Cars cost a lot of money. There’s no escaping that fact. Between the upfront payment, taxes, insurance, dealer add-ons, and registration costs, owning or even leasing a car is costly.
Add in the fact that electric vehicles are still more expensive than their internal-combustion counterparts and you have a tricky situation for anyone who wants to break up with gasoline.
So naturally, one can expect that getting behind the wheel of a new electric car won’t be cheap. While many options are pricey, there are also plenty of competitively priced options available—some of which are cheaper than you probably think.
From a $22,000 hatchback to a luxury SUV you can lease for less than a Toyota Camry, going electric has never been more affordable.
InsideEVs has compiled some of the best affordable new electric options for 2025. In this list are vehicles of all classes: hatchbacks, sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. Given that we stuck with new cars, this excludes used options like the old Chevrolet Bolt. For the list of the best used cars, go here. If you want to see our picks for the best electric vehicles overall, click here.
Keep in mind that many of these choices factor in the $7,500 EV tax credits, which could stand to be eliminated later this year.
The $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit is currently available for all vehicles that meet the federal government’s manufacturing requirements. Moreover, all electric and most plug-in hybrid vehicles, regardless of manufacturing location, qualify for the $7,500 commercial leasing incentive.
How We Test And Rank Cars
InsideEVs editors have dozens of years of combined experience testing cars. We also spend every day reporting on the ever-changing electric car landscape, ensuring you have the latest information to make an informed decision. Throughout the year, we test dozens of EVs, at first-drive events, during week-long reviews and during our Breakthrough Awards testing. From the streets of Shanghai to our own driveways, we drive everything so we can give you the best possible information.
We’re basing this list on the sticker prices for 2025 models. Keep in mind that a bunch of factors can impact the final price you’ll pay for a car.
Some models qualify for a $7,500 federal EV tax credit at purchase, which can now be claimed as an upfront discount at the dealership. Any electric car qualifies for a federally funded discount when it’s leased, provided the leasing company is willing to pass those savings on.
Certain regions offer policies of their own that can bring down the upfront cost of getting into a plug-in vehicle. Whether you buy or lease, it helps to shop around. Both dealerships and manufacturers regularly offer great EV lease deals, discounts, preferential loan rates and other incentives to move cars off of their lots.
The Best Affordable New EV: Nissan Leaf
Base price: $29,280 (Eligible for $7,500 tax credit when leased)
Range for base model (S): 149 miles
Maximum range: 212 miles
Drive type: FWD
Let’s be honest: the current (and now outgoing) Nissan Leaf doesn’t have a ton going for it in 2025. But if you want a new EV, it’s the bargain proposition—for now, anyway.
The Leaf is not a particularly exciting electric car. It looks pretty generic and doesn’t have any remarkable specs across the board. However, it can be incredibly affordable. In fact, Nissan has been constantly offering discounts on the electric hatchback, oftentimes $7,500 cash off.
With this incentive, the Nissan Leaf has the potential to cost just $21,880, including the destination fees. Veterans and recent college grads can snag an extra $500 off. Many consumers probably don’t realize a $20K-ish EV exists in 2025, but it does. Forget the Slate: this thing has power windows and four doors.
The 2025 Nissan Leaf isn’t all too different from the 2018 version, though. It offers around 149 miles of range and produces 147 horsepower. Charging tops out at 50 kilowatts, which is the lowest of any new EV. Worse yet, the 2025 Leaf still uses CHAdeMO, an obscure charging standard that is pretty much only used in Japan. Drivers probably wouldn’t want to take the Leaf on an extensive road trip, given that charging is just mid and range is just okay.
However, for those who are looking for a reliable car for in-town driving, the 2025 Leaf is a solid choice. $22,000 can’t get you much nowadays, and the fact that it can get you a decent fully-electric hatchback is quite notable.
Read our full Nissan Leaf review here.
Best Affordable All-Wheel-Drive EV: Subaru Solterra
Base price: $39,915 (Eligible for $7,500 tax credit when leased)
Range for base model (Premium): 227 miles
Maximum range: 227 miles
Drive type: AWD
The Subaru Solterra suffers from mediocre software, subpar charging capabilities, and unimpressive range. (That does look to be improving for the 2026 model year, which isn’t on sale yet but sees significant updates to the Solterra’s range, power and charging.)
But, there is a silver lining and that’s the fact that the Subaru Solterra is one of the best EVs to handle rough terrain for under $50,000.
