and charging providers.

This will become a reality in 2024 when all EV owners will have access to the best charging network in the world, the Tesla Supercharger. With so many DC fast-charging stations available, spending time at the charger is no longer an issue, even for those who can't charge their EVs at home overnight.

Finally, the EV prices have gone down significantly in 2023. Tesla was responsible for the most part, squeezing all other carmakers, which are still losing money on their EV business. It's also true that battery materials and Li-ion battery cells are now at their lowest price in history, well below the $100/kWh mark at the pack level. This was long believed to be the threshold of EVs reaching price parity with ICE vehicles.

This context makes 2024 the most exciting year for EV adoption, even in the US. It's the year when everything, from prices and availability to range and charging opportunities, falls into place like the pieces of a puzzle. Although some legacy carmakers indicated that they would scale back their EV programs, dozens of EV models are still planned to arrive next year. Here are ten of the most exciting EV models to launch in 2024.

Acura ZDX

Planned launch: Early 2024
Power: up to 500 horsepower
Range: up to 325 miles
Price: from $60,000 (estimated)
IRA tax credit: yes

Without prior EV experience, Acura partnered with GM to bring its first electric model to market. The Acura ZDX was unveiled during Monterey Car Week in August with GM's Ultium underpinnings. Not only the technology but also many parts are shared with the Cadillac Lyriq, its cousin in the luxury EV segment. There's one difference, though: unlike the Lyriq, which is built in Tennessee, the Acura ZDX will be assembled in Mexico alongside the Chevrolet Blazer EV and the Honda Prologue.

The North American heritage means that the Acura ZDX buyers could benefit from the IRA tax credit, provided the battery material and components comply with the regulations. The price communicated to early reservation holders was a vague "starting in the range of $60,000." It's worth considering that the Cadillac Lyriq starts at $58,590, and the Acura will certainly be priced higher.

The Acura ZDX is powered by a 102-kWh battery pack, providing up to 325 miles for the RWD configurations. This drops to 315 miles for AWD specs, with the sportiest Acura ZDX Type S barely making it past the 280-mile mark. The power ranges from 340 horsepower for the A-spec RWD variant to 500 horsepower for the Type S.

Audi Q6 e-tron

Planned launch: second half of 2024
Power: up to 503 horsepower (with boost)
Range: up to 315 miles (estimated)
Price: unknown
IRA tax credit: no

Audi has cried so many times "wolf" that nobody believes the Q6 e-tron will arrive in 2024. Software problems within the Volkswagen Group have crippled the development of what was supposed to be the first software-defined vehicle of the company. Software sure defined the Q6 e-tron's fate, though, by almost derailing it. It's worth remembering that the Audi crossover shares the mechanical bits with the Porsche Macan EV, which is equally affected.

The Audi Q6 e-tron is built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which mates a 100-kWh battery pack and two drive units for explosive performance on the track and on the road. The 800-volt architecture allows charging speeds in excess of 270 kW for a 0-80% charge in less than half an hour. The base version develops 370 horsepower (391 horsepower peak), while the sporty SQ6 e-tron will max out at 503 horsepower.

Audi teased the upcoming model in July when it invited journalists to test colorful prototypes. Car and Driver appreciated it as having a "comfortable, well-controlled ride and punchy acceleration." The interior was revealed in September, showing a conventional cabin with tons of buttons and no less than three displays. This strikingly contrasts with the minimalism of Tesla EVs, which only have a center screen and a couple of buttons on the steering wheel to control everything.

Cadillac Escalade IQ

Planned launch: second half of 2024
Power: up to 750 horsepower
Range: up to 450 miles
Price: from $130,000 (estimated)
IRA tax credit: yes

The Cadillac Escalade is arguably the brand's most successful model, and understandably, GM wants to keep its nameplate intact. Unlike other EVs in the Cadillac's lineup, whose names end in "iq," the electric Cadillac retains its original name. However, it adds "IQ" to it as an indication of its electric powertrain.

Mechanically, the Cadillac Escalade IQ is based on the GMC Hummer EV SUV, which tops at 830 horsepower. However, GM offered the Escalade IQ a detuned powertrain (750 horsepower) with the benefit of a longer range (450 miles). Expectations are high that Cadillac will still get a 1,000-horsepower variant later, similar to the GMC Hummer EV pickup. Even with current specs, the Escalade IQ can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds.

