ADEV-21 blends the best of the current EV crop to show why the perfect electric cars are already here.
The perfect electric car for 2021 will boast the charging speed of the Porsche Taycan, the practicality of a Citroen e-Berlingo, the interior of a BMW i3 and the range of a Mercedes EQS. These qualities, and more, have been combined to create the ADEV-21, revealed today, on World EV Day.
Automotive Daily has built the hypothetical vehicle using data and our expert insight to identify the qualities that car buyers think make up the perfect EV.
The result is the ADEV-21, a car constructed from the key elements of the very best new electric cars on sale today, a vehicle that proves the tipping point for new electric cars is already here.
Performance, practicality and affordability will be essential qualities to win over hard-nosed motorists to any new model – especially when it’s an electric car. But the ADEV-21, shown in our exclusive images, proves that all essential qualities for a mass market breakthrough have been achieved across the rapidly expanding range of EVs already on Britain’s roads.
Price comes from the MG ZS EV which is Australia’s cheapest electric car at $44,990 driveaway.
Charging speed comes from the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan, with their 800-volt electrical systems. The Audi can add 100km of driving range for every five minutes it’s on charge. But it’s the Mercedes EQS that donates its outright driving range to the ADEV-21. At 771km, it’s capable of travelling from Melbourne to Bathurst on a single charge – in theory, at least.
And it’s the Mercedes EQS, plus the equally talented Hyundai Ioniq 5, which provide the ADEV-21’s ride comfort. There are no better EVs to travel long distances in. Then, when it comes to performance, it’s the Rimac Nevera that donates the sub-two-second 0-100km/h time and a 409km/h top speed, while it’s the Porsche Taycan that’s the Autodaily’s EV handling benchmark.
Giving us the all-important fun factor is the MINI Electric, with its cheeky looks and eager chassis, while the Honda e gives up its gadgets – including a virtual aquarium that can be shown on the car’s screens. The BMW i3 might be the oldest car here, but its beautifully designed interior, with a mix of light-coloured woods and fabrics made from plant fibres, not only looks great, but emphasises its eco-credentials.
Lastly, it’s the Citroen e-Berlingo that gives up its practicality. Its boxy van origins mean it can carry seven people, while folding all the seats away reveals 4000 litres of space.
Automotive Daily’s Steve Fowler, said: “Revealing our own perfect electric vehicle by combining the very best of existing EVs into one hypothetical car is the best way to illustrate that the final breakthrough for EVs is closer than many people realise.
“We considered every aspect that people love about the best EVs in today’s market, from price or running costs, through charging speed and range, to practicality, comfort and the type of technological gizmos in the car.
“It reveals that most of the perceived problems that hold people back from taking the plunge with an EV have already been solved and that the next step is to unify all of those solutions in the next generation of EVs.
“We are confident that this will happen sooner than many people believe and our imagined perfect EV will not remain hypothetical for very long.”