16 upcoming electric station wagon (estate) models [Update]

Update: ‘BMW i5 Touring’ updated, and ‘Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Electric’ added.

The station wagon segment may be nonexistent in the United States, let alone an electric station wagon or electric estate car segment. This can be attributed to the emergence of minivans and SUVs in the 1980s, which promised more interior space and better-performing engines. However, in markets like Europe and the UK, the wagon is still considered an important body style. Here are the carmakers that are keen to have an electric station wagon in their future lineup in the global market.

BYD Han EV Estate

Having launched in Europe in 2021 with the Tang electric SUV in Norway, BYD intends to launch its sedan in the Old continent. It had displayed the Han electric sedan in a German roadshow in 2020. The latest spy shots have shown that BYD is toying with building a Han Estate (in addition to a Han electric convertible) as these bodystyles are found to be appealing among buyers in the UK and Europe. The Han electric estate car should borrow the motors and battery from the 2022 Han EV sedan, which offers 715 km (444 miles) of range.

Release Date – Expected to be launched by 2025; confirmation awaited

Price – Expected to start from $30,000 in China

BMW i5 Touring

At the 2023 BMW Group Annual Conference, the company made it official that the all-electric 5 Series station wagon is arriving in Spring 2024. The BMW i5 Touring will use the same CLAR (rear-wheel driven cluster architecture) platform as the BMW i4. It will be powered by BMW’s 5th generation eDrive with densely packed and energy-efficient battery module and an integrated system combining transmission, e-motor, and power electronics in a common housing.

We expect two variants: BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 and M50, in addition to a reported xDrive40, which will see twin electric motors for AWD capability. The eDrive40 is expected with 350 miles of range thanks to an 80.7 kWh battery and a 340 hp electric motor which would rise to 544 hp on the i5 M50 and still include 300 miles of range. There is no confirmation on the variant’s launch in the United States.

Release Date – Arriving in Spring 2024 in Europe

Price – Expected to start from $70,000-75,000

BMW i3 Touring

According to Bimmerpost, a BMW i3 Touring will be a part of the global 3 Series Electric family. Codenamed ‘BMW NA1,’ the i3 Touring will roll out of the BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosi (Mexico) starting in 2027, claims the forum post. We see it as another excuse for it to be tested with car buyers in the United States!

Thanks to the electric-only Neue Klasse platform, the i3 Touring can be sleeker and more spacious than the 3 Series Touring, which measures 4.7 meters (185.0 in.) in length, has a 2.9 meter (114.2 in.) wheelbase, and offers 500-1,510 liters (17.6-52.9 cu.ft.) of luggage space. Thanks to flat floor, even if it is lower than the ICE model (1.4 meters or 55.1 inches), it should still offer plenty of room. The ‘Frunk’ could make a return in electric BMWs beginning with the Neue Klasse i3 family.

BMW Group could use the sixth-gen e-drive units it plans to make in Steyr, Austria, from 2025, in the i3 Touring. The company may offer it in single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD variants. The 800V electrical architecture would pave the way for ultra-fast charging, allowing customers to charge the electric wagon at up to 350 kW and complete the 10-80% charging in around 20 minutes.

Release Date – Expected in 2027; confirmation awaited

Price – Expected to start from USD 55,000-65,000

VW ID.7 Estate

Station wagon enthusiasts can rejoice as the VW Aero B electric station wagon has been given the go-ahead. As EV adoption accelerates in different markets, the VW Passat Alltrack and Passat sedan will be gradually replaced by the Aero B Shooting Brake and VW ID.7, respectively. A single motor RWD variant, dual-motor AWD variant, and a performance-oriented GTX are planned. For the U.S., it is the electric sedan that the local operations plans to bring down, having discontinued production of the gasoline-powered Passat in December 2021.

Measuring almost five meters (more than 16 feet) in length, the VW ID. Aero concept has a low drag coefficient of 0.23 Cd. Volkswagen has fitted a 77 kWh lithium-ion battery pack in the electric sedan concept, claiming a WLTP range of up to 620 km (385 miles) in this configuration. The company says that the ID. Aero is a “close-to-production” concept, which indicates that the production version, as well as the wagon offshoot, should have similar specifications.

Volkswagen will launch the ID.7 Estate in Europe at the start of 2024, as per a report Auto Zeitung published in its 02/2023 issue.

