Best electric cars arriving in 2022

Sent to rattle the Tesla Model S, Audi’s latest EV offering is a low-slung GT four-door coupe, and a follow-up to the brand’s e-tron SUV.

The GT will be available in standard and RS versions able to make use of 350kW/630Nm and 440kW/830Nm of electric power respectively, with a range of up to 488km.

It also features flexible charging, with an 800-volt architecture. This allows it to charge at a rate of up to 270kW on a DC outlet, able to charge from five to 80 per cent as quickly as 22 minutes, 30 seconds.

It will also offer similar options to the Taycan range, with a long list of performance-enhancing additions like carbon-ceramic brakes.

Read more: 2022 Audi e-Tron GT pricing and features: High performance electric Audi flagship takes fight to Tesla Model S Plaid and Porsche Taycan

BMW is on an electrification roll, with its latest generation of pure EVs rolling out rapidly across its range.

Following the iX3 and flagship iX SUVs, the i4 will be a brand closer to the brand’s ancestral heart in the visage of a four-door sedan.

The i4 wears familiar styling to the current 4 Series and will arrive in two variants, the eDrive40 and performance-tinged M50. 

It can make use of 250kW/430Nm or 400kW/795Nm powertrain for each variant respectively and sports a massive 84kWh battery good for a range of up to 590km.

The i4 is able to charge at either 11kW on AC charging (taking 8.5 hours for a full charge) or 200kW on DC, allowing a 10-80 per cent charge in just 31 minutes.

It will start with an MSRP of $99,900 for the entry level eDrive40, or $124,900 for the top-spec M50, and is slated to launch in the first quarter of 2022.

Read more: 2022 BMW i4 price and features: New Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 rival to arrive with huge power, long range and cutting-edge technology

BMW i4 2022 review

BYD and its local Australian importer, Nexport, have huge plans for the Australian market, bullishly suggesting a Top Five spot by 2023.

How can this be achieved? Six new models are slated for launch by then, and prime among them is the Atto 3 electric SUV.

The Atto 3 is in a hot SUV segment, smaller than a traditional mid-size SUV like the RAV4, but larger than the Kia Seltos, perhaps on par in dimensions with Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross, or Nissan’s Qashqai.

The Atto 3 will be electric-only though, sporting a large 60kWh battery good for around 450km of range. Importantly, the brand claims to be able to significantly undercut rivals by offering the SUV from “around $40,000”.

BYD will forgo a standard dealer network and instead sell directly online to consumers.

Read more: The cheaper Chinese EVs coming soon: How BYD plans to take down Tesla in Australia

Could this be Australia’s most affordable electric car? The EA1 will follow the Atto 3 as part of BYD’s low-cost EV assault, slotting in to the mainstream hatchback segment.

It also promises keen pricing (although we’re not sure what this looks like yet) to take the fight to cars like MG’s ZS EV, and a 400km+ range to match its larger Atto 3 sibling.

Wearing more city-car styling than traditional sporty hatch styling, the EA1 utilises BYD’s cobalt-free Blade battery as well as a highly digitised interior and the connectivity to be able to use your phone as they key in its home market of China.

We don’t have details on when the EA1 will hit Australian streets, or even what its local name will be, only that its Australian importer, Nexport, plans to have it on sale in mid-2022.

Read more: The cheaper Chinese EVs coming soon: How BYD plans to take down Tesla in Australia

Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury spin-off brand, will launch its next offering in the first half of 2022, and it will be the brand’s first fully electric model.

The first Genesis on the E-GMP underpinnings, the GV60 SUV is the luxury marque’s take on the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 formula, sporting coupe-like styling elements.

Its next-generation platform means hearty 800V electric underpinnings for fast charging, rear- and all-wheel-drive powertrain options, and healthy driving range.

Although only just revealed, the GV60 will be available in Australia remarkably quickly.

Read more: 2022 Genesis GV60 detailed! Korea takes Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 to next level to bring fight to BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz EQC and Jaguar I-Pace

The Ioniq 6 is Hyundai's second car on the e-GMP platform, and the design borrows heavily from the Prophecy EV Concept shown in 2020.

The mid-size sedan features sustainable and eco-friendly materials throughout the interior, such as repurposed PET fabric used for the seats and dashboard.

While powertrain details are still a mystery at this point, the Ioniq 6 could use the same 72.6kWh battery found in the Ioinq 5 SUV.

