The Best Electric Cars of 2025

Once upon a time, the Nissan Leaf stood alone as the only electric car an environmentally-minded shopper could buy. Now the market is teeming with options and adding new models from a swath of manufacturers every month.

As a result, prices are coming down while battery range is going up. Today’s best electric cars can travel more than 300 miles before needing to recharge — enough to drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas without stopping.

Performance is also improving, with quicker acceleration and smooth, precise handling. If you’re accustomed to driving gas-engine cars, you’ll discover that EVs are much quieter, creating a more comfortable experience for passengers in the cabin.

In addition, a spate of new EVs that have joined the market. However, most of the new entries have been SUVs. That’s left electric car shoppers – and Money – with fewer models to choose among.

That’s among the reasons why this vehicle category is the only one where we recommend only four picks rather than the customary five. After driving and comparing dozens of electric cars, following our step-by-step methodology, we concluded that only four truly stood out from the pack. We picked the cars with the best combination of price, impressive battery range, strong performance and features, along with some other considerations, such as reliability and depreciation.

Below are those four picks, along with their pros, cons and drive range on an electric charge.

(If you’re interested in a broader look at the new vehicle marketplace, check out our full list of the Best Cars of 2025.)

Best Electric Cars of 2025

Best Overall: Hyundai Ioniq 6
Best for Performance: Tesla Model 3
Best for Luxury: Polestar 2
Best for Affordability: Nissan LEAF

Best Overall: Hyundai Ioniq 6

• Price: $37,750
• Driving range on a full charge: 240 miles

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the total package: best-in-class range (albeit with a pricey upgrade), engaging driving dynamics and a cabin chock full of standard features. Those features include a 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment system and some extra niceties like heated front seats.

The base (Standard SE) model has a 240-mile range. While that’s adequate for a 2025 EV, some competitors offer more. To unlock the Ioniq 6’s best range, a standout 342 miles, you’ll need to upgrade to the $42,700 SE trim. (That’s a couple thousand dollars less than the starting price of the Tesla Model 3 Long Range edition.)

The Ioniq 6 is the only pick in this category that was tested and earned the accolade of Top Safety Pick + – the highest awarded – from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Importantly for first-time EV buyers looking for peace of mind as they move to a new technology, the Ioniq 6 is backed by one of the best warranties of any model on this list.

It includes a five-year/60,000-mile limited warranty along with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty for its battery and EV powertrain components.

The main drawback to the Ioniq 6 is that it offers less cargo space than other EVs, with a trunk only large enough to fit a charging cable.

Best for Performance: Tesla Model 3

• Price: $44,130
• Driving range on a full charge: 363 miles

The Tesla Model 3 underwent a facelift for 2024, addressing complaints about its minimalist cabin and complicated infotainment system. Now the spartan interior sports some nicer trim pieces such as thicker padding on the doors and a new cloth upholstery, although we still find the infotainment screen to be somewhat distracting.

But the interior is not the main reason you buy a Model 3. You buy it for the class-leading performance (notably in acceleration), long range and unmatched charging network. The latter boasts more remote fast-charging stations than any other brand, and offers the ability to add about 248 miles of power within 30 minutes.

The Long Range base model cruises from 0 to 60 mph in an impressive 4.2 seconds. Meanwhile, the $56,630 Performance model is even quicker, shaving a full second off the journey. However, that extra performance will cost you in range. The Performance delivers just 303 miles compared to the base model’s 363-mile range.

Starting at $44,130, the Model 3 is among the priciest of our picks. It has, however, held its value especially well. It was recently named the best premium electric car in the 2025 JD Power Residual Value Awards, which recognize vehicles that have depreciated the least in recent years.

Best for Luxury: Polestar 2

• Price: $49,900
• Driving range on a full charge: 320 miles

The Polestar 2 electric sedan has increased its entry-level range to 320 miles, putting it in the big leagues alongside Hyundai and Tesla. The base model, which also gets 69 additional horsepower for breezy acceleration, starts at $49,900. That’s the most expensive model on our list of Best Affordable Electric Cars but considered reasonable for the luxury space where Polestar wants to play.

The interior feels suitably upscale, albeit erring on the minimalist side with the Tesla Model S, with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and an 11.2-inch touch screen to control navigation and other functions. Leather upholstery with ventilated front seats will set you back $4,000, so we recommend sticking with the base model’s textile upholstery from its Volvo parent’s bank of sustainable and recycled materials.

Best for Affordability: Nissan LEAF

• Price: $28,140
• Driving range on a full charge:149 miles

The Nissan LEAF has fallen behind in the segment it pioneered. Once the world’s only electric car, it has lost its spirit of innovation, instead becoming a practical daily driver distinguished by its similarity to a regular sedan.

That leaves the remaining upside of the modern LEAF as its price: $28,140 for the base model. But you’ll need to make serious sacrifices to save at least $10,000 or so over any other of our picks.

The LEAF’s ride is less than thrilling and its range is a ho-hum 149 miles, which is at least 100 miles fewer than most of its rivals deliver. Further, having less battery capacity (reflected in that range) means the LEAF takes much longer to charge than its rivals. If you’re using a Level 1 charger, the kind many owners have in their garage, that means days of charging, rather than hours.

The upshot: choose this budget EV only if you will drive it only locally and aren’t fussy about performance.