If 2020 is the year of the electric car, why has Singapore failed to plug in?

If carmakers have their way, 2020 will be the year of the electric car, especially the premium electric car. The throne that Tesla has occupied virtually unchallenged is about to receive a few pretenders in the year to come.

Audi launched its long-awaited e-tron SUV at the Singapore Motor Show in January and also announced its sibling, the e-tron Sportback coupe SUV.

Later in the year, Audi is expected to release the e-tron GT sports saloon, and an R8-based e-tron sports car further down the road.

BMW have an all-electric version of its super-popular X3 SUV, the iX3, arriving this year, as well as its smaller, funkier cousin, the Mini Cooper SE. Then there is the iNEXT (a mid-sized SUV, we think) and the i4 sports saloon arriving in 2021.

Mercedes-Benz already has the EQC and boss Ola Kallenius has promised that “electromobility will become the core business of Mercedes-Benz”. Mercedes-Benz has exhibited the Vision EQS concept car that previews an all-electric S-Class, which is a sure sign that the carmaker is serious about electric cars.

Then we come to Porsche, which will present the most serious challenge to Tesla’s crown with the Taycan. Tesla is so worried about the lunatic Taycan Turbo S stealing its thunder, it’s developing an equally loony Model S Plaid to counter it.

You also have non-German carmakers. Jaguar has had the I-Pace for a little over a year now and Lexus is starting small (metaphorically speaking) with the UX 300e. I’ve driven the former and found it to be deeply impressive from a dynamics, refinement and engineering standpoint. The only thing that’s a bit trickier to get over is its sawn-off, vertical rump, but that’s a matter of taste. I’ve not laid hands on the Lexus yet, but given the Japanese carmaker’s current form and how much I liked the “regular” UX, I bet the UX 300e will be good.