Electric vehicles are not new to the automotive industry. The first all-electric vehicle was built as early as 1830. Time has passed, and things have changed. What's new in this segment is that EVs are now actively competing for market share with traditional automobiles. The modern market now has ridiculously fast electric cars that challenge the modern internal combustion engine sports cars.
People buy cars for different purposes. Some want a daily driver car to commute to and from the office and take care of other daily needs of a car, while others want an adventure vehicle that can go for long road trips and sometimes off the road to the beaten terrain. Here are five electric cars for daily driving and five best options for road trips.
10 For Everyday Driving: Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe is among the most popular and the best electric vehicles available today – almost one in every five EVs sold is a Zoe. The redesigned Zoe comes with some interesting features that include an extended range and upgraded interior.
Its exterior did not receive massive redesigns; Renault says that its customers wanted them to focus on key areas such as maintaining low costs. As a result, the new Renault Zoe comes with improved driver assistant features and a more potent motor at no extra cost.
9 For Road Trips: Tesla Model 3
The Model 3 needs no introduction. Tesla is a pioneer in the EV market, and it's widely known for producing some of the best electric cars in the market today. The Model 3 is offered in three versions: the Long Range version has a driving range of approximately 353 miles. The other two versions are the Performance and the Standard Range Plus offerings that come with driving ranges of 315 miles and 263 miles, respectively.
Apart from the long driving range of 353 miles, the Model 3 also has one of the fastest charging times. When using the Tesla Supercharger Network, a 15-minute recharge can give you an extra 175 miles of driving.
8 For Everyday Driving: Volkswagen ID.3
After Golf and the Beetle, Volkswagen believes and keeps it no secret that the ID.3 is their latest daily definitive car. The car offers easy-going comfort, a nimble driving experience, and plenty of interior space. Above all these, the car is offered in different models, with many more coming later.
The VW ID.3 is a five-door, five-seat hatchback with a boot at the rear and a motor beneath pushing the rear wheels. The base ID.3 comes with a 45kWh battery pack that gives the ID.3 a driving range of around 200 miles. An SUV-shaped ID4 will follow later, along with Volkswagen's first electric hot hatch, the ID.3 R.
7 For Road Trips: Ford Mustang Mach-E
A big brother to the popular Ford Mustang 2-door sports coupe, the Mach-E is one of the best electric cars for road trips. It is a four-door subcompact SUV that comes with the same aggressive design as the standard Mustang.
Ford offers this electric Mustang with two versions of a rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive drivetrains. The AWD version is the best option for road trips as it comes with a longer driving range of 300 miles. The RWD can only run for 211 miles before asking for more juice. Drivers can also choose the extended range battery that comes with more endurance than the normal battery range.
6 For Everyday Driving: Mini Electric
The standard Mini Cooper S is one of the most desirable tiny cars in the world. The Mini Electric makes it better by offering a zero-emissions version. The car preserves pretty much all the Cooper S's favorite features, proving to the world that the hot hatch has a place in the electric car segment.
The car would have come with a longer range, but that would mean a heavier battery pack, which translates to added weight. Owners of the Mini electric only drive an average of 26 miles per day, making this a perfect daily driver car around town.
5 For Road Trips: Porsche Taycan 4S
The Porsche Taycan 4S is a high-end EV that seats up to four full-grown adults and has ample rear cargo space of 14.3 cubic feet. Apart from the high-end infotainment and safety features included in the Taycan 4S, the car maintains Porsche's iconic design.
Porsche offers this EV with a starting price of $103,800, making it one of the most expensive electric cars in the world today. But the cutting-edge styling, comfort, and high-end features that make up for an enjoyable road trip justify this hefty price tag.
4 For Everyday Driving: BMW i3
The 2018 redesign of BMW's small electric "i" car did not change the formula too much. With only about four years on sale, the BMW i3 still manages to look pretty, forward-thinking, and fashionable, even at its small size.
The i3 is powered by a single-gear, synchronous electric motor that draws from a lithium-ion high-voltage battery with 94Ah. This translates to 170hp and of 184lb-ft of torque. This power gives the i3 a 0-60mph acceleration time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 93 mph. With an estimated driving range of 186 miles, the i3 will come in handy as a daily driving car.
3 For Road Trips: Volvo Polestar 2
The Polestar 2 is the perfect electric vehicle for a family trip with the whole family. The car has a seating capacity of five and enough rear cargo space to carry with you everything you need for the trip. The Polestar 2 has a driving range of 233 miles and an all-wheel-drive drivetrain. This EV prides itself on being the first car to have Google built into it.
Some of the best design features of the Polestar 2 include a vegan upholstery, Dirac and Harman Kardon-designed audio system, and panoramic glass roof.
2 For Everyday Driving: Honda e
The urban electric car concept became a legend, then a prototype, and now one of the dinkiest and most adorable small cars after the Suzuki Jimny – it's the Honda e. It's also the first mass-produced pure-electric car built by Honda.
The car is offered in two options of 134bhp and 152bhp power sources that produce the same driving range of 137 miles and the same torque 232lb-ft. These numbers confirm that the Honda e is made for the built-up areas and short distance drives, like from home to the office.
1 For Road Trips: Audi e-Tron
Wherever luxury SUVs are mentioned, the e-Tron must come along. It is one of the best electric vehicles available in the market today. And with an interior space big enough for five people, the Audi e-Tron is a perfect vehicle for a road trip with the family.
This electric SUV starts at $65,900, making it more expensive than other EVs but quite competitive with other vehicles in its class. It comes with an AWD Quattro drivetrain and a driving range of 222 miles. It has a quick-charging capability of 0-80% in 30 minutes.