Hyundai is yet to confirm if or when the Ioniq 6 will land in Australian showrooms, but it is likely to arrive some time in 2023.

Read more: Hyundai's next big electric car! 2023 Ioniq 6 breaks cover as wildly-styled Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan competitor

Kia’s first take on the Hyundai Group e-GMP underpinnings and the brand’s first dedicated fully electric car outside of Korea will be the EV6.

A sportier alternative to the Ioniq 5, the EV6 can claim over 400km of range from a large battery pack and will also be available with both rear- and all-wheel drive.

It also shares its odd shape as a low-slung but long-wheelbase SUV with the Ioniq 5, although has a different design ethos applied to its interior.

The EV6 also has its first performance variant locked in, the 430kW/740Nm all-wheel-drive GT, although this version won’t be available immediately in Australia for its first quarter of 2022 launch.

Read more: Cheaper than the Ioniq 5! New Kia EV6 pricing and specification detailed for Australia, with entry-level Air model lowering price for game-changing EV

Kia EV6 2022 review

Mercedes-Benz has announced its intention to become an electric-only automaker sooner rather than later, and the EQE will be the first follow up to the flagship EQS in the brand’s efforts to electrify its more traditional sedan range.

Unlike BMW’s i4, the EQE is more of a radical overhaul of the sedan formula, forgoing the brand’s current styling language and proportions for something more futuristic.

The new design leans into its electric underpinnings by pushing the wheelbase out and expanding cabin space in the process, with the lack of combustion running gear allowing the brand to have short overhangs at either end.

Driving range is said to be plentiful with the launch 90kWh variant offering some 660km, and its architecture will support a 170kW max charging speed for a 10-80 per cent charge in just 32 minutes.

Refinements like air suspension from elsewhere in the Benz range will also be available, and the EQE will have the option of a dramatically digitised cabin consisting of a screen which nearly runs the length of the dash.

The EQE has yet to have its price locked in, but it is expected in Australia in the second half of 2022.

Read more: 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQE electric sedan detailed: Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Genesis G80 rival to undergo revolutionary change for the future

Polestar's long-awaited arrival to the Australian market will finally happen in February 2022 with the launch of the Polestar 2.

Sporting a high-riding sedan body, the Polestar 2 promises both sporty dynamics and luxury appointments, and will be available across three flavours.

The base car will be good for around 440km of range, the mid-tier version about 540km, while the top spec cuts it down to 480km thanks to a dual-motor set-up that prioritises performance over efficiency.

Read more: 2022 Polestar 2 price and features: Shock low starting price has new Swedish challenger undercutting Nissan Leaf e+, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and rivalling Tesla Model 3

Polestar 2 2022 review

Volvo’s first dedicated electric model will be the C40 small SUV, set to debut before the end of 2022. It shares much of its design with the XC40 SUV, although sports a lower profile and a more coupe-like rear.

The C40 can be equipped with dual-motor all-wheel drive and will have an estimated 420km range from a large 78kWh battery pack. It will also debut new connectivity features via a built-in sim card, and new Google-integrated software suite for its portrait multimedia screen.

Like its Polestar sister company, Volvo will be tracing precious metals used in the C40’s battery using blockchain technology. Like other automakers including Polestar, the C40 is intended to be sold exclusively in an online capacity.

Volvo’s local arm has confirmed the C40 will arrive in late 2022, although pricing and precise timing are still a mystery. Stay tuned.

Read more: Sick of waiting for a Tesla Model Y in Australia? Volvo could be about to eat its lunch as C40 Recharge orders open with 434km driving range and sharp pricing

Audi was quick off the mark with its original e-tron SUV, although it initially arrived in 50 and 55 quattro grades, leaving the sporty S to launch at a later date.

The brand has since confirmed the e-tron S will arrive in Australia around early 2022, and will punch hard with total outputs of 370kW/973Nm - a big upgrade on the 55's 300kW/664Nm.

Audi also confirmed pricing, with before on-road costs set at $165,600 for the SUV body-style, or $172,700 for the coupe-like Sportback.

Range comes in at a WLTP-rated 413km for the SUV, or 418km for the Sportback, falling between the 50 and 55 variants as it sacrifices a bit of extra distance for performance.

