The onset of both the EV and SUV revolution in recent years has seen a dramatic rise in the sheer number of available models across both these categories. This time we’re paying attention to the Australian EV market with a special emphasis on the upcoming all-electric SUVs slated to arrive by the end of 2023.

The sheer number of upcoming all-electric cars across the globe is quite impressive and the Australian market is no different. In line with the recent trends, a large chunk of the entire upcoming fleet of EVs will be crossovers and SUVs. However, not all of the announced models will be making their way here as some of them are exclusively intended for other markets. Furthermore, compounded by the COVID-19 crisis, the number of models that won’t be coming to Australia anytime soon has grown even further. The upcoming Cadillac Lyric, for instance, wasn’t intended for the Australian market, to begin with. On the other hand, the unlucky Byton M-Byte’s arrival has been pushed back indefinitely due to the Chinese company’s financial difficulties stemming from the pandemic’s onset.

Even with some manufacturers pulling back to regroup and recuperate, and others deciding against stating their intention to enter the Australian market, for the time being, there’s still plenty of upcoming electric SUVs Australia will be looking forward to. Note, however, that future releases are oftentimes uncertain even during the best of times, let alone during challenging periods like the one at our hands currently. Take, for example, the BMW iX3 which was already supposed to be gracing our roads but apparently won’t be making an official appearance for a while yet. This is why you should take the arrival dates for the models below with reserve as they’re subject to change. 

Here are 10 electric SUVs we can expect to see in Australia from 2021 to 2023

Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

Inspired by the iconic pony car but powered exclusively by electricity. That would be the simplest description of the upcoming Ford Mustang Mach-E electric crossover. Arriving in the U.S. market in 2021, the latest addition to Ford’s electric lineup of models is expected to migrate overseas shortly thereafter. Initially to Europe, and then to China and Australia. Expect the right-hand-drive specimens to arrive here sometime in 2022 or 2023 with prices starting north of US$45,000 for the base and US$61,000 for the performance GT models. In Australia, both figures should land in the six-digit territory.

The Mach-E will be available either with smaller 75.7kWh or larger 98.8kWh battery packs which provide between 340 and 480 kilometres of range depending on the chosen configuration. The conventional model’s power outputs amount to between 190kW and 248kW, while the performance-oriented GT models crank up as much as 342kW and 830Nm of torque. That’s more than enough to propel them from standstill to 100km/h in around 3.5 seconds. In other words, that’s more than enough to maintain the ferocious Mustang reputation, even in this unorthodox form.

Tesla Model Y

The eagerly anticipated entry-level all-electric crossover from Tesla is nearly here. Already available in the U.S. as of March 2020, the smaller of two Tesla SUVs is slated to migrate to Australia sometime during 2022. However, this hasn’t been confirmed yet. The same can be said about the Australian-spec Model Y’s prices. After cutting the Standard Range models before they even made their entrance, the entry-level U.S.-spec Model Y which, at the moment, is the Long Range AWD, starts from around US$60,000 drive away. Translated to Australian dollars, that’s around AU$85,000 but expect to be required to shelve out around AU$100,000 instead due to various import fees and tariffs, and the fact that prices are tied to the U.S. dollar. A more affordable RWD Long Range model was planned to be released to the AU market but has now been deleted from the lineup.

Currently exclusively offered with dual motors in conventional and Performance long ranges, the Model Y offers either 258kW or 340kW respectively. At the same time, it offers either 505km or 480km of range on a single charge. The upcoming single-motor Long Range model will be providing a slightly lower output but a comparably longer range of around 540km. It will also accelerate from 0 to 100kph in 5.5 seconds. Meanwhile, the fastest Model Y accelerates to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds, whereas the AWD Long Range model does the same in 5.1 seconds. More should become known in the upcoming months.

Porsche Macan EV

The smaller of two Porsche crossovers is getting bolstered by a fully-fledged EV model which is slated to begin production in 2022. The second Porsche EV after the Taycan, however, isn’t expected to make it to Australia straight from the get-go. Instead, it’ll likely arrive a year later which is still in time for a 2023 debut. Precious few details are known at this point and price range – as you might have expected – isn’t one of them. The conventional Macan starts from around  AU$100,000 drive away, so don’t expect its EV counterpart to go for anything less than six digits.

The Porsche Macan EV will ride on the new PPE platform co-developed by VW Group’s premium brands Porsche and Audi. At the moment, we only know that the more powerful version going by the well-known Turbo S moniker will generate 522kW. This amount of power and the fact that EVs come with instantly available maximum torque, promises blistering acceleration although Porsche still hasn’t come out with the exact figures.

Rivian R1S

Although the number of electric cars Australia has to offer is growing by the minute, large all-electric SUVs are still rarer than hens’ teeth. Luckily for prospective seven-seat electric SUV buyers, one company aims to rectify that issue. The upstart American automaker Rivian will launch its first models in 2023 and both the R1S SUV and R1T ute are expected to make it to Australia sometime by 2024. Priced at around US$75,000 overseas, the R1S will probably go for as much as around AU$150,000 by the time it arrives here.

The U.S.-spec models will be available with three battery packs ranging from 105kW, over 135kW, to 180kW. The largest of the three will reportedly provide up to 660km of range according to the U.S. EPA standards. The entry and mid-range models will, on the other hand, provide either 385km or 500km of range on a single charge respectively. Apart from being efficient, they’ll be equally powerful as well, with the most powerful model generating a whopping 562kW. That’s enough to propel the  2650kg beast from 0 to 100km/h in 3 seconds flat according to Rivian.

