Here are 10 future classic EVs according to EV Powered
A conversation oft-had at EV Powered HQ is one about future classic EVs. With that in mind, we sat down to discuss a whole bunch of cars we consider to meet this criterion.
Despite not using any scientific methodology at all in our decision making and adopting advanced research methods (see, talking nonsense via Slack and Zoom), we defined a future classic EV as one that falls into the following categories: A car that’s extremely niche, has a cult following, is/was extremely popular, or represented a first of some sorts.
With that in mind, below is a list of 10 cars we consider to meet the future classic EV threshold. What’s more, we’ve recorded a podcast episode about this, which you’ll be able to listen to on Spotify shortly. Also feel free to let us know what you think of our list and what you’d have done differently by sending an email to geast@cbmeg.co.uk.
Abarth 600e Scorpionissima
Abarth has a long and celebrated history of making small, lairy performance cars that attract a cult following. The latest in this line of riotous Italian pocket rockets is its 600e Scorpionissima. Available in either acid yellow or an equally-bright purple, the “Scorp” packs a front-mounted Torsen limited slip front differential and 278bhp making it hilarious fun pretty much anywhere. There’s also plenty of nods to Abarth’s motorsport heritage including a two-spoke steering wheel inspired by the 131 driven by Markku Alen to the 1978 WRC title. Sure, the 600e Scorpionissima isn’t particularly well built, the firm ride won’t appeal to everyone, and it’ll almost certainly appeal to just a handful of people. And they’ll be the ones laughing, because Abarth has built a properly engaging, sub-£40k hot hatch for an electrified future.
BMW i3
Despite being around for over 10 years and out of production since 2022, the BMW i3 remains one of the most distinctive looking EVs around and is a dead cert for future classic EV status. Without a doubt, outstanding design makes an object desirable. Yet when something is purposefully designed and well-considered, it’s elevated to iconic status: cue the BMW i3. The i3 was BMW’s first run purpose-built EV and they threw everything they had at it. The chassis was a bespoke aluminium unit to keep weight down, which was then covered with a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic body. The result was a car that weighed just over 1,110kg and cost BMW around €3 billion to develop, making it one of the most expensive cars ever developed alongside the Mercedes W124 S-Class and the third-gen Range Rover. The i3’s future classic status is cemented by the fact that it proved to the progenetor of the rather excellent i4 and i5.
Renault 5
Cast your mind back just a handful of years, and it’s challenging to recall any Renaults of note. Yet thanks to its CEO Luca de Meo and his EV-focused ‘Renaulation’ drive, the French manufacturer is producing some of the most desirable all-electric cars on sale today. With a reborn Renault 4 scheduled for arrival in July this year, the poster kid of Renault’s current EV range is the Renault 5, an homage to the original ‘Cinq’ produced from 1972 to 1996. This modern take is still very much an R5 with its angular aesthetic without being a pastiche. Overall, then, the Renault 5 manages to appear timeless in its design. While the R5’s looks are undoubtedly the overriding factor in its enormous appeal, we have to consider what else it represents and why it deserves future classic EV status. Priced from £22,995 for the entry-level car with a 40kWh battery and 196 miles worth of range, the new Renault 5 has shown the world that it is possible to build a usable, small EV that won’t break the bank. Little surprise that it’s scooped so many motoring press awards sense it debuted last year.
Tesla Model 3
While saying anything positive about Tesla may come with an element of controversy in today’s political climate, the Tesla Model 3 fully deserves its place on this list. It may not be as well made or as engaging to drive as the similarly-sized BMW i4 or Polestar 2, but those two cars simply wouldn’t be here without the Model 3. When Tesla introduced the Model 3 for the 2017 model year, it proved an immediate hit. Pricing started around an extremely wallet-friendly $47,000, and Tesla’s sensibly-priced Supercharger network gave drivers access to reliable EV charging infrastructure. Most importantly, however, these first-gen cars made EVs properly usable over long trips with a range of up to 360 miles. At the time of writing, the Tesla Model 3 remains the first EV to sell over a million units. As with Volkswagen, perhaps separating Elon Musk from the Tesla brand is what it takes to truly appreciate Model 3 as a future classic EV.
