Which electric car is right for you? If you look at the automotive market today in search of an electric vehicle (EV), you might be overwhelmed by the different options and price ranges (and literal ranges). Though the EVs on the market offer a limited range—except for the impressive Tesla S—they are slowly improving in battery capacity and mileage. Companies are trying many different techniques in order to find the best fuel for the vehicles. With the myriad of options in mind, ECN has compiled a list of our top five electric cars on the market. We looked at price, range, technology, and lifestyle in our search for the best options, and selected our favorites.
BMW i3 EV
The i3 has the open interior plan of a big car, but the footprint of a vehicle designed for city driving. The compromise has drawn some critique, but the i3 also offers a remarkably light carbon fiber frame and a very high MPGe. When used with the range extender, an optional two-cylinder gasoline engine, it has a competitive 150 miles of range, plus access to BMW’s more than 23,300 public charging stations. i3 drivers can expect a boost in battery capacity in the 2017 model, going from 22 kWh to 33 kWh.
The i3’s luxurious-looking interior can fit a family of four, and is made using renewable or recycled materials for 25 percent of the components. One of the most striking visual designs outside the batteries is the strip of eucalyptus wood curving across the dashboard, designed to “breathe” and change to a pleasant aged color over time. This vehicle can bring speed as well as comfort, with 184 lb-ft of torque and acceleration from 0 to 60 in about 7 seconds.
Nissan Leaf
Nissan has been a significant force in getting more green cars on the road, with both the Prius and the Leaf gaining mainstream – if not across-the-board — praise. The Leaf is one of the best-selling electric cars in the United States, and has a decent 107 mile range. It has been praised for driving reliably and smoothly: the 2016 model zips along on a 24 or 30 kWh battery depending on the version. That range will need to be improved in order to keep the Leaf in its spot-as a go-to consumer electric vehicle, but Nissan is surely aware of the competitors edging around it. Nissan’s home chargers aren’t pretty – the big, plastic buttons bring to mind the 1990s rather than the future – but they are pretty fast, providing a full charge in five or six hours.
Chevrolet Spark EV
The Spark is the cheapesst electric car on the road right now, starting at $25,000. Despite that, reviews are generally positive, citing its reliability and pleasant ride.
It has a decent 82 miles of range, more than some more expensive models, and a nicely placed touch screen on the dashboard. The Spark does have some limitations: the charge time is relatively long, and the car is only available for sale in California, Oregon, and Maryland. Designed for urban driving, the car offers 119 MPGe and will do 0 to 60 in 7.2. seconds, using the same type of electric motor and batteries developed for the Volt.
Kia Soul EV
The electric version of the Soul has driven itself to the top of best-of lists with its large amount of cargo space, its serviceable 93 mile range, and $31,950 price tag before government incentives. The Soul has shown itself to be practical and reliable, and to drive essentially the same as a gasoline vehicle. Each of the three EV models comes with a 75kWh lithium-ion polymer battery, with a combined EPA-rated MPGe of 105. The Soul succeeds in part because its electric aspects are so unobtrusive; Kia seems to have done well in making their EV almost as practical as a gasoline car in today’s infrastructure.
For those who want to feel more like they’re driving a car from the future, the Soul has powerful regenerative braking that slows down the car as soon as the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator. This saves on energy since it automatically recharges the battery, but for drivers used to conventional cars who might find the sudden deceleration uncomfortable, the Soul can switch in and out of “B” mode, where “B” provides stronger regenerative braking.
Tesla Model S
With their hyperspeed acceleration and “look mom, no hands” summon feature, Teslas are the rock stars of the electric car world – with a corresponding price tag. The “affordable” Model 3 will put you back $35,000 before government incentives, and isn’t available until an unspecified date next year. But even though the Model S costs $89,000 at least, it’s worth including on the list for the star power. The Model S was rated so high on Consumer Reports drive test rubric that it broke the scale, and its 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Safety Administration affirms the durability and highly engineered intelligence of the car’s aluminum body.
The most recent Model S 90D offers 294 miles EPA rated range, a top speed of 155 miles per hour, and acceleration from 0 to 60 in 4.2 seconds. That isn’t even mentioning the single touchscreen for dashboard controls, the automatic collision avoidance, “bioweapon defense mode,” and how close Tesla Motors is coming to deploying a true autopilot.
The automotive market is set to change in a big way in the next few years with the addition of more electric vehicles and autonomous features, and these five cars seem poised to stay at the head of the pack for some time. ECN