With the automotive industry moving towards electrification at a rapid rate, more and more EVs are coming out all the time. With all these new vehicles coming to market and technology advancing all the time, it can be hard to keep on top of and understand which vehicles are actually best. Want to know which electric cars are the best?
| Make & Model | Range | Acceleration (0-100km/h) | Charge time | Finder rating | Average running costs | Price (from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai IONIQ EV | 311km | 9.7 seconds | 54 minutes (100kw to 80%), 57 minutes (50kW) | 82.25% | $2,961.36 | $54,591.46 |
| Polestar 2 Standard range Single Motor EV | 440km | 7.4 seconds | 35 minutes (130kW 10-80%), 59 minutes (50kW charger to 80%) | 83.25% | N/A | $64,608 |
| Hyundai KONA EV | 484km | 7.9 seconds | 47 minutes (100kW to 80%), 64 minutes (50kW) | 82% | $2,749.92 | $59,346.46 |
| Nissan Leaf 2 | 270km | 7.9 seconds | 60 minutes (20-80% 50kW) | 81% | $3,444.48 | $54,187 |
| Porsche Taycan | 420km | 2.8 seconds (Taycan Turbo S) | 22.5 minutes (5-80% with 270kW charger, 93 minutes with 50Kw) | 86.33% | N/A | $174,702 |
| MG ZS EV | 320km* | 8.6 seconds* | 36-42 minutes (100kw, 0% to 80%)* | 82% | $3,410.40 | $46,990* |
| Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus | 491km | 6.1 seconds | 56 minutes (50kW charger 10% to 80%), 28 minutes (150kW to 80%) | 83.50% | N/A | $69,079 |
Average running costs from RACV
*New model, coming second-half of 2022
Hyundai's IONIQ is a highly rated electric car that delivers decent range and performance for the money. It's a car with heaps of safety tech and equipment. As standard, on the base model, you get the following:
Effective price per KM of range: $318.17
Annual running costs (Rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres – 15,000km annually): $2,961.36
The Polestar 2 is one of the most recent Electric Vehicles to arrive in Australia. It's received glowing reviews. The main highlights for the Polestar crossover have to be its looks, build quality and tech specs.
Standard specs include:
Effective price per KM of range: $129.36-156.47 (depending on model)
Annual running costs (Rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres – 15,000km annually): N/A
Several reasons combine to make the Hyundai Kona one of the best electric vehicles going. It's well-priced, practical, has a realistic real-world range and is quite stylish too. In its favour, it's also packaged into an SUV body, which Aussie car buyers adore.
The Hyundai Kona Electric Elite has the following specification:
Effective price per KM of range: $194.57
Annual running costs (Rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres – 15,000km annually): $2,749.92
In electric car terms, the Leaf nameplate is one of the oldest going. It's been in production since 2010, a long time in the EV world. Nissan's goal was to make an electric car with mass-market appeal. The result is the Leaf hatch, now in its second-generation.
The Leaf is a decent performer for Nissan, going by sales figures. It's one of the least expensive electric models, plus it has a very high level of equipment. It's also a sensible electric car to buy, with a 270km driving range (a 385 km version is available, called the Leaf e+) and a standard specification that includes the following highlights:
Effective price per KM of range: $200.69
Annual running costs (Rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres – 15,000km annually): $3,444.48
If you want a performance electric luxury sports car, the Taycan Turbo 4S is the car for you. Yes, some Teslas are faster from 0-100km/h, but the Taycan is a product of Porsche's experience building fast and agile traditional sports cars for 74 years (as of 2022).
The Taycan received high praise from car reviewers.
The Taycan has two body styles in the line-up, a sporty sedan or the Cross Turismo wagon. The self-titled Taycan is theleast expensive model in the range, with a 0-100km/h of 5.4 seconds. The Turbo S, the most pricey Taycan, zips to 100km/h in just 2.8 seconds. That model will do 260km/h flat out!
