This is going to be another big year of electric vehicle arrivals.
2021 was the arrival year for EV flagships. The GMC Hummer EV, Lucid Air, Mercedes-Benz EQS, and Tesla Model S Plaid all reflect the leading edge of new technology in some way.
With the expected postponement of the Tesla Cybertruck to 2023, what does that leave for the rest of calendar year 2022? Looking down the list, a whole lot of mainstream models could turn meaningful numbers of people on to electric vehicles. Although there’s a shortage of all-out affordability, with most of the price tags best described as premium but not excessive.
This list doesn’t include models that have already started arriving to dealerships at the time of writing, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, GMC Hummer EV, and Audi Q4. Nor does it include versions of models already introduced—like lower-priced versions of the Lucid Air and Hummer EV. Even trimmed down to that, the list does include pickups, sedans, fastbacks, and SUVs.
At present, all EVs except for those from GM and Tesla are eligible for a $7,500 EV tax credit (provided your tax liability exceeds that), so given that and state or regional incentives, your bottom-line price could be lower. But we caution that dealership franchises can and likely will mark up highly sought-after models if early production is limited.
Here they are, roughly in the order we expect them to arrive at dealerships. And check back; we’ll update this piece a few times through the year.
Rivian R1S
Rivian R1S
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: February
Starting price: $70,000
EPA range up to: 316 miles
With deliveries for the Rivian R1T pickup just ramping up in Illinois, the next step is the closely related R1S SUV. The R1S offers five- and seven-passenger layouts, and as it’s a bit shorter overall, this is likely the pick for serious off-road enthusiasts as well as families. Although it doesn’t offer the R1T’s gear tunnel, its flat-folding seats have been called an “awesome car-camping setup” by the company’s CEO, RJ Scaringe. The R1S will be launched with the middle “Large pack.” A version with a smaller pack and lower price will be offered sometime next year, while a version with the larger Max pack is expected to be added in the future.
2022 Kia EV6
Kia EV6
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: “Early 2022”
Starting price: About $45,000 (est)
EPA range up to: 310 miles
The 2022 Kia EV6 marks both the start of a new design focus for Kia and its first electric vehicle to be built on the global E-GMP platform from its parent company, Hyundai. Although it’s about the same size as the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5, it follows a racier, more contemporary design, and with up to 577 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque in top-performance GT form, it can accelerate quicker—0-62 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Charging is very speedy, too: 10% to 80% in 18 minutes, using 800-volt CCS hardware. While much of the model line has a 77.4-kwh battery pack for up to 310 miles, dual-motor all-wheel drive will dip the range to 274 miles. A 58-kwh standard-range battery pack will offer up to 232 EPA miles with rear-wheel drive. First U.S. deliveries of the EV6 are expected to start in January or February, and Kia has stated that from the start, the EV6 will be available in all 50 states; that’s both a departure from Kia’s previous limited-state rollout of EVs and the limited availability of its Hyundai Ioniq 5 cousin.
