10 Top EV & Hybrid Debuts from the 2022 New York Auto Show
Auto shows have been casualties of the pandemic the world over. Here in Canada, they’re expected to return in 2023, but organizers have managed to reopen the New York Auto Show this April for the first time since 2019.
In line with how many automakers are spending their research and development dollars, and with an eye on upcoming Zero Emission Vehicle targets and mandates, most of the hot new cars on show in New York are electrified in some form. Having visited the show during press days, we’ve brought together some of the best EVs and hybrids for this virtual tour.
2023 Toyota bZ4X
2023 Toyota bZ4X | Photo: Graham Heeps
Toyota has done more than any mainstream brand to get hybrid vehicles onto Canadian roads. Its first pure battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is the new bZ4X (bZ for ‘Beyond Zero’). It arrives at Canadian dealers in late-Spring priced from $44,990 (FWD L) to $62,750 (AWD XLE Technology Package).
Read our full 2023 bZ4X first drive review here.
First of seven bZ models hitting the market
Compact SUVs like the big-selling RAV4 are the heart of the Canadian car market so it’s a great place for Toyota to position the first of seven bZ models coming by 2025. It will compete with the likes of the Volkswagen ID.4, upcoming Nissan Ariya and the more expensive Tesla Model Y.
There’s said to be excellent interior space thanks to an EV-specific platform and long wheelbase. Connectivity is boosted by an all-new multimedia system on a 12.3-inch screen for most grades, and a smartphone app that offers remote services. A heat pump helps maintain the battery pack’s range in cold conditions.
Subaru enthusiasts should check out another New York show star, the Solterra, which was developed collaboratively alongside the bZ4X. Here’s a look at Toyota’s entire EV and hybrid SUV lineup.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | Photo: Graham Heeps
Ford is offering New York showgoers short rides in the Lightning, keen to demonstrate that even full-size pickups can embrace the EV revolution. But with production capacity already expanding to meet overwhelming demand, it seems the Blue Oval already has a hit on its hands, even before the first trucks reach customers just a few weeks from now. Prices start at $68,000 for an XLT with 426 HP and 370km of range.
Ford’s electric F-150 comes in 4WD-only
With electric motors front and rear, the F-150 is 4WD-only. Engineers fine-tuned the power delivery in cold conditions during two weeks in Alaska in minus 34 degrees C this past winter.
The Lightning’s key competitor, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, is also on display in New York. Built around GM’s soon-to-be-ubiquitous Ultium battery and drive units – and styled more sleekly than the average pickup – the electric Chevy will have a range of around 400 miles when it arrives next year. It’ll be offered initially as the RST First Edition or as a work truck.
Here’s our closer look at the F-150 Lightning’s range and specs.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee High Altitude 4xe
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee High Altitude 4xe | Photo: Graham Heeps
Hot on the heels of the Wrangler 4xe, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has gained a plug-in hybrid derivative for 2022. At the New York show, Jeep showed the SUV with a new High Altitude package and Hydro Blue ‘pearl coat’ exterior colour, both of which will be available to order in the second half of this year.
New Jeep gets two electric motors
The Grand Cherokee 4xe delivers 42km of all-electric range and equivalent combined fuel economy of 4.2L/100km. It has two electric motors, a 2-litre turbocharged engine and an 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.
The blacked-out High Altitude package for Summit 4xe and Summit Reserve 4xe models costs $1,795 and includes 21-inch gloss black alloy wheels, gloss black exterior trim and badging, roof rails and a unique seven-slot grille. The attractive Hydro Blue paint adds a further $395 to the price. Both can be applied to either the standard Grand Cherokee or to the three-row L model.
2023 Kia Niro
2023 Kia Niro | Photo: Graham Heeps
Making its North American debut in New York, the Niro is available only in three different electrified forms – hybrid, plug-in hybrid and BEV. It goes on sale in late-fall as a 2023 model.
Influenced by Kia’s 2019 HabaNiro concept car and the larger EV6 we reviewed here, the Niro gets a bold new look. The Niro hybrid and plug-in are identified by black door cladding and wheel arches; the Niro EV gets grey or black exterior trim. The C-pillar’s distinctive Aero Blade aids airflow underneath and may be painted either in the body colour or in a contrasting shade.
Niro dimensions increase for 2023
The new Niro is a little larger than before. Kia is claiming slightly more room than the Tesla Model 3 in the sustainable-materials-heavy cabin, and 50 percent more cargo space.
All three versions offer economical motoring. The automaker is targeting 4.4L/100km for the regular hybrid and the plug-in gets a 25-percent-greater electric range than the car it replaces. Meanwhile the EV should be good for over 400km.
2023 Nissan Ariya
2023 Nissan Ariya | Photo: Graham Heeps
Nissan was an EV pioneer with the Leaf hatchback back in 2010. Now comes its first all-electric crossover, the Ariya. It was originally intended to have been on sale in North America before the New York show but will finally reach customers in the fall as a 2023 model, having been delayed by the supply-chain problems affecting the auto industry.
