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THIS is when the electric car starts to get really serious. This week Mercedes has revealed its first, bespoke, all-electric car to the world and later this month, Audi does the same. Rest assured, it’s not stopping there. It all comes hot on the heels of Jaguar getting its I-Pace to customers before its rivals – and winning our Car of the Year prize in the process – and Hyundai launching an affordable all-electric small SUV with a real-world range of 300 miles. Of course, cars like the Nissan Leaf, Renault ZOE and Tesla Models S and X have been with us for a while, but it’s going to take more mainstream and premium brands to come to the party to make wary buyers really sit up and take notice.…

• Brand new Tesla rival revealed ahead of Paris show debut • Tech-packed 402bhp SUV heads new pure-electric range Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler OFFICIAL THIS is the all-new Mercedes EQC, the German manufacturer’s first purely electric model and a rival for the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, as well as the forthcoming Audi e-tron. Revealed ahead of a public debut at next month’s Paris Motor Show, the EQC is a 4.7-metre-long, five-seat SUV. It’s slightly lengthier than the I-Pace, but its wheelbase is around 11cm shorter than the Jag’s, at 2,873mm. As with most of its rivals, the EQC is based on a bespoke pure-electric, scalable platform that will ultimately support a family of models. The looks of the EQC are arguably more conventional than those of the Model X and…

Audi e-tron On sale: 2019 THE first Audi EV will be revealed in the coming weeks. It’s likely to crack 0-62mph in less than six seconds and do about 250 miles per charge. Skoda Vision E On sale: 2021 VW Group brands are pushing ahead with an all-new pure-electric platform, MEB, that’ll support a host of vehicles. Skoda will use it to launch an SUV flagship. BMW iX3 On sale: 2020 IN contrast to many rivals, BMW believes it can score a hit by offering an existing car in pure-electric form. Expect X3-based EV to give a range of 250 miles or so. Tesla Model X On sale: now THE original pure-electric SUV, the Model X has had quality issues, but found plenty of homes; more than 80,000 have been…

• Exclusive images preview plug-in hybrid family star James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods EXCLUSIVE IMAGE VOLKSWAGEN is preparing a mid-life refresh for the Passat, which will see the firm’s large family car and adversary for the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport and Mazda 6 subtly restyled and featuring fresh plug-in hybrid tech. The plug-in hybrid Passat GTE has been a success story for the firm, although it always occupies the upper rung of the model’s line-up from a price point of view. To make the petrol-electric version more accessible in terms of cost, the plugin hybrid powertrain could be offered across the Passat range as an engine option rather than a top-spec trim alone. Skoda, which is poised to reveal a facelifted Superb next year featuring a plug-in hybrid, will take a…

• Sketches reveal Vision RS that’s set to be revealed in Paris Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn OFFICIAL SKODA’S replacement for the Rapid Spaceback and more direct rival for the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus has been teased in official sketches prior to its reveal at next month’s Paris Motor Show. The drawings show the Vision RS concept, which previews the new model. The company is being tight-lipped on technical details, but said the show car points towards the next design phase of its new vRS models, hence the name. More significantly, the manufacturer has confirmed the concept hints at a future compact vehicle from Skoda. The dimensions of the concept – 4,356mm long, 1,810mm wide and 1,431mm tall – put the car firmly into the same space as models such as the…

ASTON Martin has confirmed plans to float on the London Stock Exchange this year. Existing investors will sell shares in the offering, placing around 25 per cent of the company’s stock on the London Stock Exchange. A value of around £5billion is expected in the initial offering. The announcement followed record profits at the company; first-half revenue in 2018 rose eight per cent to £445million. Underlying profits increased by 14 per cent to £106m. Aston’s chief executive Andy Palmer (left) said: “The announcement represents a key milestone in the history of the company, which is reporting strong financial results and increased global demand for its sports cars.” Throughout its 105-year history, Aston Martin has been bankrupt seven times.…