Tesla Model 3 is carsales Best Electric Car for 2021
Australia’s top-selling EV claims our inaugural electric car gong on World EV Day
The Tesla Model 3 has been crowned carsales’ Best Electric Car for 2021 on World EV Day.
Our inaugural EV award recognises the fundamental shift in the automotive industry towards electric vehicles as they enter the mainstream and as key auto brands commit to all-electric model ranges in the near future.
It also follows carsales’ recent study, Moving EV Forward, which gauged Aussies’ interest in EVs and found that 65 per cent of respondents indicated they would be more likely to consider EVs as they become more affordable.
The best EV award is the latest in a series of carsales Best Car gongs, following Best Small Car, Best Small SUV, Best Mid-Size SUV, Best Family SUV and Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute.
Get all the latest EV info at carsales.com.au/electric
In a short-listed field of the most affordable EVs currently on offer in Australia, carsales’ Best Electric Car mega-test compared eight contenders priced under $70,000 – around the same threshold as luxury car tax and various state and territory EV subsidies.
Ranging from hatchbacks to mid-size sedans and SUVs, the list of finalists are all able to convey four or five occupants safely for at least 200km on a single battery charge.
Contenders were tested against more than 100 criteria – including EV-specific factors such as driving range, energy consumption and recharging times – across five key areas of assessment: safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance and ownership costs.
The Tesla Model 3, which outsells all other EVs in Australia almost three to one, accrued the most points across all testing components, offering an unrivalled combination of features and ownership affordability.
The fact the entry-level Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus offers the best ride/handling package of this group and also one of the longest driving ranges made it a stand-out winner.
In addition to revealing our Best Electric Car for 2021, today we also launched the carsales Electric Hub, which champions carsales’ growing EV footprint including new and used EVs for sale, EV buying and ownership advice, and independent reviews of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Best Electric Car 2021 contenders:
Hyundai IONIQ Electric Premium
Hyundai Kona Electric Extended Range Highlander
Kia Niro EV Sport
Mazda MX-30 Electric Astina
MG ZS EV
MINI Cooper SE Yours
Nissan LEAF e+
Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus
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