The 10 cheapest electric cars in Australia

These are the 10 most affordable EVs you can buy in Australia

Are we there yet? Are EVs finally, at long last, creeping into the 'affordable' space that so many buyers have been pleading for? It's starting to look that way.

We may never see a new electric car under $30,000 – but, just a few years into the onslaught of EVs upon the Australian market, there is now a handful of options below $40,000.

The prices below exclude on-road costs, which usually adds a few grand to any new car's price. But! These prices also exclude incentives, which range from $3000 to $6000, depending on where you are.

Here are the 10 most affordable EVs in Australia, as of July 2023.

1. BYD Dolphin – From $38,890
2. MG 4 – From $38,990
3. GWM Ora – From $39,990
4. MG ZS EV – From $47,990
5. BYD Atto 3 – From $48,011
6. Renault Kangoo Z.E. – From $50,390
7. Nissan Leaf – From $50,990
8. Fiat 500e – From $52,500
9. Hyundai Kona Electric – From $54,500
10. Mini Electric – From $55,650

The elephant in the room: Size v price

Australian buyers finally have affordable EVs to choose from, compared to the options and prices in the market just a few years ago – but there's a catch: the 10 EVs above are all... pretty small.

As many European families do, you could use most of the cars above for carting the kids and groceries around on short trips, but there's no denying each of them is extremely limited when it comes to capacity.

Of course, there's also the simple fact that while these EVs are cheap in the context of EVs, they're still mighty pricey in the context of equivalent petrol offerings.

The entry price of small petrol cars has gone up in recent years, but there are still a number of models in that class available for half the price of the three cheapest EVs.

If it's a proper medium or large car you need, you're not getting away without spending less that $60,000 at the low end.

Still, as our story linked below shows, the right circumstances can see most EVs deliver greater value over time than their petrol counterparts.

Need more?

For the price of entry into every new EV range on sale in Australia, see our comprehensive guide below.