Release Date – Expected to first launch in Europe in early 2024

Price – Estimated to start from EUR 45,000

Skoda Octavia Combi EV equivalent

Former Skoda CEO, Thomas Schafer, had stated in interviews that the company is seriously looking at an electric Octavia in the second half of the current decade and that the Octavia Combi (one of the most successful models from Skoda) is a core part of the brand, and this bodystyle could be kept alive with future propulsion technologies.

Well the Octavia, specifically the Octavia Combi, is the core of our brand. This is no secret. We believe that this segment is by far not dead no matter what the propulsion is going to be in the future. So, yes I think we need an electric Octavia. Will it be exactly the same? You’ll see! But it belongs to us!

Thomas Schäfer, former Skoda Auto CEO, at the Next-Level Skoda Strategy 2030 announcement on June 24, 2021

In a debate arranged by Alter Eko (watch on YouTube), Martin Jahn, Skoda’s BoM member responsible for Sales & Marketing, said that he expects Skoda’s EV line-up to comprise five models, including a station wagon, in 2030, FinTag.cz reported on January 18, 2022. Jahn was likely referring to the pure-electric Octavia Combi.

The important question is whether Skoda would continue the Octavia nameplate or shift to its new nomenclature, which sees names end with a ‘Q.’ An Octavia Electric or Octavia Combi electric station wagon is not an immediate priority for the brand, though. At the Vision 7S world premiere on August 30, 2022, Klaus Zellmer, the new CEO of Skoda, said that the company plans to launch an electric compact SUV, an electric small car, and an electric seven-seat SUV based on this concept by 2026. Hence, a pure-electric Octavia and Combi version may not debut before 2027, which could be the final year of production for the Mk4 Octavia models that landed in 2019.

Release Date – Expected in Europe in 2027

Price – Estimated from $37,000

Audi A6 Avant e-tron

Audi showcased the A6 e-tron concept at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, and in March 2022, the Avant (station wagon) edition was revealed in the concept form. Audi is flexing its prowess in lighting technologies; its front is reminiscent of the Sportback and features the closed single-frame grille with sleek Digital Matrix LED headlamps and an illuminated Audi logo. The taillights contain digital OLED elements that offer infinite customizable variations.

The design of the new electric Audi A6 Avant e-tron, according to Sascha Heyde, Senior Exterior Designer of Audi, marks the next evolutionary step in Audi’s design philosophy. Audi designer Wolf Seebers has said that the production A6 Avant e-tron will be around 90% similar to the concept version, as per a report CAR magazine published in April 2022.

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron rides on the PPE platform, which sees significant changes from the MEB platform to make it more suitable for premium offerings. The PPE platform supports 800-volt architecture, and charging times for the A6 Avant e-tron’s 100 kWh battery are impressive; it can add 186 miles of range in just 10 minutes. In 25 minutes, the battery can charge up from 5-80%. The estimated range is 435 miles. 0-62 mph acceleration will take less than 7 seconds.

With the increasing preference shift toward SUVs, station wagons are losing appeal. In spite of this, Audi will continue to offer Avant models. “I think Audi stands for Avant and Avant for Audi,” Oliver Hoffmann, BoM member responsible for Technical Development, Audi, told Top Gear, the British publication reported on September 30, 2022.

Release Date – 2024

Price – Expected $75,000 and upwards

Lexus electric estate

In mid-December 2021, when Toyota teased over 15 electric vehicles, Lexus too had a few future models to show, of which there are two electric estate car body styles. Toyota (and Lexus) want to launch 30 EVs by the end of this decade, and though Lexus does not currently sell an estate body style, the EV platform (where platforms are more adaptable) will see the luxury brand embrace new segments.

Given how Lexus wants to have EVs account for 100 percent of its sales in North America, Europe, and China by 2030 and go 100 percent electric by 2035, there could be a chance these electric station wagon models will make it to the United States.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) plans to develop a new platform for next-gen Lexus EVs by 2026, and the station wagon could be a direct beneficiary.

