The best electric cars under $70,000 in 2023
Australians are buying electric cars in record numbers, but for many motorists, they are still out of their price range. Here are the best electric cars among the cheapest deals.
Electric car sales are on the rise as more new models and brands arrive in Australia.
Although they make up less than 3% of the entire new car market today, demand for electric vehicles is growing.
The standby time of most electric vehicles is between 6 and 12 months. In some cases, deliveries to customers were delayed by two years.
Beyond infrastructure, driving range and charging points, the biggest challenge facing electric cars is affordability.
The cheapest electric cars in Australia aren’t too cheap, between $49,000 and $55,000, while the cheapest petrol cars are between $20,000 and $30,000. However, the price level has not reduced the popularity of electric cars.
With that in mind, we’ve included the best electric vehicle under $70,000 in its own prize pool in the 2023 Drivers’ Choice Awards — one of three categories that includes a wide range of battery-powered vehicles.
Our finalists are the all-new BYD Atto 3 (from $50,600 drive-away), MG ZS EV (from $48,990 drive-away) and the updated Nissan Leaf e+, a top micro extension (from $67,600 driving away).
Contents
Winner: BYD Atto 3
BYD ATTO 3
There are 2 options
$48,011 to $51,011* MRLP
Something we love
- –Zippy performance
- –spacious cabin
- –Beautiful, futuristic design
Something we don’t have
- –Tire traction and lane keeping assist need improvement
- –Small instrument cluster with patch light
- –Some ergonomics could use improvement
Read reviews
BYD Atto 3 is the best driver of 2023. Best electric car under $70,000
The BYD Atto 3 shows a low-end electric car that can offer as much technology as it does personality.
The Chinese brand is new to Australia and in some ways is still finding its footing, but the car itself is already a well-deserved winner.
As the newest electric car in the sub-$70,000 segment—based on an all-new, custom platform—it leads the segment.
The MG ZS EV (also Chinese) and the Japanese Nissan Leaf (although British-made) are starting to show their age with the presence of the BYD Atto 3.
The BYD Atto 3 is a smooth and easy-to-drive car with a spacious and comfortable interior that cost around $50,000 to drive in testing, making it one of those cars. Electricity is the cheapest in Australia. at that time.
While the exterior style is futuristic yet to be appreciated, the interior design is bold. Judges were split on the cabin’s looks, but overall it’s commendable for a number of reasons.
Good design also means practicality, and the interior of the BYD Atto 3 is more spacious and user-friendly than other electric vehicles in this price range.
Of course, no car is perfect. The judges said the BYD Atto 3 would benefit from a “P” button (hidden from view at the top of the gear selector) for easier parking. Without fully handing it over to the buyer, some buyers or their family members may not be able to find it easily. Cruise control, boring, only works at 5km/h.
BYD’s lane-keeping assist system needed better calibration, the tires performed poorly in our emergency braking and navigation tests, and the driver’s instrument cluster had some issues. Small in performance.
The tires have very low traction (which is a class standard, not a car’s performance standard), which showed in poor performance in our cornering and emergency braking tests.
The small digital speedometer and instrument display need a light sensor so it won’t be blurry when driving with the headlights on during the day.
If BYD can address some of the above feedback, it will make it a more attractive proposition in the face of new and unknown competition in the future.
The BYD Atto 3 has all the ingredients here to remain a great value electric vehicle for the next 5 years as long as BYD continues to update it.
It’s a well-deserved winner in this category for price, comfort, space, and performance, and it shines through the competition.
| BYD Atto Gallery 3 2023 BYD Atto 3 Reviews BYD Atto 3 2022 price and specifications |
Second place: MG ZS EV
MG ZS EV
There are 3 options
43,990 USD – 47,990 USD* MRLP
Something we love
- –Nationwide driving costs
- –Seven-year warranty
- –Powerful braking performance
Something we don’t have
- –He is starting to feel his age
- –Limited driving distance
- –Heavy driving feeling
Read reviews
The MG ZS EV is one of the best-selling electric cars in Australia in its price range.
