BIG comparison of electric cars, from wallet-friendly to luxury models

Wallet-friendly

Vehicle with the best price-quality ratio.

MThe cheapest in our market. Dacia is generally a completely honest car manufacturer that does not spin with marketing buzzwords. Dacia Spring is a car with all the characteristics that define a car.

Unfortunately, the market for new and affordable (read: small) electric cars is coming to a bit of a hiatus. The best options on sale are Renault Zoe and Peugeot e-208 / Opel Corsa-e.

The best for a first

If you want to start with future technology right away.

Capable enough, reliable enough.

If you want a smaller car.

Suitable for young people: classified as a moped car and no category B driver's license needed. Therefore, even a 14-year-old with an AM category driving license can drive it.

The first electric car that went to the masses: very friendly, foolproof to use, reasonable range and price. If your toes are in the water with the Leaf and you like the spark, you can always look to the higher shelves in the future.

Quite affordable, has a modern media system based on Google and a completely decent driving range. However, it is not unnecessarily powerful.

Family car

Pleasantly spacious, can accommodate two car seats if needed, plus a large trunk. For the same reasons, we use this model at Elektritakso.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 / Kia EV6 pair of platform companions is characterized by a cozy and light-filled passenger compartment, an extra-long wheelbase that enhances spaciousness and comfort, modern 800V architecture, and availability in both rear and all-wheel drive. For those who want to have fun in the winter, there is a nice button to the left of the steering wheel that turns off the babysitters...

Technically very similar cars. The emphasis is on off-road capability, but there is a lot of space and they are sensible city SUVs / family cars in every way.

Luxurious driving style

A good choice at medium price: surprisingly roomy (3 m wheelbase) and a nice futuretro approach.

The range of Mercedes-Benz cars is constantly expanding, but the EQS at the top should provide enough luxury.

These luxury Tesla models beat others in terms of their speed figures.

This vehicle has not yet arrived in Estonia, but Lucid Air is one of the peaks of recent luxury.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge provides a luxurious driving experience at a completely reasonable price in its segment. A bonus is the very accurate prediction of driving range - don't be afraid that you will be sneakily cheated. Volvo is bursting with smart solutions and the driving dynamics are enjoyable, especially in the four-wheel drive version.

Very similar to the larger EQS, but considerably cheaper and thus more equipment can be added.

If you are not afraid of adventure, you can take this vehicle.

Lots of long drives

For long journeys such as 300 km and more, fast charging capability is the indicator. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is very suitable, as well as the Audi e-tron and the Tesla. With the Tesla, there is also something you can do while charging. Just for the Tartu-Tallinn highway, the Tesla Model 3 is very comfortable and makes overtaking carefree as well.

If range anxiety is an issue and your mind has not fully come to terms with electric cars and their need to charge, Nissan has a nice alternative to offer. The car moves only by electricity produced by a highly efficient gasoline engine with a variable compression ratio. Thanks to several smart solutions, it cannot be heard or felt during normal driving, and the experience is completely that of an electric car: at the same time, 55 liters of gasoline go in the tank and the driving range is confidently over a thousand kilometres.

A stylish coupé sedan with low air resistance and therefore particularly economical on the road. The large battery allows a driving range of nearly 600 km.

Designed for city driving

The surprisingly small turning radius for a car of this size makes it pleasant to move around town. In general, all electric cars are good for city driving.

All electric cars shine in this category, but when driving in the city, it is especially worth looking at those that can be driven with one pedal, that is, the kinetic energy recovery system to be made to work so powerfully that you don't have to press the brakes at all.

A smaller battery and a smaller car are more suitable for frequent city trips. Smart #1 could be suitable, but I don't know if it will be sold in Estonia. Therefore, I would choose the Volkswagen ID.Buzz instead, because it looks great!

SUV

Volkswagen ID.5 as a mix of a city SUV and coupe, as well as Škoda ENYAQ and Audi Q4 e-tron from the Volkswagen Group on the same battery platform. I expect that within a few years we will have interesting SUVs such as Rivian R1S and VinFast VF9 on Estonian roads.

Among the vehicles currently available, the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra city SUVs born from the collaboration between Toyota and Subaru are probably the best value for money and off-road capability. The striking and robust look is not for nothing - it is complemented by driver assistants necessary for off-road driving and the familiar X-Drive driving mode from Subaru.

Talking about SUVs, then the Rivian R1S, but unfortunately it is not sold here yet.

If you prefer city SUVs, then the Porsche Macan EV. Porsche showed with the Taycan that they know how to make a great electric car, and the Macan is unlikely to do any worse.

Most anticipated model / Biggest surprise

I am most looking forward to the Tesla Model Y from the German factory to get here. The Kia EV6 is also an exciting newcomer. I would like to see the success stories of Chinese electric cars, such as NIO and XPeng soon in Estonia. You can already see them in Europe.

So far, among all electric cars, the Porsche Taycan has undoubtedly been the biggest positive surprise. This vehicle proves that an electric sports car can have character and be really enjoyable to drive - despite the weight, even in corners! If the face of electric sports cars continues in this vein, the future of these vehicles is not in danger, just... a little different.

Any car that isn't a city SUV. For example, the Volkswagen ID.Vizzion, currently only shown as a concept car though, but will hopefully be a stylish electric station wagon launched in 2023. Or the Audi A6 e-tron and the Genesis G80, both very calm and not city SUVs for a change.