Which EVs make the best family cars?

As an increasing number of EVs become available in Australia, lots of parents are considering switching to a battery-electric family car – and I have the email inbox to prove it…

But which EVs are best for families?

There are many considerations when thinking about electric cars for your family.

Range anxiety is a real thing; perish the thought of running out of battery with the kids in the car on the side of the highway! Trust me I’ve done it!

All sorts of questions come up like: How long do they take to charge? Are they a viable option for family road trips and holidays?

There are fantastic advantages to EVs, like being completely quiet to start and having no engine noise while you are travelling along to compete with the noise the kids are already making in the car.

Most are fantastic to drive, they have instant power when you accelerate and gain battery when you brake.

As families we use our cars in different ways; most parents use their cars at some stage to drive their child to sleep – whether it’s for their day nap or desperately driving them until they’re asleep at night and then painfully attempting to transfer them to their bed without them waking up!

You can do the school run and sit waiting in queues with the air-con running without causing pollution to the air around you. Similarly, if you are at young baby or toddler stage you can sit with the air-con running pretty much guilt-free.

If you have solar power at home, it is a wonderful feeling to fully charge your car using solar power thus no pollution, so you are actively contributing to your kids’ future.

While some electric cars are based on traditional platforms and bring no real advantages in terms of interior layout, others that are built from the ground up as EVs have real strengths in this area.

As a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au, I have tested the drive, battery range and practicality of lots of electric cars as they have come to Australia over the past few years with my family.

Here’s my pick of electric cars in Australia best suited for families…

For families that need to fit three child seats in the back, this is doable in the 2023 Kia Niro EV.

And for those with three kids out of child seats, they’ll fit comfortably too without any ‘she’s sitting too close to me’ arguments in the back!

A conventional household plug socket in the rear footwell of the Kia Niro EV is a game changer for keeping your portable fridge plugged in or charging your laptop (if like me you sit working while your baby is having her day nap).

Yes, this uses the battery but with 460km range you hardly notice the usage.

We found the Kia Niro EV charges from 10-80 per cent in around 45 minutes at a fast-charger, which isn’t unreasonable for a family services stop on a road trip.

The boot of the Kia Niro EV is practical families too, and although quite shallow, it still fits 11 grocery bags or a twin pram – or a medium-sized fur baby.

One of the most affordable battery-electric small five-seat SUVs available, the 2023 MG ZS EV is a surprisingly practical vehicle for a family of four or five.

The latest model has an upgraded battery, giving it a family-practical 320km range.

This small car has a surprising amount of interior space and three Infasecure child seats will fit across the back seats.

Legroom is very good and a 186cm-tall passenger can fit in front of a rear-facing child seat. The same-size driver can sit in front of a forward-facing child seat.

The MG ZS EV’s two-tier boot is practical for everyday family use and scooters can fit in the boot with the weekly family shop or a twin pram.

The 2023 Kia EV6 is practical for the whole family while looking great, meaning you can have it all!

Judged carsales’ Car of the Year for 2022, we found the EV6 has a reliable 460km range and charges very fast at the right kind of rapid charger from 10-80 per cent in less than 20 minutes.

The EV6 will comfortably house three Infasecure child seats in the back with generous legroom for those in front.

It is also packed full of great storage solutions and features that make life simple for families.

These include the central console bridge that gives fantastic storage for handbags etc, rear side pillar air vents and iPad holders in the back of the front head restraints so rear passengers can watch devices while driving along with them plugged in to the two USB sockets in the back.

Boot space is great for families; for those needing to fit a double pram in the boot it goes in nicely with room to spare for a few bags of groceries.

Another decorated EV and a former carsales COTY winner, the 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is a great option for families who prefer something a little more luxurious and its modern, clean cabin provides clever use of interior space.

The open central console provides maximum storage and slides forward and back, maximising rear legroom.

A magnetic panel on the dash is perfect for the love notes and Father’s/Mother’s Day magnets your cherubs bring home from school!

The 430km range is great for the weekly drop-off routine as well as being practical for holidays and longer trips.

Spacious inside, the IONIQ 5 can fit three child seats in the back very comfortably for families that need to, otherwise a combination of child seats and passengers will fit easily too.

Generous cabin space means legroom is good and a 180cm+ driver can fit in front of a rear-facing child seat.

The IONIQ 5 has one of the largest boots of all the electric cars I have tested and holds 15 bags of groceries.

Being electric, the IONIQ 5 has a ‘frunk’ intended for housing the charging leads but there’s room for extra items too.

For those looking for a luxury family EV and have a bigger budget, the 2023 BMW iX3 makes a stylish and practical five-seater family EV.

It fits three child seats in the back and has ample legroom for a 182cm-tall passenger in front of a rear-facing child seat.

Boot space is excellent for family life, easily fitting a large double pram in the boot or 13 grocery bags.

The iX3 has a very accurate 460km battery range, which helps with range anxiety and it charges from 10-80 per cent in just 32 minutes, which is perfect for a family highway stop.

It also comes with five years of unlimited Chargefox public charging.

Fun and fast, the 2023 Audi e-tron feels futuristic with its optional camera side mirrors. This aside, it makes a great luxury family SUV, even in the sleeker Sportback format.

Interior space is very generous and three child seats fit easily in the back with enough legroom for a 186cm-tall driver in front of a rear-facing child seat.

Its boot is spacious too, easily fitting a large double pram with a weekly grocery shop.

The Audi e-tron does around 400km to a full battery charge and is one of the faster-charging EVs on the Australian market.

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