2022 BMW i4 eDrive40
BMW i4
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: March
Starting price: $56,395
EPA range up to: 301 miles
BMW’s i4 is something of a successor to the i3 hatchback, but it couldn’t be more different. The 2022 BMW i4 is a rakish hatchback that meshes BMW 3-Series sport-sedan heritage with the automaker’s fifth-generation EV technology, amounting to a car that offers not just a Tesla Model 3 rival, but something genuinely different, with a standard air suspension and an emphasis on precise ride and handling. Performance enthusiasts will want to head to the $66,895 BMW i4 M50, with a 536-hp output from the dual-motor system and a 3.9-second 0-60 mph time—albeit with a lower range of 227 or 270 miles.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
BMW iX
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: March
Starting price: $84,195
EPA range up to: 324 miles
The BMW iX is the brand’s spacious electric SUV, sized in the same range as the Audi E-Tron SUV but making some very different design statements versus the BMW’s X5 or X7. Although it’s sized most closely to the X5 on the outside, it’s X7-roomy inside except you won’t find a third row. Past the love-it-or-hate-it exterior and the mega-faux-grille is an eye-catching cabin that’s quirky in consistently better ways—with top-notch materials, and borrowing from the space-efficient themes (and carbon-fiber expertise) of the BMW i3.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro
Ford F-150 Lightning
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: May
Starting price: $39,974
EPA range up to: 300 miles (extended-range pack)
With the Ford F-150 Lightning due to arrive around May, the EV market is no longer stuck in the flyover states. The F-150 Lightning preserves the same body size—crew cab with a 5.5-foot bed—as the rest of the F-150 lineup to allow access to all the F-150’s accessories, but it shifts to a new independent rear suspension, with a version of the existing body-on-frame layout. With towing up to 10,000 pounds and payload up to 2,000 pounds, it’s beyond the standards of base gasoline half-ton trucks. Add in the Lightning’s potential function as a home backup power broker and its massive frunk—power outlets and all—and it’s shaping up to be a better multitasker than gas trucks, too.
Cadillac Lyriq concept
Cadillac Lyriq
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: May
Starting price: $59,990
EPA range up to: “Over 300 miles” in some rear-wheel-drive versions
Cadillac aims to be fully electric by the end of the decade, yet the brand doesn’t have a single such entry at present. The Lyriq, due this spring, sets the tone for that transformation. Its overall dimensions are close to those of the Tesla Model X, but its profile is closer to that of the Kia Telluride or Ford Explorer—or perhaps even more on the rakish side. It will be the first unibody model to emerge that’s built on GM’s new Ultium propulsion toolkit, built around large-format NCMA pouch cells and a suite of motors and other in-house components. The Lyriq will offer GM Super Cruise driver assistance, and be made in Tennessee. GM has waffled a bit on the timeline for first deliveries, although they’re expected to start by May.
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB
Mercedes-Benz EQB
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: July 2022
Starting price: $48,000 (est)
EPA range up to: 240 miles (est)
In some respects the 2022 Mercedes EQB will take the place of the B250e (also called B-Class Electric), another electric conversion of a compact gasoline vehicle from the luxury automaker—but this time the conversion will have been done within Mercedes, not by Tesla. All versions of the EQB will have a 66.5-kwh battery pack, with fast-charging stops juicing it up from 10% to 80% in as little as 31 minutes. Two different versions, EQB 300 4Matic and EQB 350 4Matic, will both have a dual-motor layout but with the latter offering a bit more power and torque—288 hp and 384 lb-ft, versus 225 hp and 288 lb-ft. A sliding rear seat will help balance space in back between people and gear. The EQB will have to contend with the Audi Q4, so look for a difference in features—like available massage seats in this baby electric Benz.
2023 Toyota BZ4X
Toyota bZ4X
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Summer
Starting price: $40,000
EPA range up to: 250 miles
The 2023 Toyota bZ4X is Toyota’s first mass-produced, widely available electric vehicle, and it lands in a competitive space versus the Volkswagen ID.4, Nissan Ariya, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and others. Single- and dual-motor versions of the bZ4X are due, with front- or all-wheel drive, respectively, and 0-60 mph times of 8.4 and 7.7 seconds won’t make it particularly quick. In single-motor form, EPA range ratings should span up to 250 miles or so. Toyota isn’t bringing some of the most innovative tech from the global bZ4X—like a steering yoke and solar roof—but it does include a heat pump and will be one of the first EVs to offer various tech innovations like radiant heating.
