The world of electric vehicles has one clear dominant force — Tesla, (TSLA) as its lineup of electric vehicles tends to be on the tip of the tongues of laymen and serious car enthusiasts when thinking about EVs.
However, if you look beyond the offerings of the Elon Musk-led automaker, a world of battery powered electric cars from a variety of different brands are available from a variety of different brands – many of which are at front and center stage at the New York International Auto Show.
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Porsche Macan — a sporty, luxurious upgrade from Tesla’s Model Y.
2025 Porsche Macan Turbo EV at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
Formerly offered with an internal-combustion engine, the Porsche Macan is now an electric crossover that separates itself from the rest of the EV pack. Simply put, an electric car can be bought from many different companies, but there is simply no substitute when it comes to a Porsche. (POAHY)
Shown at this year’s show is the Macan Turbo, which makes 630 horsepower and 833 lb-ft of torque. In this top-of-the-line spec, zero-to-sixty is dealt with in 3.1 seconds and can go up to a top speed of 161 mph.
2025 Porsche Macan Turbo EV at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
I only got to experience the car standing still, but the experience was enough for me to say that the Macan is a very different experience than that of a Tesla Model Y. Porsche knows how to make an interior feel simple and driver-focused, and even with all of the touch screens, it provides a sanctuary from Elon Musk’s minimalist wonderland.
Despite it costing quite a bit more than the most expensive Model Y equipped with Full Self-Driving, features that actually work like customizable mood lighting, the dash-mounted stopwatch, quality leather and wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto are more than worth the upgrade.
Rimac Nevera – a $2.3 million hypercar capable of record-breaking speed.
James Ochoa
Protected by a barrier at Manhattan Motorcars’ booth is the $2.3 million Rimac Nevera, a beautiful, sleek electric hypercar capable of breakneck speed.
Powered by four independent electric motors with a total of 1,914 horsepower, it can go from 0-60 mph in an eye-watering 1.74 seconds and 0-100 in just 3.21 seconds, and up to a top speed of 256 miles per hour.
Though the Nevera is impressive going in a straight line, it is capable of doing the same thing backward. Yes, backward – according to Guinness World Records, the Rimac broke the record for the “fastest speed driving in reverse,” going 275.74 km/h, or 171.34 mph.
Despite its capabilities, I observed many show-goers who walked past the Nevera to look at other at other cars at Manhattan Motorcars’ booth at the show, which consisted of other high-end brands like Lotus, Lamborghini, and Bentley. Rimac currently owns a sizable stake in another brand has been a major attraction at past New York International Auto Shows – Bugatti.
In a recent Facebook post, Rimac founder and CEO Mate Rimac revealed some updates on an electrified powertrain solution for Bugatti’s next record-breaking, ultra high-end hypercar.
Honda Prologue/Acura ZDX – An automaker known for quality joins the EV race.
2024 Honda Prologue at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
Honda’s (HMC) Prologue and the similar ZDX of its luxury arm Acura were the marquee offerings at its respective booths at the auto show this year. Though both cars are at different price points, the Prologue and ZDX both offer a relatively “safe” option when it comes to the EV segment.
With prices starting at $48,795 for the Honda and $64,500 for the Acura, you do pay more compared to the likes of Tesla’s Model Y, but one particular quality stands out in comparison to Elon’s machine.
2024 Honda Prologue at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
From the driver’s seat of the Prologue and ZDX, the name of the game is simplicity. Advanced driver technology exists, but what has me sold is the way the interior just ‘works.’ Simply put, if you hop in the driver seat of the Honda Prologue or Acura ZDX and proceed into a Honda Accord or Acura Integra — you would think you stepped into the same car.
It’s not a bad thing, but in an age where ‘innovative’ automakers like Tesla hide simple functions like gear shifts behind a touchscreen, salvation comes in a different form that wears a Honda or Acura badge.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – A performance EV with a kick – literally.
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
If you look at the Hyundai (HYMLF) Ioniq 5 N from a purely numbers standpoint, it is hard not to compare it to contemporary sports cars from brands like Porsche and BMW.
