When the Nissan Leaf became the world’s first mass-produced electric car in 2011, there weren’t many pure EVs (electric vehicles) around and what was available was pretty rubbish (Mitsubishi i-MiEV anyone?).

Fast forward a few years and the novelty has all but worn off. That’s not a bad thing – in fact, it’s great that so many electric and plug-in cars now feature on UK roads.

Part of this is down to a boom in the number of different electric cars now on general sale. However, there are still some cars that have steered clear of the electric revolution, instead preferring to stick with their traditional petrol and diesel engines.

In honour of National Battery Day (February 18th), we’re picking out cars we want to go electric in the near future.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

The G-Wagon’s design has barely changed or evolved since it first came into being in 1979, so perhaps it’s a bit much to expect it to adopt a concept as progressive as going electric.

An all-new model was revealed in January and there was zero hint of even a plug-in variant joining the range, which would be the most realistic outcome in light of the C- and E-Class plug-in hybrids. So a pure electric G-Class? Forget it.

For the foreseeable, the G-Class is pure diesel and petrol and that makes perfect sense.

BMW Z4

The idea of a battery-operated roadster can’t possibly be anything but brilliant.

Sadly, the lack of space and real estate in these types of cars means it’s a major engineering challenge to cram in the electric motor and battery required to make an electric car move.

There’s also the weight issue too. Roadsters need to keep their weight down to optimise performance and acceleration so bolting in a hefty electric powertrain won’t help cars like the BMW Z4 and Mazda MX-5 shift too quickly.

Still, a third-gen Z4 is still in the works and considering BMW’s electric know-how acquired with the i3 and i8, an electric Z4 may not be out of the question.

Mini Hatch

Mini has toyed with the idea of making its entry-point model an EV. A concept did the rounds at the turn of the decade and all-electric Minis were even used during the 2012 London Olympics to transport athletes and officials.

So in a way, the electric Mini Hatch is already a thing; it’s just that very few will ever see it, let alone drive it.

Lessons learned from that car informed the development of the Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid, which is on general sale now, and it seems likely that an battery-powered Mini could enter showrooms within by 2020.

Volkswagen Beetle

Electric cars have been popping up in the VW range for a while. The e-Up and e-Golf were decent efforts and VW has converted many models into plug-in hybrids since.

So why not give arguably its most ironic model the electric treatment?

Okay, the Beetle’s kooky silhouette and flawed practicality means it lacks the mass appeal of say, the Golf or T-Roc, but electric cars like the Nissan Leaf have been celebrated for their obscurity so the idea of an electric Beetle would surely chime with its existing fanbase?

Which cars would you like to see go electric? Tell us down there in the comments.

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