Wondering what 2022 will bring to the automotive industry? These are the manufacturers worth keeping an eye on this year!
The automotive industry as a whole has taken a beating over the last couple of years, owing to the ongoing global pandemic. Add to that global supply chain disruptions and a semiconductor shortage, and you have the perfect recipe for disaster. Still, despite these significant setbacks, the EV industry has shown incredible resilience and bounced back relatively well from the frequent lockdowns and border closures, as evidenced by a whopping 98% year-on-year increase in global sales. Of course, it may be a bit early to tell, but judging by how things are now, we can (almost) safely say 2022 should take these figures to new heights as the industry embraces the electric revolution like never before.
Indeed, a long list of legacy carmakers and an even longer list of exciting new startups are ready to jump on the EV bandwagon in 2022. Besides, more and more governments seem to finally have garnered the political will to introduce legislation in favor of a true switch to EVs. Regardless, it’s important to mention that several manufacturers have also apparently chosen to take a back seat, and see if the trend could die out on its own, not really planning anything innovative, or really worthy of attention this year.
So without further ado, let’s see which carmakers will be worth looking out for in 2022!
1. Volkswagen
Volkswagen recently set a date for the world premiere of its brand-new all-electric van, first presented as a concept at the 2017 North American International Auto Show. Dubbed the ID. Buzz, VW pitches it as the modern-day embodiment of the iconic “Bus” first produced over seventy years ago.
The production ID. Buzz will break cover on March 9 this year and will first go on sale in Europe for the rest of 2022, eventually reaching the US market sometime next year. Reports suggest European buyers will be able to choose between a short and a long wheelbase ID. Buzz, while only the latter should make it to our side of the Atlantic. Not much else is known about the fourth vehicle in VW’s ID lineup yet, apart from the fact that there will be passenger and cargo versions in both markets. Of course, we can also expect different variants with diverse powertrains as the ID. Buzz will use the same modular MEB platform as the ID.4 and ID.5.
However, it wouldn’t be fair to look at the upcoming ID. Buzz as just another new electric vehicle. The microbus body, electric powertrain, and futuristic styling are impressive, but there’s another reason to look forward to its release. Namely, VW’s commercial vehicles division is currently experimenting with autonomous driving tech, using five prototype ID. Buzz vans as testbeds.
As we speak, these vans are tested in the German countryside, fully decked-out with fourteen advanced cameras, short- & long-range LIDAR sensors, and RADAR technology. VW plans to have autonomous ID. Buzz vans plying the streets of major German cities as ride-sharing shuttles or delivery vehicles. Starting with Hamburg in 2025, it shouldn’t be long before your weekly grocery order arrives in a driverless VW bus.
Welcome to the future, ladies, and gentlemen.
2. Aptera Motors Corp.
In stark contrast to large and wealthy carmakers like the Volkswagen Group, Aptera is a small EV startup based in San Diego, California. Still, despite the lower cash flow, the American manufacturer has developed quite an innovative EV concept, the Aptera Solar Electric Vehicle or SEV for short, a three-wheeled two-seater vehicle, and worked hard to get it off the ground since then.
Chris Anthony, co-founder and co-CEO of Aptera Motors Corp., claimed earlier they would create the “most efficient product in history,” and they might very well be about to do just that. Indeed, if the manufacturer is to be believed, the SEV would provide nothing but a pretty impressive 1,000-mile electric range. Yes, you read that right — 1,000 miles on a single charge!
The SEV can achieve this herculean feat by employing small solar panels embedded in its body; the panels constantly absorb sunlight, converting it to electricity and supplying the battery pack. Of course, only the top-of-the-line model can go the full 1,000 miles before needing to be plugged in or parked under direct sunlight. Still, to cater to a wider audience, Aptera also plans to offer other variants capable of doing 250, 400, and 600 miles between charges. As standard, the SEV comes with a solar roof & dash, while customers can also add solar panels to the hood and rear hatch, providing between 16 and 40 miles a day, depending on the battery and solar cell configuration.
Moreover, unlike most other EVs, which hide their motors under the body, Aptera dares to take the road less traveled. In front-wheel- and all-wheel-drive configuration, the SEV’s motors are fitted into the wheel hubs, which means you can clearly hear the motors at work while driving. Of course, the noise is nothing comparable to the riotous rumble of a Hellcat V8, but it’s enough to give the vehicle some character —something seriously lacking from most EVs nowadays.
