Ask Lemmy

I have only drove electics in car sharing. Models were Tesla Y and VW iD.3. I really liked Tesla for how fast it would speed up. But really fuck the main console and controls. Nothing is more annoying to me is 1 pedal driving (can be changed) and to look at main console to check speed. Fuck that shit with the deepest corners of my heart.

iD.3 was kind of fun. Also is quite powerful machine with lower range. Drive controls are bullcrap but at least they work. It has a better console imo and what is epic is windshield projection of speed and line assistance. Going from Tesla's "Look at the left bottom of the screen on the console" to "Just keep looking ahead while glancing slightly down on the road to check speed" is an insane difference to me. I believe SAABs had this first back in the day. It is indeed a game changer. Should really be in every car.

My city also recently had an influx of BYD electrics and it seems people like them.

I've got a first-gen 2017 Chevy Bolt, battery upgraded by recall in the 2nd year we had it (price of being an early adopter). No complaints, no issues beyond having to tape over the chrome on the dashboard so I don't get blinded.

The only maintenance so far has been tires; brakes last forever thanks to one-pedal driving. Eventually we'll have to do the regular chassis stuff like bushings and struts, but at 60+k mi we're still a little ways away from that.

Srsly the best car I've ever owned.

Generally, anything that isn't a Tesla because politics aside, Teslas are built terribly and are reportedly already falling apart, so not only is the Tesla brand saddled with baggage, but the cars themselves are built like crap.

Performance-wise if you're filthy rich, the Rimac Nevera is one of the fastest EVs in existence and snatched performance records left and right when it launched.

If you have mech and electrical skills, you could also build your own out of something like a Geo or an older Civic by swapping the gas drivetrain for the drivetrain out of a wrecked EV, although you'd need a custom controller for it.

Of what I’ve personally driven, even for just a test drive.

Tesla S: meh Tesla 3: cramped for a tall guy Rivian truck: middle back seat is super uncomfortable. Only option is 1PD (one pedal driving) and I hated that. Everything else about it was cool Polestar: again, not good for tall people MachE: great unless you have to ride in the back seat. Plenty of room, but likely to induce motion sickness Lightning pickup: perfect, no notes except its overall bigger than it needs to be. Loading stuff up in the bed is more of a pain than it needs to be. Some people don’t like the range, but I’ve done a couple 1500+ mile road trips and never minded it.

The absolute most basic electric car you can get is probably the Dacia Spring.

Great, small car. Less than 20.000€ in Europe. It's the closest thing you can get to a bare-bones electric car, and it's absolutely lovely.

About a month ago it got a face-lift, giving it a solid-state battery.

Absolutely worth checking out.

Dacia Spring on the official UK Dacia website.

Chevy Bolt EUV (sorta kinda bigger than a normal Bolt) Premier without self driving: very good.

Cheap feeling like any American car. Infotainment is trash; you can't skip tracks on CarPlay using the steering wheel controls most of the time because it's always indexing. A problem no other OEM or even the cheapest of aftermarket radios I've ever touched has had. Remote climate control (essentially what we always mean when we say remote start) is locked behind a $50/mo OnStar subscription. Spies on you to sell data.

But, it costs like $30-40 a month to drive, it's zippy enough, I've got front and rear seat warmers, it's a hatch, and most importantly, it was a steal. We got it like four days before the tax credits were eliminated. Before that I'd have said EVs were the only deals to be had in the automotive space. Now there simply are no deals. My $18k Bolt Premier was the last chopper out of 'Nam for getting anything resembling a decent deal of a car.

We like it. Charging at home is nice. We hope it doesn't break. Hybrid is a smarter buy because of the added flexibility afforded by gas but again, you weren't getting any 2022 fully* loaded hybrid with 60k miles for $18k. Since this isn't our only vehicle this was the easy choice.

The Polestar 2 is great at being a (fun) car first and a electric car second, if that makes sense. The door handles are just regular door handles, the instrument cluster has an extremely clean and minimal design without visual noise, there's physical buttons for the radio and defroster and the gear (direction) selector! Range isn't as amazing as Tesla 3, but as a daily car I think it's nicer. Also the optional tow hitch is rated for a 1t trailer load which is a bit more than the Tesla 3.

Skoda Enyaq is another good alternative, though slightly bigger, more of an SUV. The Honda E was really fun to drive, but a bit expensive given size and range. For smaller cars the Renault Zoë is a a top contender, and quite popular here Kia has a whole range of great EVs, as does VW.

