In this guide of Best Electric SUV, we'll break down the very good options you can find on any budget! While most of the attention goes to the best all-electric cars like the Tesla Model 3 or the Ford Mustang Mach E, the truth is that the all-electric SUV market has been making significant strides.
Sure, you still have the premium options like the Tesla Model X that run north of $100,000, but in recent days many auto manufactures have been putting far more affordable options on the market.
But how far have those options come, and are they worth the price?
Our Top Picks
We completely understand that what's the perfect all-electric SUV for one person might not meet the needs of the next. That's why we broke down the top options into a few different categories for you to choose from.
Keep in mind that while none of these all-electric SUVs are extremely large, they all have the benefit of having extra storage space in the hood. There's not an engine there, which means when you pop the hood, there's plenty of space for whatever you need to pack!
1. Volvo XC40- Best 5 Seat All-Electric SUV
Starting Price: $53,990
Horsepower: 402
Torque: 486 lb-ft
Range: 208 miles
MPGe: 79
Seats: 5
What sets the Volvo XC40 apart from the pack is its performance specs paired with its reasonable starting price tag. For under $54,000, you get an all-electric vehicle delivered to you, and you can start customizing all the extra bells and whistles you want.
While the range of 208 miles leaves a little to be desired, you won't be thinking about it when you press down the pedal and feel the 402-horsepower motor that puts out 486 lb-ft of torque.
Not only that, but Volvo throws the bells and whistles into the vehicle, including and blind-spot monitoring and lane departure system, adaptive headlights, a rear-view camera, a leather steering wheel, and more.
If they could improve the range on the XC40 without raising the price, it'd be within spitting distance of the Tesla Model Y.
2. Best 7 Seat All-Electric SUV – Tesla Model Y
Starting Price: $51,690
Horsepower: 384 or 456
Torque: 376 lb-ft or 471 lb-ft
Range: 326 miles
MPGe: 125
Seats: 7
Tesla makes some of the best all-electric vehicles on the market, and the Model Y is their attempt at an affordable SUV. Like most things Tesla does with their all-electric vehicles, they hit the mark with this one.
While it seats seven, it's more affordable than the 5-seat XC40! Additionally, the Model Y comes with an impressive 376 lb-ft of torque and 384 horsepower – which means not many SUVs will be beating you down the freeway.
If that's not enough, the range is better than anything any other vehicle manufacturer can offer. The base model comes with an impressive 326-mile range. If you opt to spend an extra $7,000, you get about an extra 100 horsepower, and you still stay over the 300-mile range!
There are tons of features in this car, but the most noticeable is the autopilot feature. While you have to spend an extra $10,000 for Auto Pilot, it includes automatic navigation, lane changes, and more. Not only that, but city driving is coming soon – and if you opt for Auto Pilot you get the updates for free!
3. Best All-Electric SUV – Tesla Model X
Starting Price: $94,990
Horsepower: 670 to 1,020
Torque: 487 lb-ft to 841 lb-ft
Range: 360 miles
MPGe: 105
Seats: 7
While the Model Y is a great budget option, if you want the best of the best, it's the Model X. Now the Model X starts at just under $100,000, so you'll need to spend a little extra money, but it comes with some impressive features.
The base model comes with an impressive 670 horsepower, but if you want the performance package, that jumps to an awe-inspiring 1,020 horsepower. And the Model X has the best range for an electric SUV, no matter which package you choose.
The base package has an impressive 360-mile range, while the performance model only loses 20 miles for a still impressive 340-mile range. Just like the Model Y, you can upgrade to an AutoPilot feature, but it's still going to cost you an extra $10,000.
It's a luxury electric SUV, and it certainly feels like one.
4. Best Budget All-Electric SUV – Hyundai Kona
Starting Price: $37,390
Horsepower: 147 to 195
Torque: 132 lb-ft to 195 lb-ft
Range: 258 miles
MPGe: 120
Seats: 5
We certainly understand that the amount of money the car costs is a huge part of the equation for most people. That's where an option like the Hyundai Kona really thrives. With a base price under $38,000, finding a new SUV that's more affordable – especially an all-electric one is hard.
While the Kona is only a five-seater and the base model only puts out 147 horsepower, the 258-mile range is a decent amount for such a low-priced vehicle. While you can upgrade the horsepower to 195, it's really not worth the extra price since you're not even topping 200 horsepower.
While you don't get a ton of premium features with the base model Kona, it does come with a rear-view camera, and the warranty is pretty impressive. The battery comes with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, and you get a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Finally, you get five years of free roadside assistance – no matter how far you drive. Considering the lower price tag that comes with the Kona, you really are getting a great bang for your buck.
Notable Mentions
While these three choices didn't earn a top-nod, we wouldn't feel right putting out of the best all-electric vehicles on the market without mentioning them. All three of them are excellent choices, and they just narrowly missed a spot at the top of our list.
1. Kia Niro EV
Starting Price: $39,090
Horsepower: 201
Torque: 291 lb-ft
Range: 239 miles
MPGe: 112
Seats: 5
While the Hyundai Kona earned our best budget pick, the Kia Niro EV nearly topped it. The base model package is just about $2,000 more, but you do get over the 200 horsepower – mark if just barely so.
