BMW i3 — $41,350 / €34,950 (Germany)
The BMW i3 is BMW’s first 100%-electric car built electric from the ground up. It is part of BMW’s “born electric” i series. It’s price puts it somewhat in the middle of the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S. Despite looking a bit bulky, the BMW i3 is the lightest electric car on the market, thanks to its carbon fiber body. It’s a smooth & sweet drive. Read my full BMW i3 review here.
81–100 miles
4 seats
US & Europe
BMW i8 — $135,700 / €126,000 (Germany)
The BMW i8 is BMW’s second i-series car, but it isn’t 100% electric. It has about 30 miles of electric range before the gas engine kicks in. It’s an expensive car—actually, the most expensive on the mass market today.
81–100 miles
4 seats
US & Europe
Bolloré Bluecar — €12,000 + €80/mo battery (France)
The Bolloré Bluecar is a low-price, simple electric car produced and only available in France. It is used in the Autolib’ carsharing program in Paris, but is also available to retail customers. It was the 16th-best-selling electric car in Europe in 2013.
250 kilometers (155 miles)
4 seats
Europe
BYD e6 — $52,000
The BYD e6 electric car is on the market globally, but it is only available to fleet buyers in the US, and probably the same in other countries outside of China (where it is manufactured). It was the 2nd-best-selling electric car in China in 2013.
62 MPGe
200 kilometers (122 miles)
5 seats
Worldwide
Cadillac ELR — $75,000
The Cadillac is a high-end, luxury, plug-in hybrid electric car that just hit the market at the very end of 2013. In many respects, it is essentially a more luxurious Chevy Volt. It is pretty.
82 MPGe (battery) & 31 MPG (gas)
37 miles on battery (+ gas range)
4 seats
US
Chevy Spark EV — $27,495
The Chevy Spark EV is a low-priced 100%-electric car that has gotten good reviews but is only available in California and Oregon. It is reportedly quite perky on the acceleration. The Chevy Spark EV was the first car on the market that could use the SAE Combo Fast Charging system.
119 MPGe
82 miles
4 seats
US
Chevy Volt — $34,185
The Chevy Volt is one of the most widely acclaimed electric cars on the market. It is the top-selling electric car in the US to date. In 2013, it was the 2nd-best-selling electric car in the world. Volt owners are known as Voltheads.
98 MPGe (battery); 37 MPG (gas)
38 miles on battery (+ gas range)
4 seats
US & Canada
Citröen Berlingo Électrique — €26,220 (France) / £21,300 / 239,900 NOK
The Citröen Berlingo EV is a 100%-electric version of Citröen’s Berlingo vans. The electric van is available in several European countries. It is produced in France & is actually used by the French postal service.
171 kilometers (106 miles)
2 seats
Europe
Citröen C-Zero — €29,600 (France) / £21,216 / 233,900 NOK
The Citröen C-Zero is produced in France but it was developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (notice that it looks like the Mitsubishi i) and also shares the model with the Peugeot iOn.
150 kilometers (93 miles)
4 seats
Europe
Fiat 500e — $31,800
The Fiat 500e has gotten great reviews. However, the head of Fiat apparently hates electric cars (I know, crazy) and is only producing the 500e in extremely limited quantities for the California market (because it has to in order to sell cars in California). Hopefully the cute electric car will someday soon be available to a broader market. With its relatively low price, good reviews, and cool styling, it could give some of the top-selling electric cars on the market a run for their market.
115 MPGe
87 miles
4 seats
US
Ford C-Max Energi — $32,950
One of two cars in Ford’s Energi (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) lineup, the Ford C-Max Energi has quite good specs for someone who doesn’t drive very far on most days but wants to take very long trips fairly regularly. It’s also good for larger families, as it seats up to 5 people. Despite seating 5, it is cheaper than the Chevy Volt. It is also the most efficient plug-in hybrid electric car on the market. As a result of all of this, the car has sold quite well. Despite only being available in the US, the C-Max Energi was the 8th-best-selling electric car in the world in 2013.