2023 Subaru Solterra
Subaru Solterra
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: “Mid 2022”
Starting price: $46,000
EPA range up to: 220 miles
The Solterra is Subaru’s version of a fully electric vehicle co-developed with Toyota. The two models are closely related, down to their cabin trims and instrument-panel layouts—12.3-inch landscape-oriented touchscreens and all—but we’re expecting the Subaru to feel somewhat sportier, as the brand oversaw the all-wheel-drive and chassis tuning for both and already sees an STI future for its EVs. The Solterra will likely start in the mid- to upper-$40,000 range when it arrives somewhere around summer 2022 (Subaru has only said “mid-2022” so far). Although the Solterra’s expected 220-mile range is underwhelming, it looks competitive in all other respects, including 150-kw DC fast-charging to get to 80% capacity in 30 minutes.
Genesis GV60 prototype
Genesis GV60
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Second half of 2022
Starting price: $55,000 (est)
EPA range up to: 270 miles (est)
The Genesis GV60 is a potential disruptor we’re really looking forward to. Equal parts racy, innovative, and luxurious, it pushes Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand into a new realm. Built on the same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the GV60 will offer a cabin look and feel unlike any other smaller EV. It’s already gone on sale in South Korea with the same 77.4-kwh battery pack offered in the Hyundai Ioniq 5. As such, we’re expecting a range of about 270 miles in single-motor rear-wheel-drive form, with dual-motor all-wheel drive also available. In South Korea the GV60 is one of the first EVs in the world to offer factory-equipped wireless charging; that’s not a feature we expect in the U.S. version quite yet. Expect the price of the GV60 to pick up about where the Hyundai Ioniq 5 tops out—which is around $55,000.
2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE
Mercedes-Benz EQE
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Fall 2022
Starting price: $80,000 (est)
EPA range up to: 370 miles (est)
The EQE is actually one of our most anticipated new EVs of the year, as it’s built on the same platform as the flagship EQS, but sized a bit smaller, more like the Tesla Model S, and a sedan—with a remarkably long wheelbase of 122.5 inches that should make the cabin super-spacious. Inside, the EQE gets the Hyperscreen interface spanning the dash in some versions, as well as rear-axle steering, an air suspension, and four-zone climate control, and other luxury touches inherited from the S-Class and EQS. In single-motor rear-wheel drive form, the EQE makes 288 hp and 391 lb-ft and can accelerate to 60 in 5.6 seconds, but expect an AMG dual-motor version later.
2023 Nissan Ariya
Nissan Ariya
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Fall 2022
Starting price: About $40,000
EPA range up to: 300 miles (est)
Nissan has had a second EV in the works for many, many years. With the 2022 Ariya coming later this year, that moment is almost here. The dual-motor Ariya in top forms will pack e-4orce all-wheel drive control, drawing from expertise with the GT-R supercar and incorporating nuance in the motor controls to aid ride and handling. With up to 389 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, it will accelerate to 60 mph in about 5.0 seconds, and versions carrying 65 kwh and 90 kwh of batteries will top out at about 220 and 300 miles, respectively. A new ProPilot Assist 2.0 will offer next-level assisted driving, too. And yes, the Ariya will coexist with the Leaf.
Teaser for Polestar 3 debuting in 2022
Polestar 3
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Fall 2022
Starting price: $65,000 (est)
EPA range up to: 300 (est)
As an offshoot of Volvo and Geely, Polestar is threading a sustainable-performance needle, with performance bragging rights set alongside plans to make fully climate-neutral vehicles. The brand hasn’t said all that much about its Polestar 3 yet, other than that it will be a performance-focused electric SUV and it will be U.S.-built at a Volvo Cars facility in South Carolina. While earlier comparisons had the Polestar 3 pegged as a Tesla Model Y rival, Polestar said recently that it’s targeting the larger Porsche Cayenne—while a future Polestar 4 will take aim at the Model Y–sized Porsche Macan.
