While writing my last article on the prices of the 70 electric cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans on the US auto market, I was surprised to find out that 24 of the models have a base MSRP below the average new car selling price in the country, and 13 are even priced below $40,000. However, what are the best deals on the market?
You can just look at the cheapest electric cars. You can just look at range per dollar. But neither of those things mean you’re looking at the best deals. The latter is actually a common way to judge cars in the EV market, and I understand why, but I think it’s totally misguided. As I’ve said many times, all of these models have plenty of range for a normal person’s use. In practical terms, there’s going to be very little difference in the ownership experience based on range. It’s such a simple and convenient thing to plug in a car every 2–3 days or so that I don’t even find it useful myself to consider range. It’s not a notable factor for me, and it isn’t for many people in real life. Of course, yes, there are people it matters a lot for — we’ll do a separate article on range for you.
To me, the following are the seven best electric car deals in the USA. There are a few others that I’m sure others may prefer. I’ll include a mention of those below as well.

Chevy Bolt ($28,595): I have to be honest here and say this model wasn’t initially on my list, as it’s not my cup of tea, but I have seen countless Bolt owners rave about their car — they love it. With the model revived at the lowest price on the US EV market, it seemed cruel and illogical to leave the Bolt off this list. If you are in the market for a small, compact EV, the Bolt has been a reliable, practical, widely loved EV for tens of thousands of Americans.

Nissan LEAF ($29,990): The new Nissan LEAF really shocked me. It looks like a great new option on the market at a surprisingly low price for what you get. Moving away from the “car” format, the 2026 LEAF is a subcompact crossover SUV, which I have to say is a vehicle class I absolutely love. My knees and back like getting in and out of a vehicle sitting a little higher than my Model 3, but I am not a fan of giant land yachts. The new LEAF has a very cool look (imho) and all the core modern tech. At just under $30,000 (or let’s just say $30,000 to be real here), it’s not hard to say that this is the best deal on the EV market.

Chevy Equinox EV ($33,600): This is the model that I think really challenges the LEAF in this list, though. Rather than being a subcompact, it’s a compact SUV. A lot of people, especially those with young families, do want more space, and the Equinox EV offers that at just a slightly higher price. It’s also a super cool, sleek, modern looking vehicle model, and I’m honestly shocked on probably a daily basis when I see Equinox EVs out there on the road and think about what a great deal the model is. It’s no wonder this is now the second best selling non-Tesla EV on the market. Frankly, I think it’s an absolute steal and severely underappreciated. I’d love to see some kind of guerrilla marketing campaign where Chevrolet went out there and got people to test out the EV — perhaps even with the badge and name concealed — and guess how much it cost. I would bet money that they hugely overestimate the cost. The Equinox EV may be a “top seller” on the US EV market, but I’m convinced it could be selling at much higher volumes with more consumer awareness.

Ford Mustang Mach-E ($37,995): I’m using the words “shocked” and “surprised” in this article a lot because that’s sort of the point — cars and SUVs that are available for a lower price than I’d expect. The Mustang Mach-E fits that bill as well. I was actually shocked to realize the base MSRP of the Mustang Mach-E is well under $40,000. A bit larger than the Equinox EV, the Mustang Mach-E is again plenty large enough for a normal family’s needs. It is also packed with style, history, and fun. It is without a doubt one of the coolest looking vehicles on the road and is sort of the definition of fun. I have no real complaints about the crossover, and I can recommend it to anyone shopping anywhere near this vehicle segment (and have done so to many people).

Tesla Model Y ($39,990): There are three kinds of people in the US — the kind that would never buy a Tesla, or another Tesla, because of Elon Musk’s slide into far right-wing politics and countless wild conspiracy theories; the kind that love Elon Musk with a passion and would only consider buying a Tesla; and people who pay very little attention to any of that or Elon Musk and don’t know what the previous parts of this sentence were really about. Whichever group you are in, you should still buy an electric car, for numerous reasons. Objectively, without a doubt, the Tesla Model Y is a great value for money package on the auto market. Depending what you prioritize (infotainment options and video games, minimalist vs. traditional interiors, normal vehicle control systems, or other differences between a Tesla and a traditional automobile), the Model Y could be your first choice on this list or your last. With the new “decontented” Model Y, the key is that you’ve now got a Tesla crossover with a starting price of just $40,000 — no tax credit needed (… or available).

Hyundai IONIQ 5 ($42,600): The Hyundai IONIQ 5 has got to be the most futuristic looking vehicle on the market, and the most unique aside from the Tesla Cybertruck. It looks like a vehicle from some video game jumped out of the screen and got onto the road. Its a very eye catching and cool car. It also has plenty of space inside, has that easy crossover ingress and egress, has a large infotainment screen, and drives very nicely. I don’t know what else there is to say about it. If it catches your eye more than any other vehicle on this list, it’s a great buy!

Kia EV6 ($42,900): The Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5 are close cousins, and it’s largely a matter of taste in style that you’d choose one over the other — inside and out. Personally, I prefer the interior of the EV6 and would thus go with it. In fact, the EV6 is now the #1 car on our shopping list. It is also sleek and professional looking on the outside, but it’s the seating position, infotainment, view over the hood, and interior space that made the EV6 stand out to me. If it had an Audi badge or Cadillac badge, it could sell for much more money in my opinion, but since it’s a Kia, it’s in a super competitive value-for-money price range. Yes, please.
There are certainly some honorable mentions. The Hyundai Kona EV ($32,975) could definitely be on the list, but I just felt like the Chevy Bolt combined with the other Hyundai and Kia options barely knocked it off. The Hyundai IONIQ 6 ($37,850) could also be on here, but I gave the edge to crossovers, which most people prefer for the extra space and height. Similarly, the second best selling EV on the market, the Model 3 ($36,990), holds a strong claim to a place on the list, but for a little more money to get the bigger cargo space, better back seat, and higher seating position, it just seemed most logical to leave the Model Y on there alone. Naturally, if you prefer the sedan (it drives nicer), go for it instead.
Now, I’ll admit that there was some temptation to input these vehicles’ range and max charging speeds, but I think those matters are really overhyped. I don’t think they matter in real life the vast majority of the time, or at least the majority of the time. And for someone looking for a good deal on a new car, I even more so doubt the smallest of time savings (like, really tiny time savings) are that important. When looking at much bigger numbers, people are deceived into thinking there are much bigger differences in value and practicality, when I 100% do not think that’s actually the case for most people. I’ll cover range and charging power for those who it does matter for in separate articles, though.
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Zach is tryin’ to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about electric vehicles and renewable energy at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao.
Zachary Shahan has 8551 posts and counting. See all posts by Zachary Shahan

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