We don’t have to tell you that interest in electric vehicles has increased dramatically this year. According to a forecast by Cox Automotive 2023 will be the year EVs surpass 1 million sales for the first time in the U.S. Put another way, from a share below 1% in 2018, EVs represented 3.2% of sales in 2021, 5.8% in 2022, and 7.2% in the first quarter of 2023. Though still a tiny slice of the American automotive pie, EV sales are a growing chunk. More and more shoppers are hungry for new EVs.
The Autotrader editorial team has driven and lived with the 2023 model-year electric cars. We’ve asked the right questions about the interiors, the exteriors, the powertrains, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, the prices.The editors contributed their opinions, expertise, and ratings on a 5-point scale, with five being the best. The 10 vehicles on our final list have the top scoring averages. Only pure EVs were allowed on our list.
2023 BMW i4 Whatever you thought of BMW’s first run at EVs, the i3, it was missing a certain something — it didn’t look or perform like a BMW. The 2023 BMW i4 corrects course with a Gran Coupe that our editors agree looks like a BMW BMW and drives like a BMW. The new BMW EV points toward an electric future with familiar i4 eDrive35, i4 eDrive40, and i4 M50 models in the lineup that offer drivers a choice between maximum efficiency and maximum performance.
2023 Genesis Electrified G80 Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury offshoot, rethought the gasoline-powered luxury sedan, the G80, and developed the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80. Precisely as the name hints, the Electrified G80 replaces the G80’s engine with an all-wheel-drive EV powertrain. According to editor Matt Degen, an already smooth and potent sedan now becomes a strong, silent predator.