Genesis Electrified G80
Genesis G80 Electrified
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Fall 2022
Starting price: $60,000
EPA range up to: 250 miles (rough est)
The “electrified” moniker has been used on a great many hybrid models that are short of fully electric cars. The Genesis G80 Electrified has no engine under the hood. It’s a conversion based on the G80 luxury sedan lineup, but it offers many of the capabilities of dedicated EVs from Genesis and its Hyundai parent, including 800-volt fast-charging to go from 10% to 80% in as little as 22 minutes. Add a special active noise control and seemingly no sacrifices in the packaging to get fast charging to 250 miles. There’s still no firm arrival date on this car, but there have been hints that it will arrive by the end of 2022.
Lexus RZ prototype, with CEO Akio Toyoda
Lexus RZ 450e
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Late 2022
Starting price: $55,000
EPA range up to: 250 miles (est)
Although Toyota is wading slowly into electric vehicles, it expects its Lexus luxury brand’s electric remake to happen at a more rapid pace. This year we’ll see the arrival of Lexus’ first fully electric vehicle for the U.S. market, the RZ 450e. Although Lexus hasn’t yet detailed the RZ, or even officially revealed it, it’s teased that it will offer an exhilarating driving experience—if that smile from CEO Akio Toyoda isn’t enough of an indication. Otherwise it’s expected to follow closely on the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra—with a great deal more luxury, of course.
Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle
Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Late 2022
Starting price: $34,750
EPA range up to: 230 miles
The U.S. startup Canoo has already made two big pivots away from the business it originally envisioned: California-focused and subscription-based. Since then, the company has shifted toward sales and ownership, and toward Middle America as its hub, but its quirky, active-lifestyle-focused vehicles have remained intact. Canoo’s initial focus is the $34,750 Lifestyle Vehicle, a vanlike model that might trigger “must have” feelings for those who have been seeking to replace their Honda Elements for a decade or more. It’s unclear which pack that base model will offer. Canoo planned to build the MPV with 40-, 60-, and 80-kwh battery packs, offering estimated EPA ranges of 130, 190, and 250, respectively. Canoo recently rejiggered production plans, with initial production now due to start late this year in Arkansas, not the Netherlands.
Vinfast VF8
Vinfast VF9
Vinfast VF8
Vinfast VF 8 and VF 9
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Late 2022
Starting price: $41,000 and $56,000, respectively (not including destination or battery lease)
EPA range up to: 250 miles for VF8, 320 for VF 9 (est)
Vietnam’s Vinfast is moving fast to set up a U.S. footprint, and with the basics of service and support starting to fall in place it aims to make first deliveries of its VF 8 and VF 9 electric SUVs (formerly e35 and e36, respectively)—likely starting with California—by the end of 2022. Both models offer dual-motor all-wheel drive producing 402 hp, with a full suite of active-safety features and 11 airbags. Perhaps the most innovative element around these Vinfast models will be their plan to lease the battery pack—effectively lowering the price of the vehicle to starting prices of just $41,000 and $56,000, respectively, for the five-passenger VF 8 and six- or seven-passenger VF 9. There will be a premium above that for the batteries; the company just hasn’t said yet how that works out. But it already has its own NFT.
2023 Fisker Ocean prototype
Fisker Ocean
Estimated first U.S. deliveries: Late 2022
Starting price: $37,499 (not including destination)
EPA range up to: 350 miles (preliminary estimate)
Fisker is back. The company, this time around called Fisker Inc, is once again headed by renowned designer Henrik Fisker and California-based, but nearly everything else is different. Affordable sustainability isi a big part of the focus this time, leading with a $37,499 Ocean electric SUV that, at the base model, will be powered by lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) cells and in top models get nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cells. DC fast-charging at up to 250 kw and a range of 250 miles for the base model make for very respectable base specs, with 340 or 350 miles from the larger pack and a 0-60 mph time as brief as 3.6 seconds. Look for bidirectional charging that lets you function as a “PowerHouse” with backup power for the home, a solar roof, and a California Mode that drops the windows all at once, including the rearmost “doggie” window. The Ocean will be made starting late this year in Graz, Austria, by Magna-Steyr, which builds the Jaguar I-Pace among other models as a contract manufacturer.