The standard Taycan, has the following equipment:
Effective price per KM of range: $415.95
Annual running costs (Rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres – 15,000km annually): N/A
The MG ZS EV is the cheapest electric vehicle on sale in Australia (discounting an incoming EV model from China's Build Your Dreams (BYD), which in some states may undercut the MG). It's hard to believe the ZS is some $7,197 cheaper than the Nissan Leaf! One reviewer said the price was eye-opening.
Despite the low price, it's punching above its weight in terms of equipment.
An updated model is coming, with improved range. The features below are for the original ZS EV.
The MG ZS, Australia's cheapest EV, has the following specs as standard:
Effective price per KM of range: $146.84*
Annual running costs (Rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres – 15,000km annually): $3,410.40
*Reflects new model, which has a slightly higher price, but improved range.
No list of electric cars would be complete without including at least one Tesla. The Model 3 is Tesla's least costly car on sale as of 2022. Tesla has a zealous following, which appears deserved judging by the comments of car reviewers. The 3 also has an excellent electric range and is fairly well-priced.
As standard, the Tesla Model 3 comes with the following:
Effective price per KM of range: $140.69
Annual running costs (Rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres – 15,000km annually): N/A
The new Volvo C40 might look similar to the XC40 Pure Electric but is different in many ways.
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It is practical, well appointed, has plenty of power but it also retains that safety focus that Volvo always bring to the table.
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The Polestar 2 gets a reduced footprint among other sustainably focussed upgrades., so we headed to Tasmania to see if it is any good.
Read more…With dozens of different models on sale, how do you choose the best electric car to suit your needs?
Speaking very generally, reliability is less of a concern with electric cars. Their design means there are significantly fewer things to maintain and fewer moving parts – though that doesn't factor in each manufacturer's quality control.
But when looking for an EV, you should concentrate on the following:
Range is the distance you can travel before the car needs recharging (oftentimes, the quoted figure is to the point of the battery being completely flat, which is not good for long-term battery health). A larger capacity battery obviously helps, though if the car is more powerful, it might sap the power quickly – so don't use that as the only deciding factor. It's a bit like having a V8 with a massive tank versus a diesel with a smaller one – the V8 is going to burn more fuel in comparison. Energy efficiency is something to look out for, just as you would check the fuel economy of a fuel-powered car. Some EVs have more than one motor, which will scrub more kilometres from the range.
Remember, the average Aussie commute (before the COVID-19 pandemic) was just a 32km round trip. Most of the EVs here are theoretically able to cover that distance at least seven times (on paper).
In terms of charging, generally, you'll want a car that is capable of ultra-fast charging. Lower charge times are obviously more desirable, as you'll spend less time waiting in coffee shops while your car is plugged-in and more time driving. You can install charging points at home, though these are slower and best suited to overnight top-ups. With these, you wake up to a brimmed battery, just like you would with your smartphone.
With a fuel-powered car, you probably don't worry so much about how many petrol stations there are. But with EVs, charging point location and availability are quite important. Tesla operates an impressive charging network that spreads from Adelaide, to Melbourne and up through ACT to Cairns, via Brisbane and Sydney. There are chargers on the West coast too, but not as many as the East coast. Tasmania has quite a number also. Non-Tesla EV models need to use third-party charging providers, with some manufacturers including up to five years of unlimited charging with each EV purchase (Mercedes). Providers include Chargefox.
Running costs still factor into things as different car makers have their own service pricing schemes. Plus, the lower the range, in theory, the more you're going to need to charge the car – increasing charging costs. Also, the energy efficiency of the model impacts operating costs.
Reputation is another important one. Spend time reading reviews from verified owners of the cars and see what they think about the electric car you're considering buying.
All other buying considerations are really identical to purchasing a conventional vehicle. It helps if you make a list of things you need from a car, such as the following:
Then make a shortlist based on your criteria.
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