Here are the electric SUVs worth waiting for

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Petrina Gentile: Prices are high for new and used cars. There are long waits because of the global semiconductor chip shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic that’s slowed production around the world. Plenty of people are going to keep their older cars one or two more years if they can.

Mark Richardson: I think I’m going to be one of them. I was going to replace our 2010 RAV4 this spring with a new vehicle, but now I’ll keep it another year. There’s some good stuff coming.

Gentile: All the major manufacturers are investing billions into new vehicles, with a focus on electrification.

Richardson: Google Canada’s latest industry data estimates there’ll be at least 50 more new electric vehicles available here by the end of 2022.

Gentile: That’s twice as many models to choose from than we have now.

Related: Looking for a pickup truck and thinking electric? Here’s what is coming to Canada

Richardson: What have you heard about what’s coming down the pipe? If you’re thinking of getting a new compact electric SUV in 2023, what do you think might be worth the wait?

Gentile: Let’s start with Nissan – it made electric vehicles mainstream when it launched the all-electric Leaf hatchback more than a decade ago. And now, finally, its second all-electric vehicle, the Ariya, is set to debut later this year. What took so long?

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Richardson: Manufacturers know they have to get this right the first time around. They can’t release a vehicle and hope it sells; it has to be the very best or they’ll be sunk before they leave the gate. This is a fresh start for most makers, and the Ariya must stand out from its competition. That’s not easy when there’s so much that’s similar with electric vehicles.

Gentile: True. But Nissan was the leader and fell behind. I guess it’s better late than never. I have to admit I like the sharp lines and angles and the overall design of the Ariya – it’s a striking compact SUV available in front-wheel-drive or a dual-motor all-wheel drive system that’ll come in handy for Canadian winters. Depending on the model, range is estimated between 330 and 482 kilometres.

Richardson: Range is becoming less of an issue now, provided it’s at least around 300 kilometres. Vehicles can cover the distance most drivers are asking of them before recharging. Nissan’s advantage is that it developed its EV abilities with the Leaf, so buyers know the Ariya has all of that proven research and development behind it. I’m sure it will be a solid buy when it comes on sale later this year.

Gentile: General Motors is another manufacturer that’s proven its EV technology with the Bolt. Sure, it may have had some issues …

Richardson: Issues? Like “don’t park inside or too close to another vehicle in case the Bolt catches fire”? C’mon Petrina – I’d say those are serious issues! Last summer, GM recalled all model years of the Bolt citing the risk of battery fires. The company also advised Bolt owners that they should park outdoors after charging, and not charge their vehicles indoors overnight, until the problem could be fixed.

Gentile: But they’re addressing them and they’ve fixed that. GM is committed to bringing out 30 new electric vehicles by 2025, and one of them is an electric version of the Equinox compact SUV. There’ll be a mid-size Blazer EV, too. The good news is they won’t have the same batteries found in the Bolt EV and EUV. Instead, they’ll have GM’s new Ultium battery technology, which is less expensive and more powerful. Fingers crossed that it doesn’t catch fire.

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Richardson: That Ultium battery is the future for General Motors. It uses much less cobalt and creates a lot more energy from the same size as a regular lithium-ion battery, and it can also be stacked either flat or vertical, which allows more flexibility for a vehicle’s design. GM’s tech has come a very long way in the last decade.

Gentile: That less expensive battery should mean a price for the Equinox EV of around $35,000, which is cheaper than the Bolt EV and EUV. It could be one of the most affordable EVs when it comes to Canada in the fall of 2023 – finally, EV prices may come down and we won’t need government subsidies. Those Ultium batteries are very promising. Doesn’t Honda share the battery technology with GM?

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Richardson: Yes, Honda is designing its all-electric Prologue around GM’s Ultium technology, and it will even be built in the U.S. in a partnership with GM. The batteries are being produced by LG Chem, which is building two new U.S. factories to make them.

Gentile: This is a lot of new construction that has to happen first, but time is ticking!

Richardson: Well, the partnerships bring down the price for Honda to develop its electric vehicles. The Prologue is expected to be an EV replacement for the CR-V, but like the Equinox EV, it probably won’t appear until later in 2023. Got to build those assembly plants first.

Gentile: It takes big bucks to research and develop technology for new EVs. When manufacturers work together, they can bring more options to market faster and hopefully bring down prices for consumers as well.

Richardson: Toyota and Subaru are doing the same thing, and they’re further ahead than Honda. We’ll see the new Toyota bZ4X – the all-electric crossover replacement for the RAV4 – and the Subaru Solterra later this year. They’re built on the same platform with Toyota’s battery technology. Now, those are vehicles I’d wait for!

Gentile: Smart move for both companies, considering Toyota is all over the map, banking on many forms of technology – conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and even fuel-cell vehicles. Finally, the bZ4X is its first all-electric SUV.

Richardson: It’s more of a crossover really. I’d hold off buying a RAV4 before getting to see it, but it won’t be available for another year yet. And then, a year from now, what other vehicles will be just around the corner? I guess that’s a whole new column, right?

Gentile: It seems like there’s a new announcement every week. This is such a period of change for the industry, but it’s good change – change for the better.

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