Expect six trims and four different mechanical options
Pricing has yet to be confirmed but reservations are already open for the X-Trail-sized Ariya, which its maker is calling, “the most advanced and connected vehicle Nissan has ever created”. There will be six available trim levels and four different mechanical specifications, with single-motor FWD cars or dual-motor AWD models each available with either a 63kWh battery for an estimated range of up to 346km, or an 87kWh pack that delivers up to 458km.
Nissan intends for more than 40% of its North American vehicle sales by 2030 to be fully electric, so expect further EVs to quickly join the Ariya and Leaf in the range.
2023 VinFast VF 9
2023 VinFast VF 9 | Photo: Graham Heeps
Vietnamese newcomer VinFast made its first cars only four years ago, but is already phasing out the gas-powered models sold in its domestic market in favour of a new range of EVs to be sold around the world. The first models coming to Canada are the VF 8, a midsize crossover, and larger VF 9, which has three rows of seats.
VinFast offers a lifetime battery warranty
Prices will start at $51,250 for the VF 8 and $69,750 for the VF 9, with reservations already open online. Unusually, the battery will be offered on a lease basis, with different subscription plans based on distance travelled. The idea is to keep the price of ownership down for drivers who mostly make short trips. VinFast also provides a lifetime battery warranty.
The company expects to deliver its first vehicles to customers in North America by the end of this year, with work already underway on a US factory to underpin future expansion.
2023 Toyota Sequoia i-Force Max
2023 Toyota Sequoia i-Force Max | Photo: Graham Heeps
It’s more than a decade since Toyota fully renewed its full-size SUV but from this summer the brand will have an all-new competitor for domestic stalwarts like the Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon.
A hybrid-powered Sequoia SUV
Unlike those vehicles however, the Sequoia comes with a hybrid powertrain. The big SUV shares its underpinnings with the latest Tundra, inheriting the truck’s i-Force Max setup as standard equipment. It’s a different technology to the regular Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, placing the electric motor-generator between the twin-turbo V6 engine and 10-speed transmission so that the Sequoia feels like a regular large SUV to drive, rather than a Prius.
The system makes 437 HP and 583 lb-ft of torque, enabling the three-row SUV to tow up to 4,080kg (9,000 lb). Like the Sequoia’s pricing, official economy figures aren’t available yet, but for comparison purposes the Tundra Hybrid registers a small economy improvement over the regular V6 despite having 48 additional horsepower.
2023 Indi One
2023 Indi One | Photo: Graham Heeps
Independent Electric Vehicles (Indi) will be a new name to most, but its first car, the One, is scheduled to arrive next year offering something different in the fast-growing world of BEVs. Midway in size between Tesla Models Y and X, the One places its focus more on the user experience than outright performance.
Multiple cameras, a powerful onboard computer, and gaming for passengers
Indi believes that cars should do far more to integrate seamlessly into our daily digital lives. To achieve this goal, the premium version of the One won’t just have a bigger drive battery for longer range, but multiple cameras and a powerful, onboard Windows computer that can be used for anything from video conferencing to social media creation or live streaming.
Gaming for passengers is another selling point. We took a ride at the show, donned a VR headset and spent the short trip zapping zombies with a laser gun. As the car turned, so did the armoured vehicle you were sat inside in the virtual world. It was an eye-opening insight into how EVs might change not just the fuel we use, but how we use vehicles altogether.
2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz
2024 Volkswagen ID. Buzz | Photo: Graham Heeps
Making its first US auto show appearance, the production-ready ID. Buzz is a classic T1 Microbus reimagined as a BEV. There’s arguably no better-looking EV on the New York show floor and sales start in Europe later this year, but unfortunately for Canadian consumers, it won’t come here in this form. Instead, a long-wheelbase version will be revealed next year before going on sale in North America in 2024.
Paying homage to the classic T1 – in electric form
The colour break in the van-like body echoes the original Microbus of the 1950s and 60s. There is sliding-door access for rear passengers and inside, the seat covers incorporate recycled material. Beneath the surface, Buzz sits on the same, scalable ‘MEB’ EV architecture as the ID.4 SUV, which is already on sale but will get a price cut when production starts in Tennessee this fall.
2025 Deus Vayanne
2025 Deus Vayanne | Photo: Graham Heeps
And finally, proof if it were needed that EVs can mix it with the most exotic cars on the planet. The Vayanne is a new all-electric hypercar from Austrian startup, Deus, which will be built by the experienced Italdesign organization in Italy and engineered with the help of Williams Advanced Engineering in the UK, a spin-off from the legendary Formula 1 team.
A 2,200-horsepower EV with a 3-million dollar price tag
The two-seater makes its world debut as a show car in New York, turning heads with its sleek styling with infinity-symbol design cues. We were able to try it for size and it’s surprisingly roomy, even for taller drivers.
The project’s partners will build just 99 examples of the three-motor Vayanne, priced at around US$2.5 million apiece. Each will be uniquely finished in the customer’s choice of exterior colours and interior trim. Oh, and did we mention the performance? It has 2,200 HP and estimated zero to 60mph acceleration of 1.99 seconds!
If you’re buying a pre-owned EV or hybrid vehicle, shop our inventory of used, certified electric and hybrid vehicles here.
