6 Affordable, Luxury, and Crossover EVs not to miss in 2018

6 Affordable, Luxury, and Crossover EVs not to miss in 2018

by Giles Kirkland

Electric cars have been around for over one hundred years but as little as a decade ago they were seen as not much more than a novelty. Today, electric car technology is on the verge of supplanting conventional fuel vehicles. It’s been a stunningly quick transition.

Across the spectrum of motoring options we’re seeing electric vehicles offering viable and exciting alternatives. Let’s take a look at some of the best options on the market today.

Affordable

2018 Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf is the perfect balance between affordability and ecologically aware manufacturing. A full 60% of the Leaf’s interior is made from recycled materials and 99% of the vehicle can be recycled. For consumers who are both on a budget and conscious of their environmental footprint, this vehicle leaves its competitors in the proverbial dust. It’s also equipped with a surprisingly sophisticated on board nav and computer assisted driving features. Price: $29,990. Charge Mileage: 151 miles

2018 Chevrolet Bolt

The Chevy Bolt’s focus is on efficiency and innovation. The body of this car is insanely light, its entirety weighing less than the car’s battery. Unsurprisingly, this affords the vehicle an impressive pick-up and a range of about 160 miles at top speed of 93-mph. It also pushes the envelope with a fun array of unusual features, from asymmetric front seats to a “morse code” flashing battery charge indicator. Price: $36,620. Charge Mileage: 238 miles

Luxury

2018 BMW i3

The luxury segment of the market is a little less crowded with e-cars but there are a few significant offerings, the BMW i3 among the most striking. The i3 blends all the BMW luxury comforts anyone buying a BMW would expect with striking efficiency. The i3’s profile is sleek and aerodynamic, its contouring designed to prevent turbulence and improve battery efficiency. It also incorporates some new ideas for heat management, with a cooling system designed to produce optimal battery performance and life. Price: $44,450. Charge mileage: 180 miles

2018 Tesla Model 3

No list of electric vehicles would be complete without a Tesla offering. The Model 3 seals Tesla’s rightful place as an innovator. The Tesla was designed to be sexy. That’s literally the description Elon Musk used to describe its guiding design principle. With a slew of safety features and ridiculously efficient battery technology (providing the Model 3 with a range of over 200 miles), you might imagine there’d be some compromises on performance. Not so. The Tesla Model 3 can hit 60mph in less than 6 seconds. It’s hard to look past a sexy cocktail of luxury and oomph! Price: $35,500. Charge mileage: 220 miles

Crossover/SUV

2018 Jaguar i-Pace

The crossover and SUV market is at an odd place right now. Long considered to be the last bastion of traditional fuel vehicles, we’re now seeing some interesting electric options which perform surprisingly well. The Jaguar i-Pace has to deserve a mention. Equipped with front and rear electric motors the i-Pace delivers 294kW and a torque of 696Nm. This kind of grunt combined with that classic Jaguar dramatic ”sweeping yet mean” profile makes it a serious crossover contender. The bad news: its price tag more than matches its features! Price: $70,495. Charge mileage: 240 miles

2018 Kia Soul EV

Kia is a relative newcomer to the electric car market but the Soul EV is turning heads with its fresh, innovative appearance and low operating costs. It’s no slouch in the performance department either, with a solid 285Nm of torque and a respectable maximum range of 131 miles. While it might not stack up against the Jaguar i-Pace for features, its rock-bottom price tag makes it an interesting car to watch in the crossover category. Price: $32,250. Charge mileage: 131 miles

These cars are proof positive that electric cars can offer a clean, innovative alternative to their fuel-burning cousins. More importantly, though, they’ve staked their claim as a consumer-ready product that can win buyers’ hearts and minds.

Sources

• Edmunds
• US News: Best Cars
• Digital Trends: Best Electric Cars
• Popular Mechanics
• 5 Things to consider before buying an electric car
• Chevrolet Bolt EV engineers reveal 11 cool facts
• Five interesting facts about the BMW i3
• 8 Interesting facts and features of the 2017 BMW i3 electric car
• Facts that were just unveiled about the Tesla Model 3
• Tesla car fun facts features 2017
• Green car companies and eco cars
• Watch ten key facts about the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace