The convertible bodystyle has always represented the concept of open-top, fun, motoring, and the transition from ICE powertrains does not mean this bodystyle is dead. Rather, here are nine electric convertible cars expected on the market soon.
BYD Han EV convertible
Based on the BYD Han sedan, a convertible and wagon bodystyle is reportedly under study. Render of the BYD Han EV cabriolet courtesy of SugarDesign via Instagram.
Spy shots posted on AutoEvolution.com show that the Warren Buffet-backed Chinese carmaker is testing a convertible variant of its BYD Han sedan, already on sale in China. The Han would be a key model, especially if the company green-lights the Han convertible and estate variants which are popular segments in Europe. BYD also showcased the Han EV sedan at a German roadshow in 2020, and with its BYD Blade LFP battery, the range goes up to 380 miles (605 km) as per NEDC testing.
Launch Date – Expected to be approved for production this year
Price – Equivalent of $33,000 onwards
Wuling Mini EV Convertible
The Wuling Mini EV Convertible is anticipated in China this year. Image Source: China’s Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT)
Among the electric convertible cars from China is the Wuling Mini EV convertible, which debuted at Auto Shanghai 2021. Images of the tiny convertible EV went viral on social media owing to its ‘Smart’ car-like size and an expectation of a very low price. As per Chinese reports, it gets a 30 kW motor with a bigger 26.45 kWh LFP battery, giving it a top speed of 62 mph (100 km), though the exact specifications has not been announced.
Wuling said the Mini EV would feature an electric soft top mechanism, dual 10-inch screens for the interior, and the rear seat would be removed (Wuling already makes a Mini EV hardtop) to accommodate the mechanism. A market launch in China is expected shortly.
Launch Date – Expected to launch in China this year
Price – Expected to be priced from $5,000 in China
VW electric Convertible
Volkswagen’s electric convertible could be based on the ID.3 or an upcoming EV. Image – Herbert Diess/Twitter
Since Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess teased an ID.3 electric convertible on Twitter in March 2021, it’s only a matter of time before we see a convertible riding on an EV platform. As per reports, a concept previewing the design of the ID.3 Cabrio could be revealed very soon, and the production version could mirror the ID.3 hatch’s powertrains: from a base 217 mile, 150 hp variant to a 338 mile, 204 hp version, the ID.3 Cabrio could become the most successful among electric convertible cars.
Launch Date – Concept expected to be shown this year
Price – From $45,000 in EU and U.K. markets where it will launch initially
MG Cyberster
The MG Cyberster is the first ‘crowdfunded’ car project and could be the most affordable electric sports car model globally. Image – MG
The Cyberster is planned to celebrate MG’s centenary (2024), and according to reports, the company wants to maintain that timeline and fast-track production. The ‘affordable sportscar’ takes styling cues from the MGB roadster and, in concept form, featured a module-less battery technology with 500 miles of range and 0-62 mph in just 3 seconds. It is also the first time a manufacturer is using the concept of crowdfunding to start a project, and through this, MG has found 5,000 prospective buyers already.
Among this list of electric convertible cars, the Cyberster should be the model combining affordability and performance.
Launch Date – Expected before 2023
Price – Expected to be within $50,000-60,000
Tesla Roadster
The quickest electric convertible car of the future has the Tesla Roadster starting at the top. Image – Tesla
Highly anticipated among electric convertible cars is the Tesla Roadster, with Elon Musk stating in June 2021 that the company had ideas to further increase torque and maximum rpm for the Roadster, indicating that new performance milestones will be achieved for a production car. The SpaceX package for the Roadster could see 60 mph come up in 1.1 seconds. However, it is anyone’s guess how much further the Roadster production will be delayed due to supply chain issues, which have already delayed the Tesla Cybertruck and slowed deliveries of the 2022 Tesla Model X.
Products like the Cybertruck (where Tesla can make significant profits) are essential for projects like the Roadster, which consumes a high level of resources for development and production.