While the electric Subaru is no Rivian, it offers an impressive 8.3 inches of ground clearance and a 17.7-degree approach angle. For comparison, the Kia EV6 has 6.1 inches of ground clearance and just a 15.4-degree approach angle. Subaru also says the Solterra can traverse through 19.7 inches of water.
The Solterra features a 72.8 kilowatt-hour battery pack delivering a range of 227 miles. Powering the crossover are two electric motors producing a mere 215 horsepower. Subaru claims the battery can accept up to 150 kilowatts on a DC fast charger. However, the Solterra charges even worse in real-world conditions. MotorTrend only saw a peak of 81 kilowatts, yielding a slow 5% to 80% time of 45 minutes.
If you’re road-tripping, the Solterra is a poor choice. But if you need a daily driver, primarily charge at home on level 2, and drive on rugged terrain, the Solterra is a solid option. Until the Rivian R2 releases, this is the closest thing available now.
Better yet, Subaru has been continuously offering great lease deals for the crossover. 2025 model years lease for $299 a month and $299 down and 2024 versions go for just $249 a month. The total price with destination fees is $39,915, though considering how much they depreciate, leasing the outgoing model year is the best option.
Best Affordable Electric Three-Row SUV: Kia EV9
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
Base price: $54,900 (Eligible for $7,500 tax credit when leased)
Range for base model (Light RWD): 230 miles
Maximum range: 305 miles (Light Long Range AWD)
Drive type: RWD, AWD
The typical base price for a Kia EV9 may make you wonder if we have the same definition of the word “affordable” as most people. Don’t worry, though: if you factor in Kia and Federal incentives, the 2025 EV9 Light RWD is effectively $43,895.
Considering a mid-level Ford Explorer retails for $47,410 and gets no incentives, the EV9 begins to look like an incredible deal.
Even at its price point, the EV9 has a good array of standard features. The base EV9 features a power liftgate, tri-zone climate control, and ventilated front seats. On the safety front, it offers a suite of autonomous driving features like adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and automatic lane changes.
However, there are some drawbacks. The base version makes just 215 horsepower despite weighing over 5,093 pounds. Buyers can opt for the all-wheel drive model, though it will tack on $9,000.
Nevertheless, all Kia EV9 models come with outstanding fast-charging abilities. Thanks to its 800V battery system and thermal management system, the EV9 has a stellar charging curve. It can charge from 10 to 80% in just 24 minutes. Moreover, the Light Long Range version can secure just above 3.0 miles per kilowatt-hour, which is quite impressive for such a large three-row SUV.
Best Affordable Electric Sedan: Tesla Model 3
2024 Tesla Model 3 (Highland) at a destination charger
Base price: $44,130 (Eligible for $7,500 tax credit)
Range for base model (Long Range RWD): 363 miles
Maximum range: 363 miles
Drive type: RWD or AWD
The 2025 Tesla Model 3 is one of the best EVs currently on the market. It starts at just $36,630 with the federal EV incentive. It also offers an EPA-rated range of 363 miles and a plethora of features. It comes with front ventilated seats, heated rear seats, a punchy 9-speaker sound system, a power trunk, dual-pane front and rear windows, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering (Autopilot).
Unlike Teslas of the past, the current Model 3 has much more accurate range estimates. Out of Spec Studios recorded an impressive 370 miles of real-world highway range in a Long Range All-Wheel Drive model. Its EPA range is 346 miles, denoting 7% better performance in real-world conditions. What hasn’t improved is charging. It still takes about 34.5 minutes to go from 10 to 80%, thanks to a steep charging curve.
When other car brands have historically increased their prices, it’s worthwhile to note that the Tesla Model 3 has decreased in price since its inception while gaining better performance, range, efficiency, features, and build quality. For drivers who care about features, range, and price, and fit and finish, there has never been a better time to buy a Model 3.
Best Affordable Electric Crossover: Chevrolet Equinox EV
2024 Chevy Equinox EV RS AWD
Photo by: Mack Hogan/InsideEVs
Base price: $34,295 (Eligible for $7,500 tax credit)
Range for base model (LT): 319 miles
Maximum range: 319 miles
Drive type: FWD or AWD
The Equinox EV is a crossover with pleasant and inoffensive styling. While it has a plentiful range of up to 319 miles, that’s not its best attribute. That attribute is its price.
The Equinox EV LT starts at $34,995 with destination fees. Add on the federal EV credit and that price drops to just $27,495. In terms of range per dollar spent, the Equinox EV is the undisputed champion.
