So I have always hated Tesla and don't like that they've in a lot of way tarnished the name of electric cars. The second you say electric cars every person and their mom says OHH you're getting a tesla! Quite annoying.

Anyways, I'd like to hear from some of you folks some models of electrics you like. I have always been a gearhead deep in the gas and oil, and I still enjoy my cars, but an electric would be fun and a cost savings for me, especially since I have a ton of roof space for solar panels if I wanted to.

It sounds superficial but a big reason I used to hate electric cars is they are for the most part, hideous. Then again, to me, most new cars are hidous, the designs are just not good. But I think i can look past that.

It would also be a huge bonus if there were any models out there with the least possible features. I prefer cars with manual locks/seats/doors and no screen, which is of course impossible with current cars (sadly). But the less digital garbage the better.

I drive a Volkswagen ID.7 since soon 2 years now, had a Tesla Model 3 before that. Absolutely love the VW. It's a "real car" with manual controls where you expect them yet all the modernities you can imagine. The AR HUD is absolutely awesome giving you all the relevant information incl. navigation where you're looking without having to take your eyes off the road.

There's a big screen as well though, but it's not something you have to poke at to do regular stuff as in Teslas.

You can always go the route of converting an older car. https://www.fellten.com/system/mini

Buddy of mine has a Fiat 500e and it's surprisingly non-gadgety. If you don't need cargo, more than one passenger, or out of town range it's probably exactly what you want.

Doesn't have one pedal driving though. At least his doesn't. That's a no-brainer feature on an EV.

I only drive manual so I don't need 1 pedal drive..I forgot fiat made the 500 electric !

I don't have an electric car so I don't have any first hand knowledge/advice to give. However, the guy who runs the YouTube channel Technology Connections has a Hyundai Ioniq that he really likes and I believe it is a genuine expression. I think the biggest thing he doesn't like deals with how the car's internal navigation system handles recharging stops.

The new Leaf is supposed to be pretty good, as far as appliance oriented transportation is concerned. VW has been putting out decent cars too for a while. Both these manufacturers fundamentally understand how to put a car together which puts them ahead of Tesla. I’m wary of Toyota and Honda offerings as they’ve spent a fair bit of time avoiding them. USA big 3 make some compliance cars, which are appliance grade but I’d only consider them if they’re dirt cheap.

Up-market, Volvo and Polestar are putting out some interesting cars, and if I had USD200k I could only use on a car, it would be a Lucid - politics aside, I think they’re doing some great engineering. BMW and Mercedes’s offerings are not inspiring, but Audi has some interesting stuff they share to some extent with VW.

The up front costs of car + solar are not negligible, but the operating costs are dirt cheap. I spend less on my payment than I used to spend on gas.

I have a 24 Aryia. I’ve got 13k miles on it and so far it’s been great.

I have over 40k kms on mine. No issues at all so far, aside from they really hobble that 400hp off the line so you don't cook tires.

The Polestar 2 is great at being a (fun) car first and a electric car second, if that makes sense. The door handles are just regular door handles, the instrument cluster has an extremely clean and minimal design without visual noise, there's physical buttons for the radio and defroster and the gear (direction) selector!
Range isn't as amazing as Tesla 3, but as a daily car I think it's nicer. Also the optional tow hitch is rated for a 1t trailer load which is a bit more than the Tesla 3.

Skoda Enyaq is another good alternative, though slightly bigger, more of an SUV.
The Honda E was really fun to drive, but a bit expensive given size and range.
For smaller cars the Renault Zoë is a a top contender, and quite popular here
Kia has a whole range of great EVs, as does VW.

If I was in the market for a new car, I'd be seriously looking at the new Mazda 6e right now. It looks slick as hell, and it's one of the very few non-SUV non-5-door-hatchback EVs on the market.
Another alternative is BMW i4 and i5. The i5 is even available as a stationwagon / estate , which as far as I know is a first for EVs.