100 MPGe on battery; 43 MPG on gas
21 miles on battery (+ gas range)
5 seats
US
Ford Focus Electric — $35,200
The Ford Focus Electric, on the other hand, Ford’s only 100%-electric car, has not sold as well and seems to be much harder to get a hold of. It is priced considerably higher than the Nissan Leaf — which is widely available — making it quite a hard sell. Perhaps Ford will knock the price down a bit sometime soon.
105 MPGe
76 miles
5 seats
US
Ford Fusion Energi — $38,700
Quite similar to the Ford C-Max Energi but with a few more bells & whistles, the Ford Fusion Energi has also done quite well since its introduction in February 2013. Despite not being on the market for over a month, and only being on the US market, the Fusion Energi was the 9th-best-selling electric car in the world in 2013. Not too shabby. The Ford Fusion Energi certainly offers some competition to the Chevy Volt, the Toyota Prius Plug-in, and its sister, the C-Max Energi. It is It is larger than all three of these competitors. It has a bit less electric range than the Volt, but it has enough seats for five passengers. (It has much more electric range than the Prius, and the same as the C-Max Energi — both of which seat 5.) And it is quite the looker.
100 MPGe on battery; 43 MPG on gas
21 miles on battery (+ gas range)
5 seats
US
Goupil G3 — €17,000 (France) / £13,500
The Goupil G3 is a 100%-electric utility vehicle designed for services like garbage disposal, construction site support, leaf collection, park maintenance, etc. It is produced and primarily sold in France. The Goupil G3 came in #18 in European EV sales in 2013.
73 miles
Europe
Honda Accord PHEV — $39,780
Coming in a bit higher than the Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius Plug-in, or even Ford Fusion Energi might have hurt the Honda Accord Plug-in’s sales. However, limited availability has likely had a stronger impact on those sales. Furthermore, having just 13 miles of electric range doesn’t particularly excite would-be electric car buyers. The good news is that the Accord Plug-in is very efficient when using the electric motor.
115 MPGe on battery; 46 MPG on gas
13 miles on battery (+ gas range)
5 seats
US
Honda FCX Clarity — $600/mo (lease only)
The Honda FCX Clarity is actually a fuel-cell electric vehicle. It is available in very limited quantities and is only available to lease, but it is on the market on 3 continents. In the US, the Honda FCX Clarity is only available in Southern California, as that’s the only region with hydrogen refueling stations. Despite being fueled by hydrogen (which I think is a losing game), the FCX Clarity is a beautiful car.
60 miles/kilogram of hydrogen (~60 MPG of gas)
240 miles
5 seats
US, Europe, Japan
Honda Fit EV — $259/mo (lease only)
Equivalent to costing $36,625, the Honda Fit EV is only available for lease. Furthermore, it can only be found in a few markets and is essentially another “compliance car.” On the plus side, the Honda Fit EV is only under the Chevy Spark EV (and only by 1 MPGe) in terms of energy efficiency. Would be nice if Honda actually tried to sell this car.
118 MPGe
82 miles
5 seats
US
Kia Soul EV — $33,700?
The Kia Soul EV comes to the US this year, and will also be available in its home country of South Korea.
105 MPGe
93 miles
5 seats
US & Korea to start, eventually worldwide
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric — $41,450
Also coming this year, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric looks like a very nice electric car, and is a first-offering from Mercedes in this department. Waiting to learn more. The car will be available in Germany this year, and perhaps other European markets and the US as well.
~200 kilometers / 120 miles in Europe, ~84 miles in US
5 seats
Europe in 2014, possibly US as well
Mia Electric Mia — €12,255 (France) / 159,900 NOK
The Mia Electric Mia (Mia Electric is the company name) is built in France by a French company, but “staff include former VW design boss Murat Gunak and ex-Bertone design chief David Wilkie.” It looks like a cute and very useful EV for last-mile deliveries and related services. It could also be a fun commuter car to own… for quirky people like me at least. The EV came in #20 in European EV sales in 2013.
80–130 kilometers / 50–81 miles
3 seats
Europe
Mia Electric Mia L — €12,781 (France) / 165,900 NOK
This version of the Mia has 4 seats rather than 3 and is a bit longer.