We will develop next-generation BEVs for Lexus brand by 2026, with everything from the battery and platform to how a car is built optimized for BEVs

Koji Sato, President, Lexus (Toyota Motor Corporation management changes announcement on February 13, 2023)

Release Date – Expected mid-decade Europe

Price – Expected at $70,000 and up

Volvo V60/V90 electric successor

Volvo Cars plans to continue selling station wagons in the electric era, and it could launch a Volvo V Series electric successor in a few years. Robin Page, the company’s design boss, has told EV Central that customers need a car lower than an SUV but with a lot of cargo space.

The proportions of the Volvo V60 electric or Volvo V90 electric successor will be quite different from the present ICE models. Designed as EVs from the outset, these cars won’t need an engine space or a prominent open grille like an ICE model. The interior of the born-electric Volvos would be spacious and practical, with multiple storage areas and a flat floor. Volvo Cars may use a break in the battery pack, as Porsche has done in the Taycan, to free up leg room for the rear passengers. The company will avoid animal leather and use sustainable materials instead.

On July 13, 2022, Volvo Trademark Holding AB filed trademark applications for 14 new names at EUIPO. Three of them can be useful for Volvo Cars’ electric station wagons: Volvo EV40, Volvo EV60, and Volvo EV90. EV60 and EV90 could be reserved for the electric equivalents of the V60 and V90, respectively.

Release Date – By mid-decade

Price – Expected at $45,000 and up

Alfa Romeo Giulia Electric

When the Alfa Romeo Giulia moves to its next-generation, it could adopt a radical new body style. Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato has told Autocar that he doesn’t want to give up on the sedan body style, but at the same time, many have suggested a station wagon should exist. Maybe the solution lies between the two shapes, and the next-gen Giulia “can have the best of both worlds,” Imparato added.

The offbeat all-new Giulia would be available as a pure electric rival to the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake. Imparato has told whichcar.com.au that the launch won’t take place in 2024, meaning that the wait will continue.

Release Date – Mid-decade

Price – Expected $50,000 and up

Hyundai Ioniq 6 Shooting Brake

SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center, has talked about a new body style for the company’s newest electric car. Asked if Hyundai designers considered a liftback for Ioniq 6, Lee told Auto Express that he “can make a great hatchback out of that; a shooting brake.” Hyundai appears interested in offering the Ioniq 6 in an alternative body style that’s more practical but also more stylish than a traditional station wagon or estate.

Other Hyundai Motor Group brands have flirted with shooting brakes in the recent past, featuring combustion engines. In 2018, Kia introduced the ProCeed with a five-door shooting brake body. In 2021, Genesis launched the G70 Shooting Brake in the same format, targeting the European market. It could be argued that Hyundai’s turn to release a shooting brake is long overdue. The Ioniq 6 shooting brake, with its sleek lines, could have a big appeal in European markets, where sedans are not as popular as in the United States or China.

Release Date – Mid-decade

Price – Expected at EUR 60,000 (Germany)

Mercedes EQE Shooting Brake

Instead of a conventional Mercedes EQE Wagon (Mercedes EQE T-Modell for our German readers), Stuttgart maybe planning a Mercedes EQE Shooting Brake (via Auto Bild), which could be relatively more fashionable and aerodynamic, serving both form and function. Compared to the sedan, it would feature a longer and higher roofline, and the trunk volume would be between the EQE (430 liters or 15.2 cubic feet) and the upcoming EQE SUV. Note that Mercedes-Benz has not confirmed additional EQE derivatives.

The EQE doesn’t have a large trunk due to the extremely short rear overhang that measures 930 mm. The E-Class sedan, with its 1,150 mm rear overhang, offers 540 liters of trunk space. Extending the EQE’s rear would have brought its length precariously close to the EQS. Perhaps the company wasn’t worried about losing EQE customers for its low luggage space as the EQE Shooting Brake would address this concern.

With a crouched rear, extra headroom for rear-seat passengers, and a larger load compartment, the EQE Shooting Brake should be more stylish and practical than its donor. In European markets, where customers appreciate sedan-like driving dynamics and the extra space that these long-body vehicles provide, it could be a more appealing option. We hold little hope for the EQE SB in the U.S., given the company didn’t bring down the CLS Shooting Brake or the CLA Shooting Brake.