It offers 319 miles of range and produces 211 horsepower. The Equinox EV tops out at 150 kilowatts on a DC fast charger, and GM claims it takes 10 minutes to add 70 miles of range. An independent test revealed a 10 to 80% charging time of just under 40 minutes. For comparison, the Kia EV6 can charge the same percentage in just 18 minutes.
The crossover has room for five occupants along with 26.4 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats. The Equinox EV comes standard with cloth seats, adaptive cruise control, and a 17.7-inch infotainment display.
Read why it won our Breakthrough Award in 2024.
Best Subcompact Electric SUV: Hyundai Kona Electric
Photo by: InsideEVs
Base price: $34,470 (Eligible for $7,500 tax credit when leased)
Range for base model: 200 miles
Maximum range: 261 miles
Drive type: FWD
The Hyundai Kona Electric may not have the high range or super-fast charging times of, say, a Hyundai Ioniq 5, but we are still big fans of what it can do—especially for the price. Its upper trims provide a very usable 261 miles of range along with plenty of practicality and easy-to-use controls. As it shares a lot in common with the gas-powered Hyundai Kona, it makes a great first EV.
Just know that the base model, and the most affordable one, only offers 200 miles of range. And fast-charging isn’t all that fast; one test we did saw it go from 10% to 80% in a sluggish 41 minutes. Still, as a reasonably priced everyday car, the EV Kona deserves its place on our recommended list.
More Upcoming Affordable New Electric Vehicles
Photo by: Patrick George
Base Price: $39,000 (est.) (Not eligible for $7,500 tax credit unless leased)
Estimated Range: 235-330 miles
Drive Type: Front-wheel-drive or all-wheel drive
The electric Kia EV4 sedan is already a sales success in its native South Korea. It’s expected to go on sale in the U.S. in the latter half of this year or early 2026.
The EV4 uses a version of the Hyundai Motor Group E-GMP platform that’s built for affordability. That means doing with front- or all-wheel-drive, and charging times that won’t be as lightning quick as, say, a Hyundai Ioniq 6. That’s because it uses an 400-volt electrical architecture instead of an 800-volt one like its siblings.
However, the EV4 should be an affordable, practical and stylish sedan on par with the Tesla Model 3 in some ways. In the U.S., it will launch with a Tesla-style NACS plug too, making charging easier than many other options.
Read our First Drive review here.
Photo by: InsideEVs
Base Price: $35,000 (est.) (Tax credit status unknown)
Estimated Range: ~300 miles in U.S. spec
Drive Type: Front-wheel-drive or all-wheel drive
We’re even more excited for the Kia EV3, the EV4’s boxy compact SUV sibling. It uses the same platform and 400-volt electrical architecture with front- or all-wheel-drive, and should be priced similarly. Kia has not announced its U.S. pricing (or where it will be built when it’s sold here) but we were highly impressed when we drove it in South Korea last year.
The EV3 is expected to go on sale in the U.S. later this year or early 2026.
Read our First Drive review here.
2026 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Rendering Front
Estimated Price: Unknown. $25,000-$35,000 estimated
Estimated Range: 300 miles (based on reports)
Drive type: Front- or all-wheel drive
The Chevrolet Bolt, the longtime affordable EV champion, is making a comeback for 2026. This time, it will be based GM’s dedicated Ultium platform like the rest of its EVs. While it’s expected to be a very heavy update of the previous Bolt rather than an entirely new car, GM has promised modern safety and technology features—along with a boost in range and charging speeds. This time, it will only come as the EUV subcompact crossover, not the EV hatchback bodystyle.
GM said the facility is on track to begin building 2027 Chevy Bolt EUV models by the end of the year.
Photo by: Slate
Estimated Price: $25,000-$35,000 estimated (below $20,000 if EV tax credits survive)
Estimated Range: 150-240 miles (estimated)
Drive type: Rear-wheel-drive
Slate Auto is a new startup EV company backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and other influential investors. And its new upcoming EV truck could be a game-changer, a kind of electric successor to the cheap pickups that used to be common in America. Think a modern, electric version of the Chevrolet S-10 and you’re on the right track.
And the Slate Truck will be especially bare-bones—you have to live with roll-down windows, for example—but it also offers a lot of customization options via vinyl wraps and interior accessories. With the included base 52.7-kilowatt-hour battery, it’ll return a projected 150 miles of range—not great, but Slate says this is meant to be an around-town vehicle more than a road-tripper. The optional 84.3-kWh pack gets you a healthier 240 miles of range. The truck will be made in America as well.
Read our First Look at the Slate Truck here.