The e-tron S is capable of charging on DC using a Type 2 CCS plug at 150kW, allowing a charge time from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

Read more: 2022 Audi e-tron S price and features: Electric SUV targets Tesla Model X, BMW iX in premium performance EV battle

• Audi e-tron S 2022 review

Ora is a new all-electric brand under the Great Wall Motors (GWM) umbrella, and after much speculation (and the success of the Haval SUV brand and new Cannon ute) GWM confirmed Ora will arrive in Australia in 2022.

It is expected the brand will launch with the affordable but oddly-named Good Cat hatchback thanks to trademark filings, which is expected to duke it out with the MG ZS EV and BYD Atto 3 for the title of cheapest EV in Australia. For reference in the UK the Good Cat starts from the equivalent of $47,000 with a 336km range.

Read more: The cheapest EV yet? GWM ORA Good Cat registered for Australia - and it could be even cheaper than the MG ZS EV!

The Cupra Born is the Spanish performance brand's all-electric hatchback, and it is particularly notable as it will be the first of a new wave of Volkswagen-group electric vehicles which have thus far been prevented from arriving in Australia thanks to overwhelming demand. The first of the Cupra hatches are already in Australia undergoing local testing, and are expected to arrive as part of the brand's onslaught for 2022.

It will go into battle against the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq, Polestar 2, and Tesla Model 3, although local pricing and spec is yet to be announced.

Read more: 2023 Cupra Born electric car draws closer to Australian launch! Spain's new Hyundai Ioniq and Nissan Leaf EV rival arrives for local testing before release

The Nissan Leaf is a relative veteran in the electric space in Australia, and for 2022 will offer a host of updates which fall short of a facelift. Tabled are new sets of wheels, a new choice of colours, slightly tweaked styling, and the brand's new logos all round.

It is unknown if the Leaf will recieve any price adjustments (although this seems likely) or whether the electric hatch will come with other enhancements, like a new acoustic driving sound it received as part of its most recent update in Europe.

Read more: Is the Nissan Leaf still good value? 2022 pricing and features revealed for Hyundai Ioniq, Kia Niro rivalling electric car

Ford Australia has confirmed its first electric vehicle won't be the exciting Mustang Mach-E, but the decidedly pragmatic E-Transit commercial vehicle.

The E-Transit will be the first fully electric large van in Australia, though, a notable size increase on the city-sized Renault Kangoo EV or BYD e3 which arrived before it.

The van packs 317km of range thanks to a 68kWh battery pack, and puts out 190kW/430Nm, making it the most powerful Transit variant available.

It will also be the first Ford product in Australia to offer the brand's latest SYNC4 software on a large 12-inch touchscreen.

Read more: Ford Australia confirms 2022 E-Transit van as first EV but rules out Mustang Mach-E as new Tesla Model Y rival

It’s all-electric, it’s an SUV and it wears a Tesla badge, of course we’re talking about the hotly-anticipated Model Y.

After long delays, Tesla has finally opened the order books for its latest model, but we’ve got some bad news for you.

If you didn’t order one in the first week, prices have gone up and delivery timing has blown out, which means you probably won’t get your new wheels until well into 2023.

However, if you were quick, you can expect delivery from August this year, and you’ll be the envy of all your EV friends.

Read more: Well, that didn't last long! 2023 Tesla Model Y price hike makes it more expensive than Hyundai Ioniq 5, as Model 3 also increases in cost

• Tesla Model Y 2022 review

Want to know what other new models are due in 2022? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below.

- The best new cars coming to Australia in 2022

- Best SUVs arriving in 2022

- Best utes arriving in 2022

- Best crossovers arriving in 2022

- Best electric cars arriving in 2022

- Best hatchbacks arriving in 2022

- Best 4x4 and off-road vehicles arriving in 2022

- Best sedans arriving in 2022

- Best sports cars arriving in 2022

- Best hybrid cars arriving in 2022

Want to know what new models are due in 2023? Check out our rolling coverage by clicking on the links below.

- The best new cars coming in 2023

- Best SUVs arriving in 2023

- Best sports cars arriving in 2023

- Best hatchbacks and sedans arriving in 2023

- Best small SUVs and crossovers arriving in 2023

- Best 4x4, off-roaders and light-commercial vehicles arriving in 2023

- Best utes arriving in 2023

- Best hybrid cars arriving in 2023

- Best electric cars arriving in 2023