3 electric cars that will make things difficult for Tesla

These three cars will challenge the leadership of Tesla in premium electric mobility.

Tesla is the rival to beat when it comes to electric cars. The Elon Musk company has turned its models into a benchmark for range and performance. Despite its youth, Tesla is by far the brand that sells the most electric cars on the market, but is its leading position guaranteed for the coming years? It is hard to know, but what is clear is that Tesla will face tough rivals in the coming years. Just to name a few, these are the three cars that will make things most difficult for Tesla in the near future:

1. Mercedes EQA: a touchstone for the Tesla Model 3

The Mercedes EQA is a compact electric saloon that will compete directly with the Tesla Model 3 when it reaches the market. Although it is still under development – its official presentation should take place right after the first appearance of the Mercedes EQC, the first electric SUV from the Bavarian firm – this compact 100% electric car promises to be a tough rival for the Tesla Model 3 thanks to its range: it will incorporate a battery of between 60 and 70 kWh that will allow it to travel about 400 real-world kilometres on a single charge. We recall that the Tesla Model 3 is offered in two versions whose range is 354 km in the standard version and 500 km in the “long range” variant.

The performance of the Mercedes EQA is also very similar to that of the Tesla Model 3. The German car will have two electric motors (one on the front axle and another on the rear) whose combined output will be around 402 CV. We still do not know the exact power that the Tesla Model 3 will offer when it arrives in the Spanish market around mid-2019, but we know that the most performance-oriented version will be around 400 CV.

2. Porsche Taycan: a nightmare for the Tesla Model S

Not long ago we learned that the first electric sports car from Porsche, based on the Mission E prototype, will be called the Porsche Taycan. This model could become a real nightmare for the Tesla Model S for several reasons, the first being build quality: the Porsche Taycan will surely have better materials, fit and finish in the cabin than the Tesla Model S. The images we have seen so far of the Taycan are good proof of this and, although the Tesla Model S offers premium finishes, it will sit below the sports car from Porsche.

In terms of performance, both models will offer similar output. The Porsche Taycan features two electric motors with a combined output of 600 CV, allowing an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in under 3.5 seconds. The German sports car’s range will also exceed 500 km on a single charge (figures still according to the old NEDC cycle; range will be somewhat lower under the WLTP cycle). For its part, the Tesla Model S offers three power variants (333 CV, 423 CV and 612 CV), with its top-of-the-range version being slightly quicker (2.7 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h) than the Porsche Taycan. The range of the American saloon is also around 500 km.

Finally, we bet that the Porsche Taycan will offer slightly sharper driving dynamics than the Tesla Model S. The Bavarian firm’s experience in building high-performance sports cars should work in the Taycan’s favour in this duel.

3. Audi e-tron quattro: an “anti” Tesla Model X

The first electric SUV from the Ingolstadt firm will reach the market in early 2019 and promises to be a tough rival to the Tesla Model X. The price and official technical specifications of the new Audi e-tron quattro are still unknown, but we know it will offer more than 400 km of range under the new WLTP homologation cycle and that its output will reach up to 500 CV in “boost” mode. Another of the e-tron’s major selling points is its fast-charging system, which can recharge the battery in less than 30 minutes at a power of 150 kW, a feature that brings it closer to the Tesla Model X and its “Supercharging” charging system, which adds 270 km of range in 30 minutes at a power of 145 kW.