Launch Date – Expected by the end of 2024; we should know more during Tesla’s next earnings call.
Price – From $200,000
Fiat 500e Cabrio
The 500e family was the best-selling EV in Italy in 2021. Image – Fiat
If you are after electric convertible cars available today, the 500e Cabriolet certainly ticks that box. However, Fiat is not done launching the product across all its markets. The 500e Cabriolet is presently available in certain EU countries and the UK and was Italy’s best-selling EV in 2021 with a 16 percent market share of the passenger EV industry.
With the 42 kWh battery, the 500e Cabriolet has a WLTP range of 199 miles and takes 9 seconds to sprint from 0-62 mph. If Fiat can bring out a version of the 500e with more range performance (the 199-mile WLTP rating would fall further under EPA conditions), a launch in the USA could be up for exploration.
A future Abarth 500e (which could be offered in convertible body style too) has the potential to put this nameplate among the quickest electric convertible cars you can buy in the future.
Launch Date – Already available, but more countries should soon get the 500e Cabriolet
Price – From $38,000
Smart EQ ForTwo Cabrio
Smart’s future largely depends on the success of the Smart #1 based on Geely SEA platform. Image – Smart
Chip shortages derailing your plan to buy an EV? Well, as far as the Smart FQ ForTwo Cabrio is concerned, you don’t have to wait; you can buy it now! With a 60 kW electric motor and an eight-year warranty for the battery, the Smart EQ Cabrio is available in the EU and UK markets (Smart cars are no longer sold in the U.S. as the high cost of homologating the ForTwo combined with slow sales, to begin with, did not make a business case for the brand). A 17.2 kWh battery sees the ForTwo Cabrio achieve 80 miles of range on the WLTP cycle, with a top speed of 81 mph and 0-62 mph in 11.9 seconds.
Launch Date/Availability – Available in Europe and UK markets
Price – From $35,000
2025 Mini Convertible EV
A digital mockup of what the 2023 Mini EV could look like. The convertible should follow within two years from the hardtop’s launch. Image – SRK Designs
The 2025 Mini Convertible EV would be a significant addition to the electric convertible cars segment, as one in five new Mini vehicles bought in Germany in 2020 was a convertible. The demand for the Mini convertible is poised to grow, so much that the company was convinced to launch the next-gen model as an electric vehicle.
The development of a successor to the only open-top four-seater in the premium small car segment is a done deal. The new model is scheduled to be unveiled in 2025.
BMW Group’s announcement on May 12, 2021 via press.bmwgroup.com
The next-generation Mini electric hatch is expected to be revealed in early 2023, and the convertible variant should follow it in two years. Riding on a modified version of the BMW’s front-wheel drive platform, the upcoming generation of the Mini will be the last to feature an engine as Mini targets to be a full EV carmaker by 2030.
Release Date – Expected in 2025
Price – Expected from $42,000 onwards
GMC Hummer EV
The Hummer EV lets you remove its roof panels however you please. Image – GMC
What is the GMC Hummer EV doing in a list of electric convertible cars, you ask? Well, when the four rectangle-tinted ‘Lexan’ panels are removed from the roof, the Hummer EV is as open-top as a convertible can get! Better still, owners can choose to remove the individual panels in any combination, and once uninstalled, and they can be accommodated in the ‘frunk’ in vinyl bags or foam boxes.
And until the Tesla Roadster and MG Cyberster are out, if you want a fast electric convertible car, look no further than the Hummer EV as it claims 3 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint using the Watts to Freedom feature.
Release Date – The Edition 1 deliveries are underway, though this model is sold out. Deliveries of the EV3X are expected in fall 2022, followed by the EV2X in spring 2023 and the EV2 in spring 2024.
Price – Currently at $112,595 though future versions will see the price dropping to $80,000
Featured Image – Audi A3 Cabriolet (For illustration); Source: Audi
Keyword: 9 electric convertible cars that you’ll be able to buy soon