Boasting a whopping 601 horsepower and 545 pound feet of torque from four electric motors, as well as edgy, race-inspired styling and a plethora of electronic gizmos and gadgets designed for your cartoon racer fantasies – it seems too good to be true for its $67,475 price tag.
However, if you plan to trek to the Javits Center to attend the show, you can find out for yourself.
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
At the show, Hyundai set up a small “test track” for attendees to get some seat time in the passenger seat of an Ioniq 5 N, and boy, was it a thrill ride. As a representative from Hyundai stomped their foot on the throttle, all of the car’s strength and power were transferred to all four wheels in an instant – a feeling that you feel in your neck, your back and whatever holds your heart, soul and sanity together.
Though the seats are slightly uncomfortable racing buckets that hold you in, the little taste that Hyundai provided at its auto show booth left a feeling in my guts that got me scared, but yearning for more. Perhaps, it might convince you to consider the Ioniq 5 N.
Volkswagen I.D. Buzz – A classic reborn.
2024 Volkswagen I.D. Buzz at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
What is old is new again, and Volkswagen’s (VLKAF) I.D. Buzz is an icon of yore reborn into a practical, fun electric cruiser for today.
Taking its main style inspiration from the VW Type 2 (Kombi, or Bus), the I.D. Buzz will make its U.S. debut later this year as a family hauler that’ll stand out from the typical gargantuan SUVs and minivans in the school parking lot. Dark metallic and flat finishes like those in black, grey and silver may make family cars appear to be more sleek and luxurious, but the I.D. Buzz’s bright, two-tone paint choices brings a much needed pop of color to an otherwise dull segment.
2024 Volkswagen I.D. Buzz at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
The VW stands out as one of the only electric minivan offerings, but it does not skip out on kid-friendly features that attracts family people to the segment. It’s extremely roomy interior is chock-full of cool features like second-row tray tables, multiple passenger area USB-C charging ports, seating for up to 8 and a trunk appropriately sized for multiple Costco-sized packs of water bottles.
Polestar 4 – A clever five-door with a weird design feature.
2025 Polestar 4 at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
Polestar (PSNY) says that its newest car — the 4, has the styling of a coupe and the space of an SUV, but one feature (or lack thereof) caught my attention for both good and bad reasons.
Do you notice it yet? It has no back window. For $56,300, you get a nicely equipped five seater EV with a plethora of technology and up to 300 miles of range, but initial impressions turn sour once you actually sit down in the driver’s seat.
2025 Polestar 4 at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
During the product reveal at the show, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath presented this quirk as a cheeky, but necessary design choice — defending that such a sacrifice needed to happen in order to achieve the most amount of comfort for the rear seat passengers.
A weird sacrifice, it is, but the Polestar 4 provides first-class levels of head and leg room inside while maintaining an ultra-sleek design on the outside.
Kia EV9 — an (inexpensive) rebuttal against the Tesla Model X.
2024 Kia EV9 at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
Believe it or not, but despite Tesla’s Model X being one of the few three-row EVs on the market, the one competitor Elon should be worried about comes from none other than automotive value brand Kia. (KIMTF)
Yes, Kia. For the price of a bone-standard Model X, you can get a top-of-the-line, fully loaded Kia EV9 with all kinds of cool optional features like La-Z-Boy style reclining captain’s chairs, as well as features that are absent in the Tesla like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2024 Kia EV9 at the New York International Auto Show
James Ochoa
Sharing similar lines to Kia’s Telluride, the EV9 has a stout, boxy, yet futuristic design similar to other contemporary luxury large SUVs like BMW’s X7 – albeit with unique cyberpunk-style LED headlights, taillights and accents between its scupted lines.
Despite having Kia in its name, the EV9 is no ordinary Kia. It is a real driver for the South Korean brand to shed its past reputation for being cheap feeling and provides a compelling case for families looking for an alternative to Elon’s egg-shaped family hauler.
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