Renault Twizy
The Renault Twizy is amongst the first all-electric cars produced by Renault, and it predates the likes of the Renault 4 and 5 by over a decade. Unlike similar Renault EVs of the time – think the Zoe and and the Fluence Z.E. – the Twizy was a quadricycle. That concept itself is nothing new, but the way it was laid out was: the passenger would sit behind the driver, while scissor doors were optional. Plug-in electric blankets substituted for a heater, and flexi side windows were another option to enclose the cabin. Naturally, the bare-bones, rear-wheel drive Twizy was quite a terrifying proposition in anything but perfect, sunny conditions. The Twizy was available with either a 17bhp or 11bhp motor paired with a 6.1kWh battery returning up to 56 miles of range; the latter could be driven from age 14 in France, Italy, and Spain, or with a moped licence in other European countries. As well as being somewhat weird in its execution, the Twizy’s future classic EV status is emphasised by the fact it was the top-selling plug-in EV in Europe in 2012, and Renault sold just shy of 30,000 of them from 2012 to 2019. Despite going out of production as recently as 2023, the Twizy has become somewhat of a cult icon and is the focus of several dedicated owners clubs and online communities.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
‘Gamechanger’ is an overused word in the car journalist’s lexicon, but that’s exactly what the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is. Born from the mind of Albert Biermann, the brains behind the BMW M3 E46 and now-head of Hyundai’s N skunkworks, the 5 N flipped two fingers towards those who derided EVs as boring to drive and “milk floats”. The N uses simulated gearshifts and a synthetic engine noise not dissimiliar to a four-cylinder turbo to transform the EV driving. Paired with 640bhp, AWD, and a top speed north of 160mph, driving the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is an intoxicating, visceral experience comparable to any ICE performance car. Yet at the push of a button, it shifts back to being the polite, highly-competent Ioniq 5 we all know and love. Evidence of the Hyundai being a future classic EV is the fact that other mainstream carmakers such as Lexus and Ford have taken notice of its EV landscape re-defining by introducing their own versions of simulated transmissions and engine notes.
Porsche Taycan
Given that the idea of an all-electric Porsche is The Devil Himself to certain groups of the automotive world, the Taycan isn’t going to appeal to everyone. Sadly – for them, anyway – this militant faction of car enthusiasts are missing out, because the Taycan drives and feels like a proper Porsche. It’s also a landmark vehicle for Zuffenhausen, because they took the brave step of stepping away from what they do best into what was then-unchartered territory. When the Taycan launched for the 2020 model year, it was good. Yet over the last half-decade, it’s evolved into something truly brilliant with every update, and is more than a worthy alternative to its sister car, the Audi e-tron GT and the BMW i5. When specced in hardcore Turbo GT guise with the optional Weissach pack, the Taycan becomes properly silly courtesy of 1,093bhp, a 0-62mph time of 2.2 seconds, and a top speed of 190mph.
Honda e
Charismatic? Deeply. Hampered in several ways? Very much so. The Honda e makes our list of future classic EVs because it’s one whose styling is loved by everyone. From concept to manufacture, Honda’s first run at a full EV remained largely untouched. Despite being replaced by the somewhat forgettable e:Ny1, there’s still nothing that looks anything like the Honda e. Inside, Honda continues at its brilliant best courtesy of a virtual fishtank, and a ledged dashboard apeing the first-gen Civic. With a 1.5 tonne kerb weight, a boot the size of a thimbal, plus a real world range of some 125 miles – in good weather! – the Honda e remains a deeply-flawed thing. Yet it oozes charisma in a way that so many modern cars just don’t, which is why it’s on our list. Besides, a car doesn’t have to be good to be classic.
Volkswagen e-Golf
Long before the arrival of its all-electric ID. range, VW’s first proper foray into mass-producing family EVs was the e-Golf. Unlike the ID. line-up with its bespoke electric architecture, the e-Golf was simply a Mk7 Golf powered by an electric drivetrain. Given the Mk7 Golf is considered to be the finest example of the modern Golves, this is no bad thing. The e-Golf made its debut in 2014 with a 24.2kWh battery producing 115bhp and a 118 mile range. When the Golf Mk7 became the equally-excellent Mk7.5, the e-Golf underwent a facelift, too. A larger, 35.8kWh battery gave it a still-respectable 188 miles worth of range, and 136bhp. In their formative years, the VW ID. cars were accused of being a kneejerk reaction to ‘Dieselgate’. The e-Golf predates the scandal, making it yet another example of VW doing what VW does best. For that reason alone, the e-Golf fully deserves its future classic EV status.
Citroen e-Mehari
Back in 2016, the Citroen e-Mehari was the French manufacturer’s somewhat humourous attempt at reviving one of its cult icons for the 21st century. Based on the fully-electric Bolloré Bluesummer city car, the e-Mehari was powered by a 30kWh battery producing 68bhp and a range of 124 miles. While the e-Mehari’s face is pure mid/late-2010s Citroen, there are plenty of nods to the original ‘go anywhere, do anything’ Mehari of the late 1960s such as a fully-removable fabric roof, ribbed doors, and a hose-down interior. Apparently, Citroen produced 1,000 e-Meharis but we’ve only seen one in the wild – this ultra-exclusivity is why we’ve put it on our list of future classic EVs. Like the original Mehari, the e-Mehari is also the only EV we know of to be named after a fast-running dromedary camel.