Despite keeping the enormous proportions of the Escalade SUVs intact, the IQ variant features a more streamlined design, with cues borrowed from other Cadillac models such as the Lyriq and Celestiq. After all, aerodynamics is essential for an electric vehicle, and even more so for a big boxy SUV like the Escalade IQ.

Dodge Charger Daytona SRT EV

Planned launch: second half of 2024
Power: up to 670 horsepower
Range: unknown
Price: unknown
IRA tax credit: possible

Introduced as a concept in 2022, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT EV is scheduled to arrive next year as the first electric muscle car. Don't think Dodge puts all the eggs in one basket because the Stellantis-owned brand also plans an ICE version of the car. We're not interested in the gas-powered version, though, so let's talk about the battery-electric muscle car.

The concept was unveiled last summer during the New York Auto Show. The electric Charger flexed an 800-volt electrical system and 455 horsepower in the base spec 340 package. The mid-range 440 edition ups the ante with 590 horsepower, while the penultimate SRT edition reaches at least 670 hp, all via four bespoke motors for each of the four axles.

As an electric muscle car, the Charger Daytona SRT EV's range is irrelevant, so don't be surprised that Stellantis hasn't communicated estimates. Instead, Dodge believes the roaring sound of the muscle car must be preserved in the EV era. That's why the Charger Daytona SRT EV will come with a chambered exhaust system that generates up to 126 decibels of noise designed to mimic the sound of the SRT Hellcat V8. Dodge calls this the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust.

Hyundai Ioniq 7

Planned launch: first half of 2024
Power: up to 379 horsepower
Range: up to 300 miles
Price: unknown
IRA tax credit: no

After Kia revealed the EV9 at the 2023 New York Auto Show, Hyundai's sister model, the Ioniq 7, is the Koreans' next step in the three-row SUV segment. The Hyundai Ioniq 7 uses the same E-GMP architecture as most Korean EVs sold today, the sole exception being the Kia Niro EV/Hyundai Kona EV duo. However, the Hyundai Ioniq 7 will have a fundamentally different design following the Kona EV language.

The electric alternative to the Hyundai Palisade will feature two battery options, at 76 kWh and 100 kWh, respectively. The latter will be enough for a 300-mile range in an RWD configuration with a 215-horsepower electric motor. The AWD variant boasts 379 horsepower thanks to a dual-motor setup. The beauty of Hyundai's E-GMP architecture is its 800-volt electrical system, which enables very short charging times when hooked to a 350 kW charger.

Like its Kia sibling, the Ioniq 7 will come with swiveling captain's chairs in the second row, a signature characteristic. Expect less headroom for the third-row passenger, considering the Hyundai Ioniq 7 has a curved roofline. This reminds us of the SEVEN concept unveiled in November 2021. Deliveries are planned for early 2024, although Hyundai might choose to open the order books as soon as this year.

Jeep Recon

Planned launch: 2024
Power: unknown
Range: up to 500 miles (claimed)
Price: unknown
IRA tax credit: yes

Stellantis announced the Jeep Recon last September and followed with a concept in March 2023. The Recon seems like an electric Wrangler, given its declared off-road capabilities, design cue, and size. This doesn't mean the Wrangler will disappear. The nameplate is just too important for Stellantis, and I'm sure it will carry on in the EV era.

With a reassuringly high ground clearance and removable glass and doors, the Jeep Recon surely wants to make an impression. When it introduced the Recon concept in March, Stellantis claimed the electric off-roader could go 500 miles on a charge, which is extraordinary if true. Coming from a carmaker that doesn't have a track record of successful EV models, I'd take this with a grain of salt.

The Recon shares the STLA Large platform with the Jeep Wagoneer S, a more street-oriented SUV set to arrive on the market at the same time. The noble Wagoneer S will feature a dual-motor configuration with up to 600 horsepower. Even though the Jeep Recon would not be that sporty, it would certainly not be a slouch.

