Which EVs provide the best legroom for families with teenagers?

Teenagers demand a lot of space. Ferrying them around to school or college, bringing along their mates for social events – and finding room for their sports gear or musical instruments as well – will tax rear-seat legroom and boot space to the max.

When looking for an EV for your family there are some advantages in terms of interior space that most internal-combustion vehicles can’t match. Many EVs have a completely flat rear footwell because they don’t need a transmission tunnel, which can be a game changer for rear-passenger legroom and toe room. It also makes getting in and out of the back so much easier.

The added benefit of the flat rear footwell is that rear-seat passengers can enjoy similar comfort levels across all three seats. No longer must the middle-seat passenger sit hunched up in a fetal position due to the hump in the floor.

In many EVs the front of the cabin feels roomier too, as the firewall doesn’t need to bulge outwards to accommodate a bell housing or a drive shaft. The lack of transmission tunnel means the central console likely won’t be as bulky.

Not all EVs will be equally spacious when it comes to legroom, and like the rest of the car market, some EVs definitely offer better legroom than others. The goal is for three passengers to sit comfortably abreast in the rear seats without their knees poking into the seat back of the driver or front passenger.

Having sockets in the back for rear passengers to charge their devices while travelling wins major brownie points too.

When looking for a car with good internal space and legroom, some models compromise space in the boot, but we know this is an important factor in the purchasing decision, since transporting teenagers frequently means transporting their baggage as well.

Sometimes the car’s battery is stored under the boot floor, especially in hybrids, which can reduce boot space.

Lots of EVs feature a frunk – a ‘front trunk’ – where the engine would be in a petrol, diesel or hybrid car. This is great for extra storage and I like to store the charging cables there so they are kept separate from the boot.

There are some spacious electric cars that I have tested with my family over the last seven years as a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au.

When we’re looking at rear legroom, we want that flat footwell, plenty of kick room under the front seats and plenty of space in the back for long legs with an added extra of charging sockets for teenagers to charge their devices.

Every car is slightly different, and some are better than others at accommodating different combinations of family members and friends – and taking into account also the height of the driver and front passenger.

Here’s my list of five-seater EVs that deliver great rear legroom for lanky teenagers.

Is this the ultimate EV for tall passengers? A completely flat rear footwell in the Ioniq 6 means all three rear passengers have excellent kick room and space for their feet in the back. There are no complaints from the middle-seat occupant, and the driver can sit back without being nerfed by knees from behind. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 delivers fantastic legroom.

A 186cm (roughly six-foot in the old money) rear passenger can sit behind a driver of equal height or taller. The interior of the Ioniq 6 is light and airy and visibility is very good for rear passengers.

Charging is taken to the next level, as the Ioniq 6 is equipped with two USB-C charging points and a household socket in the rear footwell so rear passengers can charge their phones and laptops while travelling, which will definitely please the teenagers I know.

The Ioniq 6 is a sedan with a fixed parcel shelf so the family dog will have to stay home, but the boot remains a very practical space for carrying sports and musical equipment. To give an idea of its size, it fits 15 shopping bags of average size. The Ioniq 6 also has a small but useful frunk for added carrying capacity.

Following closely behind is the Tesla Model Y, which also offers great interior space and legroom for families with growing teenagers.

The roomy rear seats can seat three passengers across comfortably with excellent kick room in the flat footwell. As for the Ioniq 6, a 186cm rear passenger can easily sit behind a driver of equal height.

With its big glass roof, the Tesla Model Y feels light and airy inside, lending a sense of space, although you might want to install a shade during summer. There are two USB-C sockets in the back of the central console box so rear passengers can charge their devices while driving along.

Boot space has not been sacrificed in the Model Y. It’s an SUV, so it will carry fifteen shopping bags, or a medium to large size family dog, or the kids’ sports and musical equipment. A generous frunk will hold four more shopping bags on one those costly trips to the supermarket.

The Kia EV6 looks great and boasts oodles of interior space and legroom, making it a fantastic EV for tall families. Long-legged teenagers have great kick-room in the back, plus the completely flat footwell. Parents enjoy ample space in the front too. A 186cm driver can easily sit in front of a 186cm passenger in the back.

Despite its sleek appearance, the EV6 has a light and spacious feeling interior with large windows providing rear passengers great visibility.

Teenagers in the back will be pleased to find two USB-C sockets so they can charge their phones, and a household socket in the rear footwell so they can charge their laptops while travelling too.

Boot space has not been compromised much in the name of the swoopy styling and passenger space either. Thirteen shopping bags will fit in the boot of a Kia EV6, so it can hold the kids’ sports bags and instruments or your family’s medium to large dog. The small frunk in the EV6 is an additional storage option for the charging cables or other items that won’t fit in the boot.

An unusual aspect of the BYD Atto 3 is its quirky music-themed interior. But beyond that, the Atto 3 also provides very good legroom in the rear by the standards of a compact EV. The rear footwell is completely flat and there is fantastic legroom and kick-room for rear passenger comfort.

The rear seat is flat and wide for three teenage bottoms to fit across, comfortably accommodating 182cm passengers behind an equally tall driver, which is impressive, given its exterior dimensions.

Its boxy shape and deep, square windows are also passenger-friendly for those long trips.

Your teenagers will enjoy the musical door bins – they can strum the elastics and you might get them to do their music homework on the journey.

The teens will also be able to charge their phones and devices using the rear USB-A and USB-C sockets.

Boot space is also good for an EV of this size, with room for nine shopping bags. The BYD Atto 3’s boot floor can drop down a further 10cm for a deeper boot section to fit your medium-size family dog or all the teenagers’ sports equipment, or their musical instruments.

The fully electric MG ZS EV is the smallest car here – and a very affordable option for families looking for a small electric SUV that can fit their taller teenagers.

For those with the need, three passengers can sit across the back of the MG ZS EV, and the flat rear footwell provides good legroom and kick-room for those with long legs.

We found it spacious for our family of four and a 180cm driver can sit comfortably in front of a 180cm rear passenger.

Your teenagers will be happy, charging their devices from the USB-A and USB-C sockets on the back of the central console box while they are travelling to their destination.

Boot space in the MG ZS is surprisingly generous, and like the BYD it has a boot floor that drops down about 10cm for extra room – up to about nine typical shopping bags. Teenagers’ sports or musical equipment will fit nicely in the boot, or a medium-sized family dog come along for the ride.

Related: Which five-seat large SUVs provide the best legroom for families with teenagers?

Related: Which five-seat medium SUVs have the best legroom for families with teenagers?

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