These EVs offer the most range for your money.
If we asked the question, “Which electric car offers the most range?”, it would be the easiest pop quiz in human history. You’d answer the Tesla Model S, and you’d be correct, as the Long Range model offers up 370 miles on a charge. However, you have to spend a whopping $79,990 for the privilege. Recently, InsideEVs crunched the numbers on some of the best EV deals based on range per dollar spent, and determined the best electric cars to buy if you want the most range for the least money.
They figured out the Hyundai Kona Electric is currently the biggest bang for your EV buck. The 258-mile crossover sets you back a more reasonable $36,950 (for the base SEL version), putting the cost at $143 per mile of range. Put the Tesla Model S Long Range through the same simple formula, and the number is more like $217 per mile. That’s still not bad, all things considered, but there are more cost-effective ways to eke the most range out of your budget.
With that in mind, here is an expanded version of the original list, ranking every U.S. market electric car that’s currently available for sale. Bear in mind here that certain cars, like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Fiat 500e, are only available in certain markets (i.e. California). Others, like the Chevy Bolt, are available nationwide.
Biggest Bang For Your Buck EVs: Ranked
| Car | Base Price | Range | $ per mile | |
| 1) | Hyundai Kona Electric | $36,950 | 258 mi. | $143 |
| 2) | Chevrolet Bolt | $37,495 | 259 mi. | $144 |
| 3) | Tesla Model 3 Long Range | $47,990 | 310 mi. | $155 |
| 4) | Kia Niro EV | $38,500 | 239 mi. | $161 |
| 5) | Nissan Leaf Plus | $36,550 | 226 mi. | $161 |
| 6) | Nissan Leaf | $29,990 | 150 mi. | $200 |
| 7) | Tesla Model S | $79,990 | 370 mi. | $217 |
| 8) | Hyundai Ioniq Electric | $30,315 | 124 mi. | $244 |
| 9) | Volkswagen e-Golf | $31,895 | 125 mi. | $255 |
| 10) | Tesla Model X Long Range | $84,990 | 325 mi. | $262 |
| 11) | BMW i3 (w/o Range Extender) | $44,450 | 153 mi. | $291 |
| 12) | Jaguar I-Pace | $69,500 | 234 mi. | $297 |
| 13) | Audi e-tron | $74,800 | 204 mi. | $367 |
| 14) | Fiat 500e | $33,460 | 84 mi. | $398 |
| 15) | Porsche Taycan* | $103,800 | 256 mi. (WLTP) | $405 |
*No official EPA figures are available for the Porsche Taycan yet. We’ll come back and update its place on the list when we have more accurate range figures
A few more points
Of course, this list hammers out one metric of electric car ownership — getting the most range for the least money. As more EVs hit the market, there’s a trend that largely follows the conventional car buying experience. Mainstream brands like Hyundai and Chevrolet offer a lot of value for money on range. Luxury brands like Audi and Porsche are hugely expensive, and don’t offer quite as much range as the value-minded competition.
The only current electric model to buck that trend is Tesla, which offers excellent range to justify its higher price tag. If you want to save a little money, you can opt for the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus. That will set you back $39,490 and offers 250 miles of range, or about $158 per mile. That’s only slightly less value than the Long Range model, and you can get a Standard Range model even cheaper if you go “off-menu”, bringing the price down closer to the $35,000 figure Tesla hammered into our minds when the Model 3 first launched.
These prices don’t factor in available federal and state tax incentives, either. Provided you can actually buy one where you live, the Hyundai Kona Electric is still eligible for larger credits than the Model 3. Remember, Tesla and GM models no longer net the full $7,500 federal EV credit. Factor those in, and these electric cars become more appealing to buy.
Thanks to InsideEVs for their original list.
While value is great, check out more on EV safety below:
