Blog News&Videos Admin November 15, 2025 0 Comments

Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy

Key Points:

There are all-electric vehicles available now that won’t break the bank, though they’re generally still more expensive than comparable gas vehicles.
The Nissan Leaf is a small four-door hatchback that doesn’t change much for 2025, but it remains the cheapest EV on the market at $29,635 (including destination).
Nine different brands represent the top 11 vehicles on the list, and body styles include SUVs, hatchbacks and sedans.

So you’ve decided to take a gamble on an electric vehicle, but you’d like to keep the ante down for getting into the game. There are lots of good reasons not to spend the kids’ college fund on the fanciest, six-figure EV — namely, sending them to college.

You might be just looking for an efficient second car for city use or commuting in high occupancy vehicle lanes, where it makes little sense to pay top dollar for 400 miles of range when a 200-mile EV would serve your needs. Or you might have figured out (accurately) that by the time your new EV’s lease or loan is finished, a wider selection of EVs with much improved technology will be available. Or the higher-than-expected cost to install Level 2 home charging, all but essential to owning an EV, might have shrunk your budget for the car itself.

Whatever your reasons, there are EVs available now that won’t break the bank, though they’re generally still more expensive than comparable gasoline vehicles. Note that availability can be relative for EVs. Some are sold only in certain states, while others may require a reservation for delivery weeks or months later.

Below are 11 of the cheapest EVs you can buy, listed by starting price (including destination). The list features all-electric cars only; plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell models are excluded. Prices do not include any state or local subsidies (the federal EV tax credit expired Sept. 30, 2025).

Cheapest EVs

1. Nissan Leaf: $29,635
2. Fiat 500e: $32,495
3. Hyundai Kona Electric: $34,470
4. Chevrolet Equinox EV: $34,995
5. Tesla Model 3: $38,380
6. Toyota bZ4X: $38,520
7. Hyundai Ioniq 6: $39,095
8. Subaru Solterra: $39,915
9. Ford Mustang Mach-E: $39,990
10. Kia Niro EV: $41,045
11. Nissan Ariya: $41,265

Nissan Leaf

2025 Nissan Leaf | Manufacturer image

Starting price: $29,635
EPA-estimated range: 149-212 miles
What to know about the 2025 Nissan Leaf: The 2025 Leaf is a small four-door hatchback that’s the cheapest EV you can buy, with a frills-free interior and range of up to 212 miles.

The 2025 Nissan Leaf is a small four-door hatchback and was one of the first full EVs available nationwide when it rolled out in the U.S. as a 2011 model. Over the years, it has improved with more range and added safety tech. It also got a longer-range sibling, the Leaf Plus, with a bigger battery. For 2023, the Leaf got some minor styling tweaks, and its lineup was simplified to a standard-range Leaf S and longer-range Leaf SV Plus. Nothing changes for 2025, although it does lose its eligibility for federal EV tax credits.

The cheapest standard-range Leaf S has a 40-kilowatt-hour battery, a modest 147-horsepower electric motor and an EPA-rated 149 miles of range. The interior has few frills, but it does have a standard 8-inch touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Leaf SV Plus, meanwhile, has a 60-kWh battery, a significant range boost to 212 miles and a more livable 214-hp motor.

Fiat 500e

2024 Fiat 500e | Manufacturer image

Starting price: $32,495
EPA-estimated range: 141-149 miles
What to know about the 2025 Fiat 500e: The 500e is a true city car with a surprisingly quiet, well-damped ride and estimated range of up to 149 miles.

The Fiat 500e is a true city car in every sense of the word, and we love the ease of parking something this small. The new 500e doesn’t feel as zippy as its predecessor, but it has a surprisingly quiet, well-damped ride. It features a single electric motor and a 42-kWh battery pack with an EPA-estimated range of 141 to 149 miles, depending on tires. It also has DC fast-charging capability, which allows it to charge from a completely drained battery to an 80% state of charge in 35 minutes, according to Fiat.

Best of all, the least expensive trim comes in a bright color by default: red, as it’s the 500e Inspi(RED) trim that supports the (RED) charity.

Hyundai Kona Electric

2025 Hyundai Kona Electric | Manufacturer image

Starting price: $34,470
EPA-estimated range: 200-261 miles
What to know about the 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric: The Kona Electric four-door subcompact SUV is mostly similar to the gasoline Kona in being comfortable up front, but tight in the backseat and cargo area.

This four-door subcompact SUV is mostly similar in styling and interior layout to the gasoline Hyundai Kona: It’s comfortable up front, but tight in the backseat and cargo area. Hyundai redesigned the Kona Electric for 2024, making it longer, wider and taller. The base SE trim gets a 48.6-kWh battery pack and 133-hp electric motor, while the SEL, Limited and new-for-2025 N Line pack a 64.8-kWh battery and 201-hp motor. The Kona Electric’s cheapest SE variant comes with an EPA-estimated range of 200 miles, while higher trims come with a longer-range battery good for an EPA-rated range of up to 261 miles. While sales of the Kona Electric were previously limited to certain states with required zero-emission vehicle targets, its availability was recently expanded to every state except Wyoming and South Dakota.

Chevrolet Equinox EV

2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV | Manufacturer image

Starting price: $34,995
EPA-estimated range: 307-319 miles
What to know about the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV: The Equinox EV’s cheapest front-wheel-drive version is one of the longest-range electric SUVs on the road, offering 319 miles on a full charge.

If you’re looking for an excellent bang for your buck, it’s hard not to like the Equinox EV. Its cheapest FWD version is one of the longest-range electric SUVs on the road, offering 319 miles on a full charge, and Chevy says its 150-kilowatt charging capabilities can get you 77 miles of range in 10 minutes on a DC fast charger. To get the least expensive Equinox EV, look for the well-optioned base FWD LT trim, which comes with a suite of popular safety features, a 17.7-inch touchscreen, an 11-inch digital instrument panel and satellite radio.

Tesla Model 3

2025 Tesla Model 3 | Manufacturer image

Starting price: $38,380
EPA-estimated range: 309-363 miles
What to know about the 2025 Tesla Model 3: Tesla’s entry-level Model 3 sedan finally got a subtle styling refresh for 2024, and it remains one of the most affordable options for an EV.

Tesla’s entry-level sedan, the Model 3, finally got a subtle styling refresh for 2024 with a more angular appearance outside and zero stalks on the steering column. Its blinkers are capacitive-touch buttons on the steering wheel, and you put the car in Reverse, Park or Drive via the single large touchscreen in the center of the dashboard or via a touch-sensitive strip on the ceiling by the rearview mirror. While those might be polarizing choices, the Model 3 remains one of the most affordable options for an EV. The base Standard Rear-Wheel Drive variant has a manufacturer-estimated range of 321 miles.