If the Aptera SEV tickles your fancy, you can reserve your own today in exchange for a $100 deposit, and expect delivery sometime in 2023. Indeed, the startup plans to build approximately 5,000 units this year; however, Aptera will probably use them to fulfill some of the 13,000+ orders already received.
3. Bollinger Motors
While other EV manufacturers are busy coming up with radical futuristic designs, Bollinger Motors decided to stick with the old-school box shape for its upcoming electric trucks. The Bollinger B1 SUV and B2 pickup truck are for those who want to save the planet without having to deal with fussy electronics and touchscreens bigger than the steering wheel. Indeed, you won’t find a single touchscreen in any of the trucks — nothing but good ol’ retro analog gauges and push-buttons here.
Bollinger first presented these vehicles in 2019 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and unfortunately, there haven’t been any significant updates regarding series production since then. However, it’s one thing to display a couple of prototype vehicles at a few international auto shows and an entirely different ordeal to engineer a vehicle capable of mass production. Still, the budding American startup has apparently been busy behind the scenes, getting everything ready for full-scale production starting this year.
Sure, critics have a laugh on social media about how Bollinger never actually made a single customer truck so far. However, it’s important to keep in mind the financial and regulatory hoops a new car manufacturer must jump through to get off the ground. Still, the brand also announced plans to produce an electric delivery van aimed at large corporations like Amazon, which could be a good way to create a regular income stream, further supporting the development of regular passenger vehicles.
That being said, let’s not forget that Bollinger is still a privately-funded company as of today. On the other hand, CEO Robert Bollinger recently hinted about pursuing public funding via an IPO or even a SPAC. In all cases, keep an eye on this one in 2022 — things could start moving quite quickly.
4. Hyundai Motor Group
If you are in the market for something a lot more affordable than a $100,000-plus truck, perhaps you should look toward the Hyundai Motor Group; it is one of the very few large automotive conglomerates to take the transition to EVs seriously. And by that, I mean instead of developing rather bland, electrified versions of its combustion cars, Hyundai is going the extra mile by making them as exciting and convenient as can be. Take the Ioniq 5; it is the perfect demonstration of how getting rid of bulky ICE parts can free up significant interior space, and how to do so while looking like a million bucks. Consequently, it doesn’t come as a surprise that more and more new buyers choose to go for the Korean manufacturer.
The boffins at Hyundai are onto something here, and if the Ioniq 5 is any indication, the Ioniq 6, which should be unveiled later this year as a 2023 model, is all set to be nothing short of fantastic. Heavily-camouflaged prototypes recently spotted testing in Europe showed a sedan-like silhouette, which only makes sense since Hyundai already mentioned the Ioniq 6 would draw significant inspiration from the 2020 Prophecy concept.
Not keen on waiting another year for an exotic Korean EV? Perhaps Hyundai-owned Kia can provide an electrified chariot for your immediate transport/entertainment needs. The Kia EV6 looks equally striking and is going on sale at your nearest Kia dealer in less than three months. There’s no word on pricing yet, but the electric crossover should cost less than $45,000 for the base model, making it one of the most affordable options in the segment.
Rest assured, we’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear about any development about those two!
5. Faraday Future
It looks like 2022 will see another down-on-its-luck EV startup finally come up with a finished product, Faraday Future, an eight-year-old company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Like almost all other fancy new EV startups, Faraday tried to come up with a unique car in an attempt to revolutionize the industry, the FF 91. However, despite receiving over 64,000 reservations in the first 36 hours, the project couldn’t go ahead due to financial woes. Nonetheless, the future now seems much brighter for the Californian startup as it is on schedule to start deliveries by July this year.
With over 1,000hp on tap, the FF 91 could give even the top EVs currently on the market a run for their money — literally. Indeed, with a 0- 60mph sprint in only 2.39 seconds and a 130-kWh battery pack good enough for a respectable 300+ miles of range on a single charge, the FF 91 could be a serious contender in the luxury EV niche.
Ever since its inception in 2014, Faraday Future received several billion-dollar investments and millions in tax incentives from local governments and angel investors as brilliant minds quickly realized the company’s potential. So, it is quite heartwarming to see that finally, the FF 91 is now closer to production than ever before. On December 13, 2021, the startup announced it was on track to start production this summer at its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hanford, California.