The Lucid looks slick as well, for those with deeper pockets :D

You didn't mention where you live or what size and budget you're looking at, some of these models may not be available in all markets, and as you can tell wary greatly in size and cost

Love my kia Niro ev. Looks like any other normal car. Fun to drive.

Kia ev6 has been going strong. The only downside for me is the first gen doesn't have wireless carplay.

No personal recommendation, but around where I am, I think that Hyundai Ioniq has been the most-increasing-in-prominence car in the same base price range as the Tesla Model 3.

It would also be a huge bonus if there were any models out there with the least possible features. I prefer cars with manual locks/seats/doors and no screen, which is of course impossible with current cars (sadly). But the less digital garbage the better.

The Hyundai Kona is less-expensive than the Ioniq. I know a few people that drive that and say that they like it.

If you're determined to have less stuff, the Slate Truck isn't out yet, but as sold, base, it doesn't have automatic windows or a screen or or a radio or speakers. No car computer. No cell radio to phone home. You get airbags and climate control, and you can mount your cell phone or tablet or whatever on the dash if you want a car computer, and that's pretty much it. Also considerably smaller than current trucks. Kind of a 1980s no-frills truck, but electric.

My wife has a Honda clarity PHEV that goes about 40 miles on a charge and for the most part she only needs the engine for highway driving day to day.

From an engineering and tech standpoint Honda makes an impressive hybrid system I just wish they had it on the Odyssey. You can get it on the Civic and Accord hybrids.

I'm personally looking at the Pollstar and Volvo wagons since I won't get a Chrysler Pacifica PHEV. But I'm also taking a serious look at the Porsche Taycan as it's essentially a wagon.

The mustang Mach E is actually a decent car, one of my best friends wanted an EV and had not even thought about Ford when I suggested it. He test drove one and took it home that day!

I have also tested the VW id BUZZ and it's great but as a van it's not as good as the Odyssey.

What I want more than anything is Honda to get it's shit together but I'm at 200k and I won't wait forever so one of the above vehicles is going to get my money if Honda won't sell me what I want.

I have a 23 Mustang Mach E. Due to where I live, I felt AWD was necessary and that limited my EV options substantially (along with all the tax incentive changes happening at the time I ordered it in 2022).

Honestly though, while it's bigger than what I wanted and doesn't have as many manual features as I would prefer, it is a supremely fun vehicle to drive. I wish EV charging infrastructure was better so that taking it on a road trip was more feasible.

Seconded on the P2! I bought a 2021 launch edition in October and still get excited every time I get behind the wheel lol.

We’ve had our Niro EV for over 6 years now and it remains an excellent vehicle. The only failure so far was in the AC. Other than that, it had required almost no maintenance.

We did a proactive reduction gear oil change and had the brakes cleaned once due to lack of use (regen and driving style mean the brakes are not used frequently).

Love that it just looks normal.

There’s an ICCU issue with them he experienced and while he still likes the car I believe he doesn’t recommend it as much until that gets sorted.

We got a relatively cheap adapter that works great. It’s from Ottocast. I don’t know what the current/new model is like but ours works pretty well with two phones of the primary drivers.

I have a Chevy Blazer which is nice except it lacks android auto. If I drove professionally their OnStar is enough better than Android Auto (and I assume Car Play) as to be worth the price, but I don't drive much and so it isn't worth the cost.

My wife has a Pacifica PHEV which is a decent compromise - we probably save $200/month by driving electric, but can make long trips through desolate areas without worrying about finding a charge (some of them are desolate enough that we have to worry about finding gas - though if you plan either will work: gas just needs planning the next 20 miles while electric is plan the next null.

The ford lightning has been a very good truck for me so far.

Range is a bit less then I would like but having all the plugs and the capacity to move things around are things I use every day.

The wife and I love her Volkswagen id4. It is comfy, gets good mileage, and is cheap on the used market.

They all devalue badly.

Not a real option. Expensive and no one can fix it.

Leaf from Gen2 with battery temp control is good.

One pedal is one reason with so many Teslas have front collisions.

