9 Electric Vehicles That are Coming to Compete with Tesla

As gas prices hover above $4 a gallon across the country, more Americans are looking into buying an electric car as their next vehicle.

Unlike gas guzzlers, electric cars can be charged in your garage or at charging stations across the country. While it may be more expensive to buy an EV, the cost to run it on electricity compared with buying gas for a traditional car may outweigh that initial extra expense. Tax credits could also factor in, potentially making an EV more affordable. 

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Tesla is the big name that most people have heard of and for good reason. The manufacturer’s Model Y and Model 3 were the two best-selling EVs in 2021. But they can also be hard to come by for the average consumer due to high demand.

So, if you’re looking to add an EV to your garage but can’t get your hands on a Tesla, here are a few other options for you to consider either now or in the future.

The third best-selling EV in the United States in 2021 wasn’t a Tesla. It was a Ford. The Mustang Mach-E adds the Mustang branding to an electric SUV with a base price of $43,895. The SUV has an estimated range of 314 miles per charge, which puts it on par with Tesla’s popular models.

A 2021 FinanceBuzz study of the most popular electric vehicles by state found that the Mach-E was the most searched for car in 28 states on Google Trends, making it by far the most popular EV for car enthusiasts or potential buyers.

If you want something a little sooner than 2024, check out an old name getting a new look. GMC, which is owned by General Motors, is resurrecting the Hummer brand, and buyers can choose either a pick-up or SUV version.

The pickup and SUV both have several versions in a variety of power and electric ranges that will be released in the next few years. However, the pricier versions are the ones that will be available soon.

Some pickups may already be on the road, while reservations might still be open for another version coming out in the fall. SUVs will hit the market in 2023. Both versions could also have the Crabwalk feature, which allows the vehicle to move sideways.

Although it’s not on the market yet, Ford’s foray into the electric truck market has already generated some buzz. The Ford F-150 pickup truck topped the list of best-selling vehicles in 2021 with more than 725,000 units sold.

The carmaker wants to capitalize on this popularity with the F-150 Lightning, an electric alternative to their popular gas-powered engine with a base price of around $40,000. The truck has started to make it into the hands of buyers, but only those who put their names on a list when the company began to take reservations in 2021.

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Ford’s biggest pickup truck rival is Chevrolet, which plans to bring out its own electric truck in the next few years. General Motors, which owns the Chevy brand, is currently taking reservations for the Silverado, which is set to have a base MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of $39,000. 

The EVs are expected to get in the hands of drivers by 2024, but like the F-150, reservations are required now.

One of the newer manufacturers in the U.S. automotive market is Rivian. Their all-electric R1S is an SUV that’s perfect for families with extra storage capacity and a range of 260 to more than 320 miles. The R1S also comes with a third row of seating to accommodate larger families. The MSRP comes in higher than other EVs, with a base price of $72,500.

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The Volkswagen ID.4 is a fully electric crossover vehicle with enough space for a family and a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is a top safety pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The crossover has an MSRP of $41,230, but that could decrease with qualifying tax credits.

The Nissan Leaf has been around for a while, which is understandable considering it’s one of the more affordable EVs on the market.

The current version of the Leaf retails for a base price of $27,400 for a range of around 220 miles. The car connects to an app on your phone to let you know how much the battery is charged to help you determine how far you can go with the charge that you have.

The BMW iX is an all-electric SUV with 280 to 324 miles of range, depending on the particular version you choose. The SUV, which can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds, has a base price of $83,200 for its most affordable model, which makes it one of the most expensive models on this list.

You can also manage the car from an app on your phone, including checking for the battery charge or finding available charging stations.

While not an all-electric vehicle, the Chrysler Pacifica is a plug-in hybrid minivan. That means it can run on gas or batteries, depending on your particular needs on the road.

This hybrid design may help drivers who are concerned about the range of the electric engine on a long trip. Drivers can use battery power for quick trips in the neighborhood or a daily commute. The Pacifica has a $48,478 MSRP before any tax incentives kick in to potentially reduce the price.

There are plenty of non-Tesla options for you to choose from if you would like to add an electric vehicle to your garage. Do some test drives and research, and check out the best car insurance companies to see how much it might cost you to buy an EV instead of a traditional combustion-engine vehicle.