Faraday Future hasn’t announced pricing for the FF 91 yet, but expect it to cost nearly $200,000 a pop. Of course, there will also be lower-trim versions, which should cost significantly less, and the federal credit is valid for all FF 91.
Interested? Head over to FF’s website and reserve one of these electric beasts today.
6. Cadillac
Cadillac is going all-in into the EV fad with extensive plans to electrify a significant part of its lineup in coming years and we already have a sneak peek of what its first offering will look like. The Cadillac Lyriq is an electric SUV marking the American brand’s first polar-bear-friendly vehicle. Indeed, the Lyric will be Cadillac’s first offensive in the war against combustion vehicles, which, as the brand announced, will be completely taken out of the equation by 2030. Still, the Lyriq itself is now old news and just an appetizer to create excitement among the general public for what’s to come soon.
As part of the brand’s mission 2030, a range of new cars has been announced, some for the near future and others expected at a later date, including the Celestiq, Vistiq, and Lumistiq. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the “IQ” adorning each nameplate; Cadillac’s new nomenclature system for all-electric vehicles. However, at the time of writing this article, all we know is that the Celestiq luxury sedan is next. Moreover, while Cadillac unveiled the concept back in March 2020, the production version’s launch has already been pushed back several times now. Still, it looks like the wait might be over soon as the premiere is finally slated for June 2022.
Now let’s address the elephant in the room — yes, rumors seem to be true, and in a few years, the Escalade should also go fully electric. Indeed, the company already started filling trademarks for the term “Escalade IQL” and well, since it states that ICE will be completely discontinued by 2030, the Escalade will have no other option but to follow suit. Nonetheless, the Escalade is among the favorites for those who like to travel in style, and it will be interesting to see what Cadillac has in store to push its existing customer base to the EV side.
7. VinFast
Yes, over the last decade, tons of manufacturers were hyped as potential “Tesla killers” by journalists and large automotive media outlets. However, if you ask me, there finally seems to be a brand that might possess the potential to actually get close to the EV giant. VinFast is a Vietnamese startup looking to take the United States automotive industry by storm, not only with an impressive product lineup but also using unique marketing strategies, previously unheard of in the industry. Launched in 2017, VinFast is still relatively young, making its long list of achievements even more impressive.
Let’s talk about the cars first; VinFast aims to become a fully-electric car manufacturer by the end of 2022, and as such, has already started showcasing a comprehensive range of electric cars to be released in the US since November ’21. Unsurprisingly, the focus remains mainly on SUVs and crossovers as the brand tries to comprehensively cover the segments with its VF 5, VF 6, VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9. I know it sounds somewhat confusing, but it really isn’t (can’t be more confusing than BMW and Merc’s nomenclature anyway); the VF 5 represents the smallest A-segment SUV, the VF 6 belongs to the B-segment, and so on. It’s clever stuff because no matter your needs or budget, there is a VinFast SUV for you.
Interestingly, while the cars are mighty impressive in themselves, they aren’t even the main reason why VinFast deserves a place on this list. Indeed, the Vietnamese marque also developed an innovative reservation platform utilizing blockchain technology, the same tech used with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Now, I’m no expert in this field, but nobody else in the car industry is doing it and it sure seems promising.
Moreover, the startup will also offer several incentives, including a VinFast NFT (non-fungible token), membership to the brand’s exclusive club, and an e-voucher of up to $5,000 on reserving one of its cars for $200, each directly transferred to the blockchain wallet in your name, allowing for easy and hassle-free verification.
VinFast accepts reservations for the VF 8 and VF 9 on its website until April 5, 2022, so you might want to hurry up if you are interested in the aforementioned benefits.
Last Words
I think we can safely say that 2022 is shaping up to be a mega year for the EV industry, and the automotive industry as a whole, in terms of new car launches and technological advancements. Of course, this also means competition will increase as new manufacturers will desperately try to snatch business from the established players, by any means necessary. Ultimately, retail buyers like you and me should be able to benefit from amazing deals on equally impressive vehicles — if everything goes according to plan, of course.
While I have prepared this article using the latest possible information about timelines and plans of various manufacturers, there’s also an air of uncertainty surrounding certain promises made by some of these brands, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic, global supply chain restrictions and the semiconductor shortage.
I wouldn’t be surprised if some manufacturers were forced to extend these timelines even further so take all of the above with a grain of salt — let’s keep our fingers crossed, folks!