However, you lose about 20 miles off the range. While that's not a huge difference, since you're spending more for the SUV, it's a little disappointing. Just like the Hyundai Kona, the base model Niro EV doesn't have a ton of features, but that's to be expected with the lower price tag.
You do get a rear-view camera with parking guidance, but you'll have to spend a bit more to get just about any other premium features.
In the end, the Niro EV could've edged out the Hyundai Kona, but the slightly higher price tag, slightly worse MPGe, and reduced range meant we couldn't select this for those on a tighter budget.
2. Volkswagen ID4
Starting Price: $39,995
Horsepower: 201 to 295
Torque: 229 lb-ft
Range: 250 miles
MPGe: 97
Seats: 7
The Volkswagen ID4 is an excellent choice if you're looking for a seven-seater SUV but are on a tighter budget. The base model ID4 costs about $12,000 less than the next closest seven-seater, and that's no small amount of money.
Not only is it significantly cheaper, but it still has an impressive 250-mile range. Sure, it's about 75 miles less than the Model Y, but considering the price difference, it's not that big of a deal.
The base model ID4 comes with 201 horsepower, and while that's not a lot, you won't be left in the dust either. However, with everything the ID4 does right, we couldn't vault it onto our list for one big reason – it's not out yet.
So, while we like everything we see, we simply can't recommend a car that isn't on the market yet!
3. Audi E-Tron
Starting Price: $66,995
Horsepower: 402
Torque: 414 lb-ft
Range: 222 miles
MPGe: 78
Seats: 5
Rounding out our list is the Audi E-Tron. While it's not a low-priced option like some of the other all-electric SUVs we reviewed, it has some amazing performance specs to help justify the cost. It starts out with 402 horsepower, and it has an impressive 414 lb-ft of torque.
Not only that, but it comes with some extra luxury features in the base model. This includes a rear-view camera, a lane departure warning system, stylish double-spoke wheels, and woody inlays.
Moreover, you can add tons of customization packages, including an adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, and a Virtual 360-degree top-view camera system.
But while it's a luxury SUV through and through, we couldn't justify the limited 222-mile range while looking at the price. You can get a vehicle with all the same luxury features, a much longer range and spend $10,000 less!
It's a nice car, but you can do better if you're spending this much.
A Few Helpful Tips
While this guide is relatively easy to follow, it's normal to have a few questions. That's why we broke down a few things to keep in mind here – by the end, you'll know exactly what to look at when picking out the perfect all-electric SUV for you!
What is MPGe?
Unlike traditional vehicles that use fuel to get you from point A to point B, all-electric vehicles use electricity. This leads to some pretty natural questions when looking at the MPGe number. Electricity doesn't come in gallons, and you already have a range number to tell you how far the vehicle can go.
So, what the hell does an MPGe mean? There are two ways to look at the MPGe statistic. You can either look at it as an environmental impact number or as how much you'll end up spending on electricity to charge your vehicle.
Vehicle manufacturers decided to break down this number by comparing how “green” an all-electric vehicle is compared to a traditional gas-powered one. So, a vehicle with a 100 MPGe rating will create as many greenhouse emissions a traditional vehicle burning one gallon of fuel once you travel 100 miles.
Of course, this all depends on where you're getting the electricity from. Because a vehicle getting electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind won't create as many greenhouse gases as one that gets its electricity from coal.
Still, the MPGe rating does tell you something. The most important factor for many drivers is how much you'll need to spend to charge it. If you have two vehicles with a 250-mile range, but one vehicle has a 75 MPGe rating and the other has a 100 MPGe rating, you'll spend more on charging the first vehicle.
If you're looking to save money at the fuel pump, the last thing you want to do is transfer it to your electric bill, and a vehicle with a higher MPGe rating helps with that.
Range vs Horsepower
Just like you get less fuel efficiency with more powerful gas-powered vehicles, the more power you add to an all-electric vehicle shortens the overall range.
It's why the performance Teslas' have far more power and torque, but you actually lose some of the range. This is the case across a wide array of vehicle manufacturers.
It's also why the 400 horsepower Audi E-Tron has the shortest range of any of the vehicles on our list. But once you rule out Tesla's vehicles, it's tied for the most horsepower – and that's a big reason why it has a shorter range.
AutoPilot and Other Notable Features
Sometimes when you're shopping for a vehicle, you're more interested in what's inside the cab than what's under the hood (figuratively speaking with electric cars of course!).
Features like Tesla's AutoPilot and Volvo's lane departure warning system can be a difference-maker to those looking for a daily driver. While we took the time to highlight some of the most notable features for each vehicle, we highly recommend diving into each vehicle's website if you're looking to make a purchase.
Because while we highlighted what we think are the most important features, you might find something else that you love that we overlooked!
Final Thoughts
It's only a matter of time before you start to see more and more all-electric vehicles on the road. While the Volkswagen ID4 is supposed to come out this year, it's far from the only new all-electric vehicle that will be making its debut in the coming years.
Other options include the BMW iX, Bollinger B1, Byton M-Byte, and the Cadillac Lyriq! So, keep an eye out over the coming years because all-new vehicles will be hitting the road.