If you can handle the slow charging any chevy bolt from 2022-2024 is a good buy for second hand. If you need bells and whistles you'll need to spring for the mid trim euv which has adaptive cruise, lane assist and some automated driving on the highway. For the auto driving you'll need to spring for onstar so it'll be a monthly subscription. You could also import a BYD if you're in the states.

https://www.wired.com/story/this-is-how-you-get-a-chinese-ev-into-the-united-states/

I’m waiting for it to get the id.Buzz. I want one of them badly. Can’t wait!

any that have the option of not being tracked?

The Oshkosh NGDV looks promising, there's also the Rivian EDV.

Do not buy the Hyundai Ioniq. The car itself is great (although it has a lot of modern features you dont want) but dealing with Hyundai is such a nightmare that I will never again buy a Hyundai.

Which I don't understand really.

The only think about the VW I don't like (I drive one for work), is that it uses your phones internet to connect, so if you want to use Wifi and connect to your car...you cant.

That may be an optional setting I haven't found yet, but beyond that I like the car.

That article says you can't import a byd unless its a subcompact that you license as a low-speed vehicle. Meaning it can't go over 35mph, so basically a golfcart.

We have an Audi e-tron GT. Wife wanted a 4-door car with a trunk and I wanted a low-slung sporty drive.

Not manual by any means, but it has Apple Car Play and buttons for almost everything else - aircon, media, driving controls etc.

We charge with excess solar so driving it is basically free.

I have a Citroen E-Berlingo and I love it.

I wanted something with the best indoor space / outdoor footprint ratio I could get and also a car with a small battery, because imo big batteries on EVs defeat the purpose (too heavy, wears out tires and roads faster) and 99.9% of the time I travel less than 100km a day.

The same electric platform is on all Stellantis cars if I'm not wrong (eg. E-208, E-C3).

Also what I like about it is that I could opt out of all the "connected" junk and now it looks like a normal car (I don't use navigation, apps or anything, I just want my car to transport me).

My neighbor has a Volvo EX90, and he swears by it. It replaced his older Tesla S, and he says the build quality is leagues apart.

EX90 is far from a "simple" car, though. And a lot larger than most people need.

No, but that's not EV specific.

Shop used right now to take advantage. Low mileage EV's are crazy cheap. We saw 'used' vehicles with less than 30 (not thousand) miles for half off, straight from the dealer, full warranty. Much cheaper than a combustion counterpart.

At the price we paid, even if the car is worth $0 at the end of five years, we'll have done alright.

Taycan 4S Cross Turismo (wagon). Absolutely incredible car all around. Competent on a racetrack, comfy on long roadtrips, tons of cargo room, easy installation of a roof box for even more cargo, very fast DC charging.

Ain't perfect and I could rant about software/infotainment but I'm not paying for the now-expired internet connectivity and it's been totally fine not having that, especially with Android Auto working with GrapheneOS.

How do you like it? Have you taken it to a racetrack? If not I highly recommend doing so if you have one close enough that also has DC charging nearby

if it has license plates or even just any number of bumper stickers, it's already been being tracked.

Toyota also makes some PHEVs as well. We've had a Toyota Prime for a few years and it's been fine.

There are no good electric cars.

That's a bit of a problem with eclectic cars. Most of them are huge SUV's or tiny city cars. Is there even an electric estate car?

I would not get a Hyundai Kona. It was never meant to be a EV, they just fitted batteries under a regular ICE car, so a lot of it just doesn't make sense.

I just don't like the Toyota hybrid. Prius prime was good when I test drove it but the rest are meh.

Going by Volvo, as those are the cars I know best (recently replaced my tank of a 940 with an xc90), maybe ex40 or ex30 is your thing? Or is that still too big?

The EX90 is the largest in that model line. I've personally been looking into the EX40. I just haven't researched the tracking, if any, involved with this model.

I have been seriously looking at one of these, what's your experience with maintenance costs?

I wouldn't knock it until you've tried it. I would never get an EV without 1 pedal drive. The only downside is it takes a few days to get used to, which isn't great when test driving and coming from 2 pedal. It feels weird at first.