Powerful EV statements at CES

After a COVID-ravaged 2021, CES this year was supposed to be a coming out party for the auto and tech industries. In the end, though, most companies went with virtual presentations thanks to the omicron variant. Still, there was plenty of interesting sheet metal to see, especially if you're an electric vehicle fan.

Chevrolet will introduce an electric version of the Equinox compact crossover in 2023 with a starting price around $30,000. An electric Blazer midsize crossover is also planned for that year. The Equinox EV and the electric Silverado full-size pickup will slot Chevrolet EVs in the industry's two largest segments, while the Blazer will give the brand an electric player in one of the fastest-growing segments in the U.S., General Motors CEO Mary Barra said last week.

Sony Group says it plans to establish Sony Mobility, a company that will study the possibility of entering the EV market, this spring. Sony figures its strengths in entertainment and sensors could play a big role. Sony showed a prototype crossover, the Vision-S 02, using the same EV platform as the Vision-S 01 shown at CES in 2020. No details on pricing or release date were available.

The 2023 BMW iX M60 is the third variant of BMW's first battery-powered crossover. The performance-oriented iX M60 delivers up to 610 hp and an EPA-estimated 280 miles of driving range on a single charge. The X5-sized EV can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. It arrives in U.S. dealerships in June with a starting price of $106,095 including shipping.

Hoping to demonstrate in the budding electric era that the new currency is efficiency, speed and sustainability, Mercedes created the Vision EQXX concept in just 18 months. The research car, a complete reimagination of a luxury EV, is capable of driving 621 miles on a single charge. Instead of dropping 200 kilowatt-hours' worth of batteries into a car to deliver that range, Mercedes management challenged engineers to come up with a vehicle that could drive it without a giant battery while still looking like a typical car with room for four passengers. And the technology used had to have a shot at series production.

Vietnamese automaker VinFast's two-row VF 8 and three-row VF 9 crossovers — shown as the VF e35 and VF e36 concepts at the L.A. Auto Show in November — will have 402 hp. VinFast estimates the VF 9 will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, with an estimated driving range of 422.5 miles according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure. The company is dangling a bonus to U.S. buyers willing to make a deposit, with the vehicles presumably arriving by the end of the year. Customers who make a refundable $200 reservation by April 5 get a $3,000 voucher toward the $41,000 VF 8 and a $5,000 voucher on the $56,000 VF 9. Pricing excludes the battery, which must be leased separately. VinFast showcased three additional EV models — the smaller V5, V6 and V7 crossovers — but didn't provide details.