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Think EVs are too expensive? Here are 11 for under $40K.

The average new car costs more than $47,000—here are 17 EVs for less than that.

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Hyundai Kona Electric

You don't have to get your Kona Electric in this bright hue, but it helps.
Enlarge / You don't have to get your Kona Electric in this bright hue, but it helps.
Hyundai

We still haven't reviewed a second-generation Kona Electric yet, an oversight we'll seek to correct soon, as we were thoroughly impressed by the first Kona EV. The new Kona Electric, which starts at $32,675, was introduced last September and is very slightly larger than the car it replaces. There's also new infotainment, and this might be the cheapest new EV with an exterior "vehicle to load" feature so you can use it to power 120 V devices.

Volvo EX30

The cheapest version of Volvo's affordable EX30 is rear-wheel drive, but there's no reason to be afraid of that.
Enlarge / The cheapest version of Volvo's affordable EX30 is rear-wheel drive, but there's no reason to be afraid of that.
Tim Stevens

Volvo went minimalist with the EX30, stripping out any and everything non-essential in an effort to reduce the cost and the carbon footprint of its smallest EV. And it made a pretty great little car in the process. An affordable one, too—here in the US, the EX30 starts at $34,950. Volvo might wince every time it sells an EX30 here, however. Tariffs on Chinese-made cars imported into the US were 27.5 percent when Volvo set pricing for the car, but they've now leaped to 102.5 percent as Washington bows to pressure from the US auto industry. Volvo is also planning on building EX30s in Belgium, so it ought not to be a problem for too long.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

From this angle, there's a hint of the 1994 Lagonda Vignale concept to the Ioniq 6, and that delights me.
Enlarge / From this angle, there's a hint of the 1994 Lagonda Vignale concept to the Ioniq 6, and that delights me.
Jonathan Gitlin

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is one of the best EVs on sale today. It starts at $37,500 but can be leased for less than $200 a month thanks to the fact that all leased EVs qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit, regardless of where their battery content comes from or where final assembly took place. That's not a lot of cash for one of the best 800 V powertrains in the industry, with ridiculously quick fast-charging capabilities and class-leading efficiency. The looks can be a bit divisive, but I love this four-door sedan and its whale tail rear spoiler.

Tesla Model 3

Opinions are subjective, but I've always felt like Tesla designed 90 percent of its cars, then phoned in the rear lights. Finally, that is no longer the case.
Enlarge / Opinions are subjective, but I've always felt like Tesla designed 90 percent of its cars, then phoned in the rear lights. Finally, that is no longer the case.
Tesla

Like the Leaf, the Tesla is now quite long in the tooth, although the US market recently received the facelift "Highland" version. Right now, the Model 3 starts at $38,990.

Nissan Ariya

It's about the same size and shape as the Rogue, but this one is all-electric, with either one or two motors and a choice of 63 kWh or 87 kWh batteries.
Enlarge / It's about the same size and shape as the Rogue, but this one is all-electric, with either one or two motors and a choice of 63 kWh or 87 kWh batteries.
Nissan

The Ariya crossover, which starts at $39,590, is a more modern and larger car than the Leaf. It charges faster, and it has more range and a much nicer interior than the smaller hatchback. Nissan might be open to deals on the Ariya—it's one of the few OEMs not to see significant growth in EV sales between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024.

Kia Niro EV

The Niro EV keeps its charge port in its nose, which is handy for recharging and also means shorter cable runs to the inverter that lives under the hood.
Enlarge / The Niro EV keeps its charge port in its nose, which is handy for recharging and also means shorter cable runs to the inverter that lives under the hood.
Jonathan Gitlin

The $39,600 Kia Niro EV is another Ars favorite. It doesn't have quite the same level of engineering as the Ioniq 6 or other E-GMP-based Korean EVs, but even at 400 V, this is one of the more efficient electric cars on sale today, easily capable of 4 miles/kWh (15.5 kWh/100 km). And it feels more like a hatchback than a crossover, which should help it find friends among those who think new vehicles are way too large.

Volkswagen ID.4

The ID.4 uses a simple styling trick to look smaller—black paint hides the bits the designers want you to ignore.
Enlarge / The ID.4 uses a simple styling trick to look smaller—black paint hides the bits the designers want you to ignore.
Jonathan Gitlin

VW's ID.4 crossover starts at $39,735, and since it's built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it's eligible for the full $7,500 IRS clean vehicle tax credit, whether it's bought or leased. The entry-level ID.4 makes do with a smaller 62 kWh battery than the pack in the more expensive ID.4 S and S Plus and keeps the original and 12-inch unloved infotainment system. VW's electric sales were down 12.2 percent compared to last year, so buyers may have some leverage.

Jonathan M. Gitlin Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC.

Promoted Comments

$7,150, down from $8500 last time I brought this up weeks ago.

If your battery isn't covered by insurance, why on earth are you insisting upon a brand spanking new OEM battery assembly in the first place? When the transmission went on my ICE minivan, I bought a rebuilt, not the Chrysler/Dodge parts inventory gold plated whizzu.
I looked up the price of an OEM EV battery for my EV (Kona). $12K from an online OEM source. The Leaf Plus replacement battery was $15K last time I looked.

The actual price will be higher if the dealership sees an opportunity to soak the customer and if it is one of those kinds of dealerships. You can watch a few YouTube videos to see what the process of removing and installing a battery into a modern EV is. Quite simple. Quite fast too. A shop needs a two post lift and a lift able capable of handing the weight of the battery. Two techs are efficient.

Hyundais battery warranty is 100K miles or 10 years so the EV owner won't need to address any battery issues before then.

These EV batteries are nothing like 12V lead acid batteries. I've spoken to several people who apparently assume the traction battery is one giant battery lump. That there aren't any sub-assemblies within the battery case.

With a 12V lead-acid battery you replace it as a whole and recycle it. An EV traction battery has many parts inside and a good technician can disassemble the battery and replace either modules or cells enabling the battery to be returned for many more years of service.

Interesting things are happening in the after market. With the earliest Leafs wearing out their batteries, people are learning to rebuild those traction batteries with new and different battery modules. ALL the Leaf batteries are interchangeable. A brand new 62 KWH battery can be retrofitted into the earliest Leaf that had the 24 KWH battery. It requires a translation module supplied by the after market to be installed. Neither difficult nor (compared to the price of a new EV) expensive. With the lower power motors in the older cars, a very efficient Leaf with 275+ miles of range is the result. Other solutions include CATL battery modules in place of the Nissan modules. I've even traded messages with a fellow who is looking to retrofit a new battery that includes a cooling system enabling the Leaf to overcome its passive battery cooling problem. There is someone in Europe that has a CCS retrofit system.

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