80–130 kilometers (50–81 miles)
4 seats
Europe
The BMW i3 is BMW’s first 100%-electric car built electric from the ground up. It is part of BMW’s “born electric” i series. It’s price puts it somewhat in the middle of the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S. Despite looking a bit bulky, the BMW i3 is the lightest electric car on the market, thanks to its carbon fiber body. It’s a smooth & sweet drive. Read my full BMW i3 review here.
81–100 miles
4 seats
US & Europe
BMW i8 — $135,700 / €126,000 (Germany)
The BMW i8 is BMW’s second i-series car, but it isn’t 100% electric. It has about 30 miles of electric range before the gas engine kicks in. It’s an expensive car—actually, the most expensive on the mass market today.
81–100 miles
4 seats
US & Europe
Bolloré Bluecar — €12,000 + €80/mo battery (France)
The Bolloré Bluecar is a low-price, simple electric car produced and only available in France. It is used in the Autolib’ carsharing program in Paris, but is also available to retail customers. It was the 16th-best-selling electric car in Europe in 2013.
250 kilometers (155 miles)
4 seats
Europe
BYD e6 — $52,000
The BYD e6 electric car is on the market globally, but it is only available to fleet buyers in the US, and probably the same in other countries outside of China (where it is manufactured). It was the 2nd-best-selling electric car in China in 2013.
62 MPGe
200 kilometers (122 miles)
5 seats
Worldwide
Cadillac ELR — $75,000
The Cadillac is a high-end, luxury, plug-in hybrid electric car that just hit the market at the very end of 2013. In many respects, it is essentially a more luxurious Chevy Volt. It is pretty.
82 MPGe (battery) & 31 MPG (gas)
37 miles on battery (+ gas range)
4 seats
US
Chevy Spark EV — $27,495
The Chevy Spark EV is a low-priced 100%-electric car that has gotten good reviews but is only available in California and Oregon. It is reportedly quite perky on the acceleration. The Chevy Spark EV was the first car on the market that could use the SAE Combo Fast Charging system.
119 MPGe
82 miles
4 seats
US
Chevy Volt — $34,185
The Chevy Volt is one of the most widely acclaimed electric cars on the market. It is the top-selling electric car in the US to date. In 2013, it was the 2nd-best-selling electric car in the world. Volt owners are known as Voltheads.
98 MPGe (battery); 37 MPG (gas)
38 miles on battery (+ gas range)
4 seats
US & Canada
Citröen Berlingo Électrique — €26,220 (France) / £21,300 / 239,900 NOK
The Citröen Berlingo EV is a 100%-electric version of Citröen’s Berlingo vans. The electric van is available in several European countries. It is produced in France & is actually used by the French postal service.
171 kilometers (106 miles)
2 seats
Europe
Citröen C-Zero — €29,600 (France) / £21,216 / 233,900 NOK
The Citröen C-Zero is produced in France but it was developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (notice that it looks like the Mitsubishi i) and also shares the model with the Peugeot iOn.
150 kilometers (93 miles)
4 seats
Europe
Fiat 500e — $31,800
The Fiat 500e has gotten great reviews. However, the head of Fiat apparently hates electric cars (I know, crazy) and is only producing the 500e in extremely limited quantities for the California market (because it has to in order to sell cars in California). Hopefully the cute electric car will someday soon be available to a broader market. With its relatively low price, good reviews, and cool styling, it could give some of the top-selling electric cars on the market a run for their market.
115 MPGe
87 miles
4 seats
US
Ford C-Max Energi — $32,950
One of two cars in Ford’s Energi (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) lineup, the Ford C-Max Energi has quite good specs for someone who doesn’t drive very far on most days but wants to take very long trips fairly regularly. It’s also good for larger families, as it seats up to 5 people. Despite seating 5, it is cheaper than the Chevy Volt. It is also the most efficient plug-in hybrid electric car on the market. As a result of all of this, the car has sold quite well. Despite only being available in the US, the C-Max Energi was the 8th-best-selling electric car in the world in 2013.
