Electric Cars Are Here! But Are There Any For The Enthusiast?

Hear me out, electric cars are getting much better by the second and that doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon. With cars such as the Polo GTI, Fiesta ST and the recently released Hyundai I20N, manufacturers don't seem as interested to start selling electric versions of their performance hatches, this is where I think they're missing the mark a little.

Hot little motor! Credit - Ford of Europe

Hot little motor! Credit - Ford of Europe

The Problem

You can make any car fast, that's fairly easy! Take something slow, stick a great big burbling V8 in it and there you go, sorted right? Not really. To have a car with real character it has to have the special characteristics which all blend together to make the the perfect recipe of these cars. Take one which people think has this 'X Factor', the Fiesta ST for instance; the whizzy 3 cylinder, engaging drive, manual gearbox, brilliant chassis, great seats, the looks, fun factor and finally the price - BINGO!

Now, when I look at what's currently available in the volt market, these cars just don't seem to exist and it's a shame! The way to get everyone on side, if you really think electrification is the way forward, is to try and build cars like these. It's hard to change the minds of a lot of enthusiasts, because who doesn't love the sounds of all the different engines notes that have ever existed? The way they drive too, engagement is addictive.

I don't even think range anxiety is the problem either, range itself is increasing tenfold and even if the range isn't the best, charging times are also tumbling. So, why do we still want the dinosaur burner?

Do Any Come Close?

The market for small electric hatchbacks is growing and is fairly saturated, but some hit the point a lot more than others. There seems to be two types of electric cars currently, there's the ICE car turned electric, such as the Peugeot 208 and the e-208. Or there's cars which we're fully designed to be electric from the get go, such as the Honda E - I'll compare these two for now to keep it short and easy to follow.

The Peugeot 208 was one of the first cars to offer both of these drivetrains on one platform and for a run around, they work perfectly well, in the city it's even better! Electrically though, is it that good? What I mean is, sure it has acceleration which is fun in any right, but once you've gone beyond that, it just seems like the fun is slightly limited? It's heavier than the ICE cars, it doesn't have the top speed and apart from being electric there's not really much else. It seems to drive like a switch, if you want power touch the go pedal. If you want to slow down either touch the brake or use the regenerative braking. No gears, not much driving involvement, just another car. But the acceleration is great, I'm sure if they were to make a GTI version with improved steering and suspension, it really would be a brilliant car!

Take the Honda E on the other hand and it tries a different approach. Being just as powerful as the e-208 you have around the same amount of shove in a 0-60 sprint, but being rear wheel drive, this time you get a different kind of shove. The retro styling inside and out gives a fresh appearance too as well as the mass array of gadgets, really means you won't easily get bored of this thing! However, we're looking for the whole lot and it still falls short. Again, I think if you increased the power in this a little and built on the low centre of gravity, thanks to the positioning of the drivetrain, it really would be a great little B road stormer!

Currently, it seems like if you fit enough gizmos to a car, some YouTuber will make a 20 minute video playing around with them, we all go "wow!" with the whoopy cushion seats and proceed to buy one. But, why? I'm sure if you made the car as good as it could be, these things really wouldn't be needed, as much of a laugh as they are.

Retro-Goodness

Continuing on from the Honda E, some manufacturers are thinking that possibly going retro is the best thing to do. Whether that be through the design or bringing back an old name, it has got people talking about electric cars as well as reminiscing about the original.

I honestly don't think this is too bad of idea, but I also think you have to get it right. Take the Renault 5 Turbo for instance, it was a lairy mid-engined Group B rally monster! Being hard to drive made it exciting, the fact it wanted to kill you seemed to be what lit the fire in some people for this machine, so I do think some of this needs to be injected into the Renault 5 'Surge', if they ever make it - not the fact it wants to kill you as such, but the excitement! I already think the press images they've released of the concept really made people want it and that's great for the new revolution, but actually release this and get it wrong, it'll flop.

Another car recently revealed was the Opel Manta GSe, the concept fixes the issue of driver engagement - hurrah! Like the original, it has a 4 speed manual gearbox, but due to the electric drivetrain it means it can either be driven like a manual or have the choice of leaving it in 4th gear and let it pull away while pootling around town with ease, it's completely your choice!

I do think little things like this are what people will be looking for, if a cheaper drivers electric car will truly exist. I say this because, sadly, the Manta will be staying as a concept Opel have confirmed. It's a shame, but gives us some hope.

A genuine electric Mini! Credit - BMW Group

A genuine electric Mini! Credit - BMW Group

Crap Drivetrain? Get Some Batteries In

Confused? Give me a second. Remember the times when you'd see a British made car at the side of the road, usually bellowing steam out of the engine bay, as it had it's fifth breakdown in a week? Well, surely this is a decent platform to use for electrification?

You can never go wrong with the Classic Mini for pure fun, maybe not fun in a crash but we'll leave that to one side for now. I know it seems a bit blasphemy to change anything on the classic, but with environmental changes and all the rest of it, the instant torque in a Mini which weighs hardly anything must still be joyous? Couple that in with the fact it always had it's staple nippy handling and this seems like a fun little recipe!

Revealed at the New York International Auto Show in 2018, MINI gave us an insight into cult classics being turned 'environmentally friendly', while keeping that same character and desire. Now, while I love the whine of the gearbox you get from the original as well as the induction noise, I reckon the trade off for instant torque would be heaps of fun! If you coupled this car with Opel's idea of the 4 speed manual transmission and maybe also include some up to date retro-ness from the interior of the Honda E, does this make the enthusiast's dream car?

I really do hope that manufacturers start to make some sort of fun cheap electric cars available, if the governments really will start to push for it, we have no choice but to go looking for our thrills in some way. But it does seem that the way to go forward with electrification for the enthusiast, is to look back.