OK, so I’m sold on Tesla, the car and the company, not so much the man (Elon, not Nikola). That said, there are other fish in the sea to consider. Here’s a shortlist:
- Rivian – R1T truck and R1S SUV
- Volkswagen – ID.4
- Kia – EV6 and Niro
- Hyundai – Kona and Ioniq 5 and 6
- Tesla – Models S, 3, X, Y, and Cybertruck
- Chevrolet – Bolt EV
- Ford – Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning truck
- Volvo – EX90, EX30, XC40 Recharge, and C40 Recharge
- Porsche – Taycan
and many others: Lucid Air, Fisker Ocean, Mecedes-Benz EQS and EQB, GMC Hummer EV, BMW iX, i4 and i7, Cadillac Lyriq, Nissan Ariya and Leaf, Genesis G80 and GV60, Polestar 2, Audi Q4 E-Tron, Toyota BZ4X, Jaguar iPace, Subaru Solterra, Vinfast VF 8, Lordstown Endurance, Mini Cooper SE, Mazda MX-30, etc.
But if you’re considering buying an EV and want to know which models are selling well, Electrek is a good place to start. Based on 2023 sales, I would start at the top of the list and work my way down:
A word of caution for prospective EV owners, do your research. Making a decision solely based on a Super Bowl ad is not wise. Talking to other EV owners and doing some good old fashioned internet research is necessary. For example:
- Chevy Bolt – ‘Chevrolet Recalls Over 50,000 Vehicles Due to Fire Risk‘
- Ford Mach-E – ‘Some Ford Mustang Mach-Es Are Bricking Despite Full Charge‘
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 – ‘Yikes! The $60,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Battery Replacement Saga Continues‘
- Volkswagon ID.4 – ‘Volkswagen has given a name to its pain, and it is ‘software’
- Vinfast VF 8m – ‘Critics Agree: The VinFast VF8 Is Very, Very Bad‘
- Toyota BZ4X – ‘Toyota finally found a way to keep wheels from falling off its electric SUV‘
- GMC Hummer EV – GMC Hummer EV Battery Teardown Proves Our Fears
- Fisker Ocean – This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed, by Auto Focus
- Tesla – ‘Tesla recalls nearly all vehicles sold in US to fix system that monitors drivers using Autopilot‘
Etc. etc. The bottom line is ‘be informed’! Every EV manufacturer takes a different approach when designing their vehicles. Understanding this, and the potential issues this creates is important. Also, as EV technology evolves, so will safety, reliability, and sustainability. As an early adopter, high purchase prices, low resale value, and some level of inconvenience is to be expected. This is what you’re signing up for. I, for one, think it’s worth it and encourage EV ownership when and where it makes sense.
** update **
If you watch/listen to Ryan Shaw, which I recommend, you’ll learn that every auto manufacturer is climbing on the EV train and will be delivering cars worth your consideration (assuming you’re in the market for an EV) in the next year or so. Here Ryan’s latest YouTube video on the subject, which covers the bases really well:
Tesla’s 2024 Competition Is HERE | Best NEW EVs For 2024 (and beyond)