All the New EVs and Concepts from the IAA Mobility Munich

PLUS: Smart is going big, Ford Mustang Mach-E tries on a police uniform, and the Microlino heads into production.

If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser.     This week Ford turned the Mustang Mach-E into a police car, Smart took the wraps off a rather large crossover concept, and Toyota unveiled its battery development plans. But first: All the New EVs and Concepts from the IAA Mobility Munich.    The IAA Mobility in Munich this week saw a number of high-profile electric vehicle debuts, with the biggest one arguably being the show itself. If you're unfamiliar with the show's name, there's a good reason for that: 2021 was the inaugural year of IAA Mobility in BMW's home city, complete with a new venue and a distinctly different, greener theme. The show effectively takes over from the Frankfurt IAA, or the Internationale Automobil-Austelling, that dates all the way back to 1897, and that had long settled into a biennial Frankfurt residency that it enjoyed since 1951 along with the status of Germany's most important auto show.     The new format in Munich—with a focus on zero-emission vehicles and mobility technologies—tested the waters with a heavy presence from the big three German automakers, eager to showcase upcoming models and concepts alike amid nothing short of an EV sales boom in western Europe.    When it comes to futuristic concepts, BMW took the wraps off a curious concept in Munich dubbed the i Vision Circular, composed entirely of recycled materials. Imagining a car from the year 2040, the small concept featured a surprisingly cozy interior featuring recycled fabrics, while the solid-state battery was composed of recycled materials as well.    Audi's Grandsphere concept landed in Munich just weeks after the innovative Skysphere concept.    Audi unveiled the Grandsphere concept in Munich this week, fresh off the debut of the Skysphere concept at Pebble Beach last month. Intended as a "a private jet for the road" complete with Level 4 autonomy, the concept gave a glimpse into Audi's electric tech and design direction, while also serving as a loose preview of future luxury EVs from Ingolstadt.    Mercedes brought a whole lineup of upcoming EVs to Munich, ranging from the AMG EQS sedan to the EQB sport utility enjoying its European debut. Intended as the performance version of its flagship electric sedan, the AMG EQS is headed stateside next year with 751 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque on tap, ready to turn a commute into some kind of sci-fi thriller. The appearance of the EQB at the show was devoid of dramatic numbers but was just as important, as this is the first electric Mercedes sport utility we'll get stateside, after the automaker withdrew plans to introduce the EQC here.     Mercedes' most important debut of the week was the first appearance of the EQE sedan, positioned as the midsize electric model, sitting in a space between the Tesla Model 3 and the Model S. Promising a range of over 300 miles along with fast-charging capabilities, the EQE is headed stateside in the second half of 2022. The EQE350 will be among first versions to land, serving up 288 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. Intended to be analogous to the E-Class in many respects, the EQE is expected to start at around $65,000.    An inexpensive EV is in the works with a $24,000 target price, but it will take a while for it to arrive.    Volkswagen's Munich debut was the ID.Life concept, previewing an affordable EV headed into production in a few years with a price tag of about $24,000. That's right: Wolfsburg is working on cheaper and smaller vehicles based on the MEB platform, and one of them is expected to be a small crossover hatch.    "The concept car provides a preview of an ID. model in the small car segment that we will be launching in 2025, priced at around €20,000. This means we are making electric mobility accessible to even more people," said Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand. "In creating the ID.Life, we have consistently focused on the needs of younger customers. We believe that, even more so than today, the car of the future will be about lifestyle and personal expression."    VW also brought nothing short of a robotaxi preview to Munich, based on the long-awaited ID. Buzz. Equipped with sensors from VW partner Argo AI, the electric Microbus is intended to be part of a ridepooling service that VW plans to launch in Germany in 2025. The prototype is expected to be a Level 4 vehicle, which means it won't need a human behind the wheel.         The Microlino Wants to Make Bubble Cars Fun Again    After facing some development headwinds, the Isetta-styled Microlino 2.0 is headed into production, combining retro bubble car packaging with an electric drivetrain. The Munich IAA Mobility show served as the launch point for the pocket-sized EV.    Featuring a 25-hp motor, the two-seater is slated to be offered in three battery flavors/trims: Urban with a 6-kWh battery, Dolce with a 10.5-kWh battery, and Competizione with 14-kWh of juice on tap. These three versions will serve up projected ranges of 60, 109, and 143 miles, respectively, allowing the bubble car to exceed the ranges of some much larger electric models currently on sale. The Microlino 2.0, of course, won't be venturing out on the autobahn with its top speed of 56 mph. READ THE FULL STORY Ford Mustang Mach-E Gears Up for Police Duty   While a number of police departments in the US have purchased a few Teslas—perhaps not as fully outfitted patrol vehicles with all the gear—yet another electric model is showing police potential, this time with all the trimmings. Ford is currently working with a number of police agencies in the UK that are evaluating the Mustang Mach-E for patrol duties, including London's Metropolitan Police Force. READ THE FULL STORY Porsche Mission R Might Be the EV Future of Racing READ MORE Polestar Wants to Make Electric Cars in a Way Volvo Can't READ MORE Smart EV Concept Takes Brand in a New Direction READ MORE Lotus Plans to Build Four New Electric Cars by 2026 READ MORE Protesters Block Autobahns as IAA Mobility Opens READ MORE Toyota Bets Big on Batteries but Leaves Room for Hybrids READ MORE       Spread the word: If you know someone interested in staying on top of the rapidly growing EV segment, feel free to pass this newsletter along. SIGN UP Follow Us Unsubscribe Privacy Notice Autoweek.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019