Here are five electric MPVs spearheading the family chariot comeback

We’re big fans of Volkswagen's reborn Type 2, and in June 2023 the German firm answered our prayers by announcing a long-wheelbase version was on the way, with room for up to seven passengers. Finally, the proper MPV we’d all been waiting for.

We’re told it’ll measure almost five metres head to tail – up 25cm over the ‘standard’ Buzz – and thanks to its extended wheelbase, offer three seating configurations: five (two up front, three in the back), six (two up front, two in the middle, two in the back), or the full seven (two/three/two). The second bench row can also be optioned as two individual chairs.

The extended wheelbase also allows for a bigger 91kWh (85kWh useable) battery, up from 82kWh (77kWh useable), plus a more powerful 282bhp e-motor. Range, one would expect, will also be north of the standard Buzz’s 258 miles. More as we have it.

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Meet the Zeekr 009. Zeekr, in case you’re not aware, is Chinese megacorp Geely’s – owner of several familiar automotive names including Lotus, Polestar, Smart and Volvo – upmarket all-electric brand for its home market. Certainly not shy, that's for sure.

The all-electric luxury MPV is based on the same Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform as other Geely products like the Smart #1 and Volvo EX30, only here it’s been extended to allow for more cabin room. Speaking of, inside it gets three rows of two seats, all the Nappa leather, and a 15.6-inch fold down screen for rear passengers.

It’s also the first car – if you can call it that– to get Geely’s new 140kWh ‘Qilin’ battery, allowing for a hugely impressive 511 miles of range. And it’s not short of power either, courtesy of its 536bhp twin-motor powertrain. Just don’t forget the sick bags.

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“A Scandinavian living room on the move.” That’s how Volvo refers to its first fully premium electric SUV, with such features including lounge seats with “zero-gravity cushions”, a fold-down 15.6in rear infotainment screen, and Scandi nature/Asian art inspired styling.

Multi-purpose, too. Volvo says that with a flick of a switch you can easily turn the six-seater cabin into a theatre, meeting room or bedroom, while optimum ride comfort is ensured by dual-chamber air suspension and 19in or 20in aero wheels wrapped in ‘silent tyres’. Under all that skin it gets a 268bhp motor and 116kWh battery pack, good for up to 458 miles.

Sadly, however, there are currently no plans to introduce the EM90 to the UK, with it sold solely in mainland China at time of writing, priced from ¥818,000 Renminbi (£91,520) – not bad, considering the cost of a house these days. The petition starts here…

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Black cabs might be the London Electric Vehicle Company’s – or LEVC for short – bread and butter but that hasn’t stopped it branching out elsewhere, including into vans and, latterly, this, its rather space-age MPV. Perhaps it’ll turn its attention to buses next.

While full details are currently a little short in supply, we’re told that it’ll be available in six or eight-seat configurations, and interior pictures suggest it’ll get all the screens, with second row passengers getting individual displays plus a smaller control unit embedded in the armrests. There’s also a panoramic roof, ambient lighting, and a cow’s worth of leather.

And best of all, it’s set for our shores too. Yep, with a scheduled Chinese launch date of 2024, LEVC has announced that it’ll arrive in the UK sometime in the following two years. By which time there could be a few more family members to ferry around.

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Another day, another MPV from the Geely sub-brand. The Zeekr Mix, unveiled at the Auto China 2024 show in Beijing, is described as an “intelligent living room on wheels”, though for now we’ll have to take Zeekr’s word on that, because this is the only picture so far.

Fortunately, the firm has been kind enough to share a little more detail with us. We’re told it’ll be based on Geely’s SEA-M platform, which allows for a long wheelbase, flat floors, and acres of interior space, with multiple seating arrangements for up to six people. Plus, it should have a city friendly turning radius of under five metres. Handy.

Measuring 4.7m long – a little shorter than the ID.Buzz LWB above – word is it’ll get a different rear door setup on opposing sides, with one sliding door on one side, and two opposite opening sliding doors on the other, creating a bigger opening. Stay tuned...

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