5 Electric Vehicles You Need to Watch Out For in 2021

author: Manish Kharinta   

2020 has been quite a challenging year, but electric automaker Tesla managed to prosper in the face of adversity. The California EV pioneer became the world's most valuable automaker this year. With a market cap topping $500 billion, the company is worth more than the cumulative value of many legacy vehicle manufacturers, including Toyota, Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Hyundai and Volkswagen.

There are many EVs coming our way in 2021. This means that Tesla might finally face some real competition in the market for the first time in its history. So here are five EVs that you should watch out for in 2021.

The Lucid Air

The luxury-performance Lucid Air sedan will probably be one of the most formidable Tesla rivals to hit the market in 2021. The California-based company has already established itself in the U.S. and is in the process of setting up showrooms across the country. 

At 350 kW, the Lucid Air battery-only sedan boasts of the fastest charging rate in the industry. Lucid also offers its Air sedan with three years of free DC fast-charging, which will be supported by EV infrastructure operator Electrify America.

The Hummer EV

U.S. automaker General Motors received a lot of attention this year when it unveiled the all-electric reboot of its Hummer nameplate. The upcoming Hummer EV will feature GM's proprietary Ultium battery technology. According to the company, the first variant of the Hummer EV will offer 350 miles of range. 

The Hummer EV will make its debut with the most expensive version with a $112,595 price tag.

Audi Q4 e-tron

German automaker Audi will introduce its Q4 e-tron in 2021. Also coming is the e-tron GT sedan, which will be a badge-engineered version of the Porsche Taycan. 

Unlike the e-tron GT, the Q4 e-tron will get a more modest pricing structure, and we expect the Ingolstadt-based automaker to price its compact electric SUV at around $45,000. The Audi Q4 e-tron will likely offer around 270 miles of range.

Nissan Ariya

It has been a long time coming, but Japan's Nissan Motor Co has finally introduced its second all-electric offering. Nissan unveiled its Ariya crossover almost ten years after the first Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Ariya is a striking crossover that will offer 300 miles of EPA estimated driving range.

Volkswagen ID.4

The Volkswagen ID.4 will be one of the most exciting models to hit the market in 2021. Prices for the battery-only crossover will start at $39,995, which will further drop down to $35,000 (approximately) when Volkswagen opens its EV factories in the U.S. The 

Volkswagen ID.4 will be offered in multiple variants, including a dual-motor version. The electric ID.4 will also get three years of free DC fast-charging, which only adds to the crossover's value.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.