Release Date – Expected by 2025; confirmation awaited

Price – Expected at EUR 70,000 (Germany)

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Electric

According to a report Wards Auto published on March 10, 2023, the third-gen CLA Shooting Brake will also be available as an EV. Customers who find the i5 Touring or A6 Avant e-tron too big or expensive will see the Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Electric as an option. The same report states we’ll get a preview of the third-gen CLA with a concept at the IAA 2023 in September 2023. Given Mercedes’s electric-first approach for its future compacts, it’s safe to assume the show car will be an EV. Much of its features and specifications should trickle down to the road-ready CLA Electric and the CLA Shooting Brake Electric.

Release Date – Expected around 2025; confirmation awaited

Price – Expected at EUR 55,000 (Germany)

Nio ET5 Shooting Brake

With its stretched roof that slopes to a curvy spoiler, the Nio ET5 Shooting Brake has the same exterior dimensions as the sedan it originates from. The roof angles are less extreme than on the ET5, and the windows seem comparatively bigger. Its interior will be considerably larger than the ET5, targeting markets like Sweden and Germany where station wagons are still a popular choice.

Likewise, the ET5 Shooting Brake uses a combination of 150 kW front and 210 kW rear motors. So, the total power and total torque will likely be 360 kW and 700 Nm, respectively. Nio may offer the same battery pack options in Europe at launch – 75 kWh and 100 kWh. The sedan’s WLTP range is 456 km (75 kWh)/590 km (100 kWh), and we expect that the shooting brake’s range will be similar.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has released its first pictures and preliminary data of the ET5 Shooting Brake, which indicates the official reveal could be just a few weeks away. According to a report Sohu published on January 18, 2023, Nio will launch the ET5 Shooting Brake in Europe in June or July, just in time for summer.

Release Date – Expected in Summer 2023

Price – Expected at around EUR 55,000 (Germany)

Peugeot e-308 SW

The Peugeot e-308 SW is the first European electric station wagon. It uses a single motor that produces 115 kW (156 hp) and 260 Nm (192 lb.-ft.) of torque. Clearly, Peugeot didn’t build the e-308 SW for acceleration or top speed. However, the e-308 SW is impressive when it comes to efficiency, which will matter the most to its target customer.

A 51 kWh lithium-ion NMC battery pack is the energy source of the electric motor. It operates at 400 volts and should deliver a WLTP range of over 400 km (249 miles). Consuming just 12.7 kWh/100 km (62 miles), it is cheaper to run than a VW ID.3, which has a WLTP energy consumption rating of 12.9 kWh/100 km (62 miles). An 11 kW on-board three-phase charger is standard, and DC fast-charging from 20 to 80% SoC takes less than 25 minutes. Peugeot plans to launch the electric station wagon in Europe in mid-2023 in Allure and GT trim levels.

Release Date – Mid-2023

Price – Expected at around EUR 40,000

Next-gen MG5 EV

MG UK commercial director Guy Pigounakis has said all MG UK models except for the MG4 EV will get a replacement by the end of 2024, as per an Autocar report from November 28, 2022. The British publication said the successors to current MG electric vehicles, including the MG5 EV, will likely sit on the new MSP (Modular Scalable Platform) that debuted in the MG4 EV.

As the restyled MG5 EV was launched just back in November 2022 in the UK, the next-generation MG5 EV will take some time to reach dealers. The current electric estate could be among the brand’s last models to be replaced in 2024.

Release Date – By 2024

Price – Expected at under EUR 40,000

2024 Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo (facelift)

Courtesy of spy shots, we know that the Taycan facelift is on the way. Similarly, photos of a development prototype of the Taycan Sport Turismo facelift surfaced on the European media late last year.

The photos appear to show the Taycan Sport Turismo test mule near the popular Nürburgring race track in Germany with cleverly-placed body-colored pieces of camouflage. While much of the design appears similar to the outgoing model, the facelift will usher in a revised front bumper & lower apron, new & slightly larger LED (Matrix) headlights with a refreshed design for the DRLs. Furthermore, the headlamp units of the test mule are not recessed, having been pushed further out for a cleaner look.

Other changes expected on the exterior of the Taycan Sport Turismo refresh are likely to come in the form of new alloy wheel designs and new color options. So far, there aren’t any quality photos showing us the interior of the development prototype. That said, Porsche could introduce a few new interior trim options and update the features list of the electric wagon.

Release Date: Could reach the U.S. in late 2023.

Price: Expected to start from around USD 90,000.

Also Read: 17 upcoming electric sedans in the United States

Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the VW electric estate