{"menuItems":[{"label":"Nissan Leaf 2.0","anchorName":"#nissan-leaf-2-0"},{"label":"BMW i3","anchorName":"#bmw-i3"},{"label":"Renault ZOE","anchorName":"#renault-zoe"},{"label":"Hyundai Ioniq","anchorName":"#hyundai-ioniq"},{"label":"Compare the Tesla finance options below","anchorName":"#compare-finance"},{"label":"Compare Tesla car insurance providers","anchorName":"#car-insurance"}]}
Only Tesla make electric cars (EVs) right? Wrong! There are a surprising number of cheaper alternatives to cars from Elon Musk's company. Over the next few years, more and more mainstream car making giants are launching EVs and Tesla is going to have a fight on its hands.
Nissan Leaf 2.0
This year, Nissan is updating its popular and successful Leaf electric car. The Leaf is currently the world's best selling EV, with over 300,000 units shipped. It's also one of the most affordable. The original Leaf launched in 2010 whilst Tesla were still converting rebadged Lotus cars to electric.
The original car featured numerous aerodynamic design features, including sweeping headlights that deflect air around the wing mirrors, reducing drag. The underside also had smooth panelling, making the car more slippery and further lowering drag. Nissan opted for LED headlights to lower power usage and increase efficiency. The Leaf was sold in Australia for a time and you may be able to find an original first-generation demo model for sale at dealers today.
The Leaf 2.0 should arrive sometime this year or in early 2019. The updated car promises to double the distance between charges to 400km, with some refinements to improve acceleration. The Leaf 2.0 will also boast driving assists like automated parking.
The expected retail price is between $40,000 and $50,000.
For those looking for a luxury EV at half the price of a Tesla, the i3 and i3s sports models by BMW fit the bill nicely. 95% of the i3 is recyclable, with BMW stating they tried to design with sustainability in mind. BMW package a 33kWh battery into the i3, however, this includes a non-usable, battery life-prolonging safety buffer of 6kWh. Still, the zero-emission German car boasts a 310km range.
The interior is deceptively spacious, but the external styling may divide opinions. The accompanying BMW smartphone app even helps drivers set off at the optimal time, how very German!
The list price for the BMW i3 is $68,700 excluding on-road costs.
French carmaker Renault is bringing its EV supermini to Australia this year. Renault will fit the ZOE with a 41 kWh battery, giving a real-world driving range of 280 km. The small car accelerates quite leisurely for an electric vehicle, taking a lengthy 13.5 seconds from 0 - 100kph. Flat out, the ZOE will hit 135 kph and it should receive a five-star ANCAP rating when launched. Features include smartphone connectivity and a 7" touchscreen with TomTom navigation as standard.
Owners of the ZOE will be able to rapid charge the battery from flat to 80% in 30 minutes and top up the energy pack in 3-4 hours at home. Interestingly, the ZOE was originally launched back in 2012, after engineers carried out hot-weather testing in Australia. The expected retail price is $45,000.
One of Australia's biggest selling automotive brands, Hyundai, plans to launch an EV model here this year. The Hyundai Ioniq is a 5-seater hatchback, that appears pretty conventional externally but the car receives widely positive reviews. Hyundai claims a range of 300kms, with a top speed of 165kph.
The Ioniq ships with an array of extra safety features like emergency braking and blind-spot detection. Its battery carries a lifetime warranty and 4.5-hour recharge time on a domestic plug. Local engineers from Hyundai Australia will no doubt tweak the suspension and ride to suit Aussie roads better. Speculation puts the Ioniq retail price at around $50,000.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Ben Gribbin is an automotive writer at Finder. He is a life-long car enthusiast, bringing many years of experience working with and writing about cars. During his time, Ben has been a freelance writer, editor and reviewer for a number of leading publications across the UK. He was voted the Guild of Motoring Writers Breakthrough Blogger in 2015.
Find out more about how you can be a driver with DiDi, even if you don't own your own car. Rent a car and start making money using the ridesharing platform.
Australian Military Bank lets you finance a car, motorbike or boat up to five years old with its competitive car loan. Find out about the rates and fees in this review.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please note that the information published on our site should not be construed as personal advice and does not consider your personal needs and circumstances. While our site will provide you with factual information and general advice to help you make better decisions, it isn't a substitute for professional advice. You should consider whether the products or services featured on our site are appropriate for your needs. If you're unsure about anything, seek professional advice before you apply for any product or commit to any plan and read any disclosure documents (such as any Target Market Determination (TMD) and/or Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)) issued by the provider before making a decision.
Providing or obtaining an estimated insurance quote through us does not guarantee you can get the insurance. Acceptance by insurance companies is based on things like occupation, health and lifestyle. By providing you with the ability to apply for a credit card or loan, we are not guaranteeing that your application will be approved. Your application for credit products is subject to the Provider's terms and conditions as well as their application and lending criteria.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
