The Best Electric Car Deals in $/Mile of Range – CleanTechnica

---

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

---

I recently wrote an article about 7 of the best electric car deals in the USA — good, attractive, modern electric cars are affordable prices, basically. In the article, I noted that I didn’t take range into account because every current electric car has plenty of range in my opinion, home or workplace charging is so convenient that differences in range don’t really matter, and I don’t like feeding the narrative that range is a big deal. However…

Some readers indicated that range is important for them and that they’d like to see a comparison that examined the best electric offerings taking range into account. So, I decided I would compile the data, crunch the numbers, and see which models came out on top.

Now, to do this right, I had to collect a lot more data. I had to get the prices and range ratings for each trim of each model. There can be big differences in price and range between different trims. Below is a list of the winners. However, before sharing that, there are also a few important caveats: 1) prices are just MSRP — what you’re actually able to get a dealer to agree to can vary a lot and can be very different from MSRP, 2) several factors significantly affect EV range, and these are just overall EPA-based estimates, and 3) automakers have significantly different gaps between their EPA range ratings and real-world range, as different testers have pointed out. We do not live in a lab and YMMV (your mileage may vary). With all of that said, here are the best electric car deals in the US in terms of dollar cost per mile of range:

1. Nissan LEAF S+ — $99/mile
2. Chevy Equinox EV LT 1 — $105/mile
3. Chevy Bolt LT — $112/mile
4. Tesla Model 3 Standard — $115/mile
5. Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD — $117/mile
6. Nissan LEAF SV+ — $119/mile
7. Chevy Bolt RS — $124/mile
8. Tesla Model Y Standard — $125/mile
9. Hyundai IONIQ 6 SE — $125/mile
10. Tesla Model Y Premium RWD — $126/mile
11. Chevy Equinox EV LT 2 — $131/mile
12. Chevy Equinox EV RS — $136/mile
13. Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD — $137/mile
14. Ford Mustang Mach-E Select ER — $141/mile
15. Hyundai Kona EV SEL — $142/mile
16. Chevy Blazer EV LT — $143/mile
17. Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium ER — $145/mile
18. Toyota BZ4X Limited — $145/mile
19. Kia EV6 Light LR RWD — $145/mile
20. Ford Mustang Mach-E Select SR — $146/mile

So, the 2026 Nissan LEAF really is an amazing trim, especially that S+ trim that is the only option under $100/mile. The low-cost Chevy Equinox EV LT and Chevy Bolt EV LT also make the podium. And overall in the top 10 or top 20 you’ve got a series of vehicles you would think are good deals — good value for money. I think perhaps the surprise for me is that the Ford Mustang Mach-E performed pretty well. But when you look at the rather low price for that vehicle, it’s actually not a surprise.

I’m just happy that my favorite model, the Kia EV6, barely made the list.

Oh, yes, and here’s more info, including range and price (static version of table here):

EV Model	Trim	Price	Range (miles)
Nissan LEAF	S+	$29,990	303
Chevy Equinox EV	LT 1	$33,600	319
Chevy Bolt EV	LT	$28,595	255
Tesla Model 3	Standard	$36,990	321
Tesla Model 3	Premium RWD	$42,490	363
Nissan LEAF	SV+	$34,230	288
Chevy Bolt EV	RS	$31,600	255
Tesla Model Y	Standard	$39,990	321
Hyundai Ioniq 6	SE	$42,800	342
Tesla Model Y	Premium RWD	$44,990	357
Chevy Equinox EV	LT 2	$41,900	319
Chevy Equinox EV	RS	$43,400	319
Tesla Model 3	Premium AWD	$47,490	346
Ford Mustang Mach-E	Select ER	$42,245	300
Hyundai Kona EV	SEL	$36,975	261
Chevy Blazer EV	LT	$44,600	312
Ford Mustang Mach-E	Premium ER	$46,245	320
Toyota BZ4X	Limited	$43,300	299
Kia EV6	Light LR RWD	$46,200	319
Ford Mustang Mach-E	Select SR	$37,995	260

Any surprises? Any other thoughts?