If I was in the market for a new car, I'd be seriously looking at the new Mazda 6e right now. It looks slick as hell, and it's one of the very few non-SUV non-5-door-hatchback EVs on the market. Another alternative is BMW i4 and i5. The i5 is even available as a stationwagon / estate , which as far as I know is a first for EVs.

The Lucid looks slick as well, for those with deeper pockets :D

You didn't mention where you live or what size and budget you're looking at, some of these models may not be available in all markets, and as you can tell wary greatly in size and cost

I see Rivians around a lot. Not sure how good they are but they are way prettier than Tesla's. Polestar also makes some nice vehicles. Both are still a little pricey though.

Absolutely loving my Mustang Mach-e, gets almost 400km of range, Cost's under $40k CAD used, and just an absolute blast to drive.

I have a 2020 ioniq ev and my wife has a 2024 leaf. Both are great and have different talents. Happy to answer any Q's  and would recommend either.

I just bought a vauxhall/opel frontera.

Its not the fastest or sleekest out there but its cheap, got lots of physical buttons instead of everything deep in menus on a touch screen. Its got manual seats, its even got a metal key to start the "engine". The screens dont do too much either, they are quoted as saying they went for a sort of digital detox with this car. I am very happy with it personally.

Its a mid sized SUV and its perfect for me and my small family.

Take a look

https://www.vauxhall.co.uk/cars/frontera/overview.html?ppc=GOOGLE_3388182988_21767604605__&_vsrefdom=mca

BMW i3 is pretty cheap used and a ridiculously fun car for what it is. Highly recommend that as well (I commented earlier talking up the Taycan but that ain't cheap)

Lucky enough to have a 2025 Peugeot E-2008 GT, and it's a great car honestly.

I quite like the design though if you're into the smaller and sleeker cars it may not be for you.

No personal recommendation, but around where I am, I think that Hyundai Ioniq has been the most-increasing-in-prominence car in the same base price range as the Tesla Model 3.

It would also be a huge bonus if there were any models out there with the least possible features. I prefer cars with manual locks/seats/doors and no screen, which is of course impossible with current cars (sadly). But the less digital garbage the better.

The Hyundai Kona is less-expensive than the Ioniq. I know a few people that drive that and say that they like it.

If you're determined to have less stuff, the Slate Truck isn't out yet, but as sold, base, it doesn't have automatic windows or a screen or or a radio or speakers. No car computer. No cell radio to phone home. You get airbags and climate control, and you can mount your cell phone or tablet or whatever on the dash if you want a car computer, and that's pretty much it. Also considerably smaller than current trucks. Kind of a 1980s no-frills truck, but electric.

Taycan 4S Cross Turismo (wagon). Absolutely incredible car all around. Competent on a racetrack, comfy on long roadtrips, tons of cargo room, easy installation of a roof box for even more cargo, very fast DC charging.

Ain't perfect and I could rant about software/infotainment but I'm not paying for the now-expired internet connectivity and it's been totally fine not having that, especially with Android Auto working with GrapheneOS.

I don't have an electric car so I don't have any first hand knowledge/advice to give. However, the guy who runs the YouTube channel Technology Connections has a Hyundai Ioniq that he really likes and I believe it is a genuine expression. I think the biggest thing he doesn't like deals with how the car's internal navigation system handles recharging stops.

I drive a Volkswagen ID.7 since soon 2 years now, had a Tesla Model 3 before that. Absolutely love the VW. It's a "real car" with manual controls where you expect them yet all the modernities you can imagine. The AR HUD is absolutely awesome giving you all the relevant information incl. navigation where you're looking without having to take your eyes off the road.

There's a big screen as well though, but it's not something you have to poke at to do regular stuff as in Teslas.

BYD is very popular here in Australia. Tried one out and it just goes.

We have an Audi e-tron GT. Wife wanted a 4-door car with a trunk and I wanted a low-slung sporty drive.

Not manual by any means, but it has Apple Car Play and buttons for almost everything else - aircon, media, driving controls etc.

We charge with excess solar so driving it is basically free.

Do not buy the Hyundai Ioniq. The car itself is great (although it has a lot of modern features you dont want) but dealing with Hyundai is such a nightmare that I will never again buy a Hyundai.

I love my iX, fantastic family car.