Lotus Eletre

Planned launch: early 2024
Power: 905 horsepower
Range: up to 320 miles (estimated)
Price: from around $100,000
IRA tax credit: no

The Eletre electric crossover is a milestone for Lotus, being its first high-performance sport utility vehicle and the first model produced in China. At 5,490 pounds (2,490 kg), the Eletre is also the heaviest Lotus in history. It was first unveiled in March 2022, but it wasn't until this summer that Lotus opened the order books, with Europe in June and the US in August.

Lotus Eletre is offered in three specifications: Eletre, Eletre S, and Eletre R. The base model and the Eletre S rely on a 603-horsepower powertrain in a dual-motor configuration, while the Eletre R packs 905 horsepower. The latter also features a two-speed transmission on the rear axle to spread the gap between fast acceleration from a standstill and higher top speed.

Lotus claimed 490 km (309 miles) of range for the sportiest variant, with the direct-driven Eletre and Eletre S returning 600 km (373 miles). Keep in mind that these are not EPA figures but WLTP, which is known as being hopelessly optimistic.

Ram 1500 REV

Planned launch: late 2024
Power: 654 horsepower
Range: over 500 miles
Price: unknown
IRA tax credit: possible

Even though Stellantis is not selling any electric vehicles in the US yet, it sure knows how to impress. Similar to the announced specifications of the Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S, the Ram 1500 REV was backed by some killer specs. And yet, Ram Trucks has so much confidence in its electric pickup that it just announced a range-extender variant.

Launched with a bizarre "Premature electrification" campaign, the Ram 1500 REV promised a class-leading range of more than 500 miles (805 km). This is enabled by a mammoth 229-kWh battery, which beats the GMC Hummer EV. With the standard 168-kWh battery pack, the Ram 1500 REV can travel up to 350 miles (560 km) on a charge, which is still impressive.

The Ram 1500 EV features two electric motors, with 250 kW of power each, for a total of 654 horsepower. The truck has 14,000 lbs. (6,350 kg) of towing capacity. This beats the Ford F-150 Lightning (10,000 lbs./4,500 kg), Tesla Cybertruck, and Rivian R1T (11,000 lbs./5,000 kg) but is below the Chevy Silverado EV's claimed towing capacity of 20,000 lbs. (9,000 kg).

Tesla Model 3 Highland

Planned launch: early 2024
Power: over 600 horsepower
Range: about 350 miles
Price: about $40,000
IRA tax credit: yes

The Tesla Model 3 Highland has already been sold in Europe and Asia but has yet to arrive in North America. If you're wondering what Tesla is waiting for, the answer is simple: the production start at its Fremont factory. The markets that already enjoy the refreshed Model 3 are supplied by Giga Shanghai, with Tesla's US plant rumored to begin production early next year.

Although we don't expect significant differences between the MiC Model 3 and the one built in the US, the two will not be identical. Most notably, the American model will feature different battery packs, as Tesla wants to localize production to make the most out of the IRA tax credits. The most anticipated variant, the Model 3 Performance, is also expected to first enter production in the US.

Based on the model sold in Europe, the refreshed Model 3 prepared for the North American market will come with slightly improved specifications and many new features. This will lead to a small price bump unless Tesla decides it's another price-cut season when it launches.

Volvo EX30

Planned launch: early 2024
Power: up to 422 horsepower
Range: up to 275 miles
Price: from $34,950
IRA tax credit: no

When the EX30 launched in June, Volvo made a powerful impression by announcing compelling specifications at an incredible price. If this does not change by the time Volvo EX30 starts deliveries next year, the small electric crossover will undoubtedly cause turmoil in the market. Consider that no other EV model in the US can match it in price, especially given the impressive performance the EX30 is capable of.

The base-version EX30 features a single-motor, rear-wheel drive with 268 horsepower. An all-wheel-drive setup with a total of 422 horsepower is also available. Two battery packs are offered, with 51 kWh and 69 kWh, respectively. The bigger battery comes standard on the Twin-Motor Performance EX30 and is optional on the Single Motor variant.

The most powerful EX30 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.4 seconds, making it Volvo's fastest-accelerating car ever. The slowest Volvo EX30 can still do 0-60 in 5.4 seconds, which is impressive. Hopefully, the Swedish carmaker will make enough of these electric crossovers and give Tesla a run for its money.