It can cost less than $50,000 because it’s not based on a pure electric vehicle but an older gasoline model.
While that makes the MG ZS EV one of the leaders in the affordable electric car race, it’s starting to show its age in the current company.
The judges praised the MG ZS EV for its simple and familiar cabin handling, comfort and space relative to a car of its size, handling and crash protection. smooth. Class-leading seven-year warranty (two years longer than BYD and Nissan’s coverage).
The MG ZS EV alone feels very exciting, but it’s a bit slow compared to new or updated rivals.
These cars are certainly not flatly fast, but the 0 to 100 km/h time also shows how well they perform in day-to-day use.
The updated Nissan Leaf’s range is the fastest of the trio (7.5 seconds), ahead of the BYD Atto 3 (7.7 seconds) and the MG ZS EV (8.1 seconds).
The MG ZS EV had the best emergency braking performance at 100 km/h (37.2 meters compared to the Nissan’s 38.5 meters and the 39.1 meters lower average for the BYD Atto) 3).
While the MG ZS EV has many satisfied customers and fits the needs of many customers who want a simple vehicle – there is always room for improvement.
The steering wheel of the MG ZS EV has a heavy feel, there is no ability to adjust the driving range, and the letter R meaning “backward” looks like a P meaning “stop” from the driver’s point of view because the letter R is R. is blurred. Some judges found themselves in a “reversed” rather than “passed” position, which is understandable as they were a bit scared.
However, the MG ZS EV deserves to be a finalist for the best electric car under $70,000 in the Best Electric Drive 2023 contest. And if you’re buying an electric car in this price range, it deserves to be on the list.
| MG ZS EV . showroom Check out the MG ZS EV 2023 Specifications and price of MG ZS EV 2022 |
Finalist: Nissan Leaf e+
Nissan LEAF
There are 2 options
$50,990 – $61,490* MRLP
Something we love
- –Zippy performance
- –high processing
- –More range than before
Something we don’t have
- –He is starting to feel his age
- –Modest driving distance
- –No electric handbrake
Read reviews
The Nissan Leaf has been updated to compete with newer (and cheaper) electric car rivals.
The first-generation Nissan Leaf went on sale in the local market in 2012, and this second-generation model – a veritable refresh of the original from a decade ago – is now available in showrooms across the country. Australia as of 2019.
The latest updates are worth it. The Nissan Leaf e+ has powerful handling, impressive handling and grip, and a larger battery pack for a longer driving range.
Although its official name is the Nissan Leaf e+, it is referred to as the long-range Nissan Leaf in the automotive abbreviation. Although, to be fair, the extra driving range only puts it on par with the competition rather than offering any actual mileage.
The standard Nissan Leaf’s driving range is rated at a modest 270 km (nearly 200 km to 220 km in our field testing), while the Nissan Leaf e+ is rated at 385 km (nearly 320 km). km to 350 km in our actual conditions). Test)).
These estimates compare with the BYD Atto 3’s claimed driving range of 420 km (nearly 350 km in our real-world testing).
The jury commended the Nissan Leaf for its dynamic and responsive driving as well as the fastest acceleration of the trio.
The cabin is luxurious but comfortable and the controls are familiar as most of them belong to Nissan’s petrol car line.
The inverted sound of man-made spacecraft – inside and outside the vehicle – is a beauty and helps ensure pedestrian safety.
A downside? For all its worth, the Nissan Leaf feels old. As for the MG ZS EV, it’s based on an electrified gasoline vehicle platform (rather than an EV-specific design) and that affects cabin space and battery life.
Low tires make noise and have a foot-operated parking brake – this gives you peace of mind on the one hand, and shows the age of the car on the other.
In the end, the price has weighed on the Nissan Leaf e+. This is a car worth seeing, but be prepared to haggle. We think it’s a $67,000 (drive-thru) car for $50,000 to $55,000.
| Nissan Leaf showroom Review of Nissan Leaf e+ 2023 Nissan Leaf 2023 car price and specifications |
You can read about all other 2023 driver categories and winners here:
Category Driver of the Year and Winners
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