Upcoming Electric Cars of 2024 - the end of the Funky Cat- but the start of the Ora 03

The end of the Funky Cat, but the start of the Ora 03 and BMW i5 Tourer electric car lease deal - upcoming electric cars of 2024

Keeping up to date with electric car news is now a full-time job. With EVs now forming part of our global emissions strategy, this is no longer just about the cars we drive, it is very much part of a bigger energy and fuel conversation. Only yesterday, Sky News  reported that EVs could contribute to importation cuts in petrol and diesel and move the UK towards more energy independence.

With the UK utilising foreign oil to fuel our cars and vans (among other things), the issue is that homegrown energy production is removed and we are at the behest of other nations. As we have experienced over the last 3-4 years, this leads to exponential increases in energy costs in our homes, business premises and at the petrol forecourts.

But with the ZEV Mandate now in place, the manufacturers seeking to sell their product in the UK MUST ensure that from this year (2024) at least 22% are zero-emission. And this increases year after year until the 80% threshold in 2030.

As the article identifies, this means that powering our transition to BEVs will focus more on renewable energy in order to produce the electricity to fuel our fleets, with an expected £100 billion investment to follow. And as the National Grid Live data sets out - some 58.7% of our electric power is coming from renewables. So the infrastructure is very much there.

Electricity Production - January 24th 2024

As part of this, EV car makers are now investing time and resource into ensuring a sufficient amount of all-electric options are available for the UK’s personal and business market. Only last night (22 January 2024), the BMW group announced another new battery tech vehicle coming soon … the BMW i5 Touring.

While there is limited information available on the  BMW  website  it does at least confirm that we will see this in Spring 2024. The new i5 tourer / station wagon, will likely follow the saloon with the RWD eDrive40 (81kWh usable battery, 295-mile real world range and 250kW / 335hp) and AWD M60 xDrive (81kWh usable battery, 265-mile real world range and 442kW / 593hp).

The addition of the estate is welcome news to those company car and business users with family / carrying capacity requirements. And there are not that many electric estates to choose from with just the MG5, Taycan Cross Turismo, Astra Sports Tourer and upcoming Audi A6 e-tron. So the new i5 estate will be a welcome addition to our  BMW electric offers  at e-car lease.

And in further news, the GWM team, who produce the cheap Funky Cat, recently announced some upcoming changes to their product repertoire. The “Ora Funky Cat” will now be known as the “Ora 03” as part of a new brand direction in the UK. Further models from GWM will follow this branding approach too.

As the GWM website sets out UK customers can choose between:

•  Pure+ - from £31,995 this model includes a 10.25” infotainment and instrument cluster, navigation, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lane keep assist, reversing camera, 360 camera, high beam assist, keyless entry and start, LED headlights, wireless charging, rear parking sensors, auto dimming mirror. The usable battery of 45 kWh enables 160-mile real world ranges, 126kW (169hp) and 0-62 times of 8.3 seconds. The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 5 hours with the 64kW DC enabling 10-80% in 45 minutes. The Pure+ has a 143mpg equivalent and a 228L cargo volume; and         

•  Pro+ - from £34,995 this model adds heated and massaging seats, auto reversing, auto parking assist and front parking sensors. The usable battery of 59 kWh enables 210-mile real world ranges, 126kW (169hp) and 0-62 times of 8.2 seconds. The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 6 hour and 30 minutes with the 64kW DC enabling 10-80% in 58 minutes. The Pro+ has a 143mpg equivalent and a 228L cargo volume.

With the 03 set to follow the current value of the Funky Cat, expect some amazing deals at:

Browse our GWM ORA deals