100 MPGe on battery; 43 MPG on gas
21 miles on battery (+ gas range)
5 seats
US
Ford Focus Electric — $35,200
The Ford Focus Electric, on the other hand, Ford’s only 100%-electric car, has not sold as well and seems to be much harder to get a hold of. It is priced considerably higher than the Nissan Leaf — which is widely available — making it quite a hard sell. Perhaps Ford will knock the price down a bit sometime soon.
105 MPGe
76 miles
5 seats
US
Ford Fusion Energi — $38,700
Quite similar to the Ford C-Max Energi but with a few more bells & whistles, the Ford Fusion Energi has also done quite well since its introduction in February 2013. Despite not being on the market for over a month, and only being on the US market, the Fusion Energi was the 9th-best-selling electric car in the world in 2013. Not too shabby. The Ford Fusion Energi certainly offers some competition to the Chevy Volt, the Toyota Prius Plug-in, and its sister, the C-Max Energi. It is It is larger than all three of these competitors. It has a bit less electric range than the Volt, but it has enough seats for five passengers. (It has much more electric range than the Prius, and the same as the C-Max Energi — both of which seat 5.) And it is quite the looker.
100 MPGe on battery; 43 MPG on gas
21 miles on battery (+ gas range)
5 seats
US
Goupil G3 — €17,000 (France) / £13,500
The Goupil G3 is a 100%-electric utility vehicle designed for services like garbage disposal, construction site support, leaf collection, park maintenance, etc. It is produced and primarily sold in France. The Goupil G3 came in #18 in European EV sales in 2013.
73 miles
Europe
Honda Accord PHEV — $39,780
Coming in a bit higher than the Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius Plug-in, or even Ford Fusion Energi might have hurt the Honda Accord Plug-in’s sales. However, limited availability has likely had a stronger impact on those sales. Furthermore, having just 13 miles of electric range doesn’t particularly excite would-be electric car buyers. The good news is that the Accord Plug-in is very efficient when using the electric motor.
115 MPGe on battery; 46 MPG on gas
13 miles on battery (+ gas range)
5 seats
US
Honda FCX Clarity — $600/mo (lease only)
The Honda FCX Clarity is actually a fuel-cell electric vehicle. It is available in very limited quantities and is only available to lease, but it is on the market on 3 continents. In the US, the Honda FCX Clarity is only available in Southern California, as that’s the only region with hydrogen refueling stations. Despite being fueled by hydrogen (which I think is a losing game), the FCX Clarity is a beautiful car.
60 miles/kilogram of hydrogen (~60 MPG of gas)
240 miles
5 seats
US, Europe, Japan
Honda Fit EV — $259/mo (lease only)
Equivalent to costing $36,625, the Honda Fit EV is only available for lease. Furthermore, it can only be found in a few markets and is essentially another “compliance car.” On the plus side, the Honda Fit EV is only under the Chevy Spark EV (and only by 1 MPGe) in terms of energy efficiency. Would be nice if Honda actually tried to sell this car.
118 MPGe
82 miles
5 seats
US
Kia Soul EV — $33,700?
The Kia Soul EV comes to the US this year, and will also be available in its home country of South Korea.
105 MPGe
93 miles
5 seats
US & Korea to start, eventually worldwide
Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric — $41,450
Also coming this year, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric looks like a very nice electric car, and is a first-offering from Mercedes in this department. Waiting to learn more. The car will be available in Germany this year, and perhaps other European markets and the US as well.
~200 kilometers / 120 miles in Europe, ~84 miles in US
5 seats
Europe in 2014, possibly US as well
Mia Electric Mia — €12,255 (France) / 159,900 NOK
The Mia Electric Mia (Mia Electric is the company name) is built in France by a French company, but “staff include former VW design boss Murat Gunak and ex-Bertone design chief David Wilkie.” It looks like a cute and very useful EV for last-mile deliveries and related services. It could also be a fun commuter car to own… for quirky people like me at least. The EV came in #20 in European EV sales in 2013.
80–130 kilometers / 50–81 miles
3 seats
Europe
Mia Electric Mia L — €12,781 (France) / 165,900 NOK
This version of the Mia has 4 seats rather than 3 and is a bit longer.
80–130 kilometers (50–81 miles)
4 seats
Europe