Polestar 3

After the ludicrously expensive and limited Polestar 1, and the Tesla Model 3 fighter personified in the Polestar 2, Volvo’s performance electric wing is now aiming to market its very first crossover.

Aptly named the Polestar 3, the electric SUV will borrow most of its cues from the Precept concept which was supposed to make its debut at the cancelled 2020 Geneva Auto Show. The Polestar 3 is due to go on sale in 2022 but it’s still unclear whether this includes Australia as well. Taking the previous Polestar’s practice into account, we’ll likely get it up to a year later. The price still hasn’t been disclosed, but considering it’ll target the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-tron, and Tesla Model X, expect it to start north of AU$100,000.

The upcoming Polestar 3 will share its SPA2 platform with the next-gen Volvo XC90 but similarities will likely end there. Emphasizing on performance, rather than comfort, the Polestar should receive a more powerful twin-motor setup with around 500 km of range. Acceleration figures haven’t been disclosed yet but we guess that the crossover will be able to hit 100km/h in around 4 seconds. We eagerly anticipate further information from the Geely camp.

Lexus UX 300e

Toyota’s luxury division is no stranger to hybrids but it wasn’t until the UX 300e that they’d offered a full zero-emission vehicle. Already available for order in Europe and China, the small crossover is yet to be confirmed for Australia. Although Lexus Australia has expressed interest in bringing it here, the emphasis is still on hybrids due to inadequate charging infrastructure. If things improve on that front, the UX 300e could very well make it to Australia in the coming years with prices likely starting from around AU$80,000.

The Lexus UX 300e is powered by a 54.3kWh lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor sitting on the front axle. The total system output comes to 150kW while the estimated range amounts to 315km on a single charge. The UX 300e also supports 50kW DC fast-charging which zaps its battery up to 80 per cent in under an hour. Meanwhile, domestic outlets will fully recharge the battery within eight hours. Not the fastest in charging times and not the fastest accelerating electric crossover on the market either as it needs 7.5 seconds to reach 100km/h from a standstill.

Lucid Gravity

After successfully launching their very first model, the Air sedan, Lucid is already looking to expand its lineup. It comes as no surprise that their next project is an SUV as the fledgling electric carmaker aims to capitalize on the buzz created by its beautiful sedan. Dubbed the Project Gravity (likely to be named simply Gravity), the SUV is scheduled to enter production by 2023 so that’s the earliest we can expect to see it in Australia. Its U.S. price is estimated at US$90,000 so expect it to cost anywhere between AU$150,000 and AU$180,000 once it crosses the Pacific.

Based on the same underpinnings as the Air sedan, the Gravity SUV will also borrow its sedan sibling’s powertrains. In the most potent of setups, the Gravity will thus yield a whopping 736kW thanks to a large 113kWh battery. This is enough to give the sedan as much as 830km of range and a blistering 0 to 100km/h time of 2.5 seconds. Since the Gravity will be slightly heavier and less aerodynamic, expect both its range and acceleration to suffer minor penalties compared to those of the more nimble Air sedan.

Volvo XC40 Recharge

Volvo’s first all-electric vehicle which was initially scheduled to arrive in late 2020 will instead reach Australia towards the end of 2022. Although Volvo is still coy with pricing, the EV will command a hefty premium over the conventional XC40 models which currently range between AU$47,000 and AU$57,000. The most likely starting sticker is just under AU$100,000.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge is powered by dual electric motors driven by a 78kWh lithium-ion battery pack for a combined output of 300kW and 660Nm of torque. It should be able to hit the 100km/h mark in 4.9 seconds and provide up to 400km of range. The XC40 Recharge supports a 150kW fast charger which should reinvigorate 80 per cent of its battery in just 40 minutes. Otherwise, a wall outlet will fully charge it in about eight hours.

Volkswagen ID.4

The second model in the new ID range of all-electric VW models and their very first electric SUV, the Volkswagen ID.4 is getting ready for first global deliveries. Sadly, the Australian market will miss out on yet another interesting electric SUV; at least initially. The ID.4 is expected to make it to the Land Down Under, but not before 2022 or 2023. When it eventually does arrive, expect it to be priced in the range between AU$60,000 and AU$70,000 which would make it one of the more affordable electric crossovers on the market.

The Euro-spec VW ID.4 comes in three different battery pack flavours of 45kWh, 58kWh, and 77kWh. The largest of the three provides a healthy 520 kilometres of WLTP-verified driving range. Meanwhile, the U.S.-spec model gets a larger 82kWh battery. It’s still unclear which option(s) will be making it here. We do know that the slowest rear-wheel-drive models with a single motor and the smallest battery will need as much as 8.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h. The Germans still haven’t disclosed acceleration times of more potent models.

Conclusion

Although the all-electric car market is undergoing a rapid expansion all across the globe, Australia is still trailing other major markets in more ways than one. Severely underdeveloped EV infrastructure and lack of government incentives serve as a detrimental factor for local manufacturer’s divisions in pleading a successful case for bringing the newest EV models to Australia.

That’s why the sheer number of upcoming electric cars Australia will have to offer is comparably lower than the number of new EVs in the U.S. or Europe. That’s also the reason for their late arrival; especially compared to the said markets. Still, the aforementioned 9 electric SUVs coming to Australia by 2023 remind us that not everything is as bleak as it might seem at first glance.

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