Best Electric Cars of 2024: EV Megatest

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Welcome to Chasing Cars’ Best Electric Vehicles (EV) of 2024 – where we name the best new electric cars you can buy in Australia, as of late 2024.

We grouped 24 new EV models representing the greatest of the current battery-electric breed, hailing from China to Germany, Japan, Korea, France and the USA. And we booked an entire bespoke testing facility to underpin this crucial Megatest.

To keep things as relevant as possible, all our EVs fall under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for low-emission vehicles – $91,387 for financial year 2024-2025. 

This is important because EVs coming under the LCT threshold are currently exempt from Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) – a generous government incentive of sorts, making EVs particularly attractive to leasing.

That means every car in our test hits the road for less than $100,000 drive-away. You won’t see any Porsche Taycans here, much as we love the Taycan.

New EVs that missed either the pricing cut-off or the deadline for this 2024 Megatest – such as the Porsche Macan E, Zeekr X, Leapmotor C10, Deepal S07 and XPeng G6 – will be reviewed separately on the Chasing Cars website. 

Our judges comprised Chasing Cars founder and former Editor Tom Baker, current Deputy Editor Curt Dupriez, and former Wheels magazine Editor Dylan Campbell.

Between us, we’ve driven thousands of new cars – including all the latest EVs – and have decades of cumulative experience.

Testing took place over five days near Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. First, the interiors of all 24 cars were closely examined for space, ergonomics, cleverness, design, quality and connectivity – assessing the front seat, back seat and boot.

Then the judges drove each car on a 2.5km closed asphalt circuit, simulating tight and twisty corners, open Australian roads – and with plenty of bumps. Here we got to know initial ride comfort and refinement, performance and handling.

Having eliminated the bottom eight cars, we then took the remaining top 16 EVs to a standard (and challenging) testing loop around the lumpy streets of suburban Canberra to further experience ride quality, noise, comfort, refinement and visibility – with four people in each car. After that, we picked our winners.

To determine the real-world range of each car, Chasing Cars tested kWh/100km consumption using an identical process between 50 and 80km/h, in identical conditions and with the same driver.

Chasing Cars also independently tested the 0-100km/h and 0-400m acceleration of every car on an identical strip of private test track, as well as the 100-0km/h braking performance.

In this article, we’ll reveal the overall winner of Chasing Cars Best EV of 2024, as well as the Best Sub-$60K EV, Best $80K-plus EV, plus our five Gold Star recipients that all excelled in their own ways, meriting recognition.

Overall winner: Tesla Model 3 Long Range

A principle taught in business school is don’t take a big risk on a brand-new idea. It’s better to look for someone else who’s done exactly that’s proven there’s a market, and then you can come along and simply do a better job.

Tesla could be considered the brand that took the original gamble with electric cars. And once it proved the market, there was always the chance that better-funded, more established automakers could come along and do a better job – a job that Tesla could not compete with.

Nearly 12 years since the start of the Model S’s production, Tesla is having the last laugh – producing the world’s best-selling car in 2023, the Model Y, irrespective of drivetrain propulsion.

And in 2024, billion-dollar car companies and the sharpest EV brands from China are still chasing Elon and his Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan.

Our EV Megatest of 2024 reveals why: if some of the Model Y’s flaws should be ironed out by the upcoming ‘Juniper’ update, the Tesla Model 3 has already benefited from its ‘Highlander’ update introduced last year.

Now an eight-year-old car, the Model 3’s comprehensive mid-life refresh focused on polishing it up and keeping it at the pointy end of an increasingly competitive EV marketplace. And it’s worked.

Jumping inside, whether you find the Model 3’s interior a shrine to minimalism or simply too plain, verging on barren, it’s clearly more premium than it once was, with new niceties such as cooled seats.

A new steering wheel moves the indicators from a stalk to wheel-mounted buttons (which work surprisingly well), while selecting Drive or Reverse now requires a swipe of the central touchscreen – the transmission stalk has been deleted. Again, it works fine once you’ve become used to it.

We still dislike that your speed is displayed in the top right of the large central display (somewhat out of your direct line-of-sight), but such is life – it seems to be fine for many thousands of people.

The fitter, smarter 2024 Model 3 just kept scoring wins at our EV Megatest. Its 457km as-tested range from the 75kWh (usable) battery was among the longest in the field, while there was no challenging the Model 3 in a straight line. This was the undisputed drag race champion of all our 24 contenders.

Weighing just 1824kg – impressively light for an electric vehicle – the dual-motor Model 3 had the best power-to-weight of any car on test at 201kW/tonne.

With its all-wheel-drive powertrain, the Model 3 punched hard and cleanly from zero to 100km/h in just 4.38sec. Its 0-400m performance, meanwhile, was an impressive 12.47sec at 178km/h – faster than many supercars from the 1980s.

Given that straight-line acceleration is a party trick common to many electric vehicles, perhaps more impressive is how the Model 3 now feels in the corners.

It’s still a tad prescriptive and clinical, with no ability to adjust or deactivate the stability control, meaning this is no hardcore driver’s car. The Model 3 lacks the outright driver engagement of a BMW i4, for example.

But it now attacks corners with a bit more enthusiasm than before, and with as much mid-corner grip as ever – the weight feeling low in the chassis, assisting handling.

Back in the real world, the ride quality on our bumpy Canberra test loop also felt more polished, elevating the Model 3 to among the best cars in this Megatest. Refinement is also massively improved, making for a nicely polished driving feel.

The updated Model 3’s 250kW DC charging speed is also the fastest of the field (shared with the Model Y). A 10-80 percent charge adds 320km, meaning the Model 3 could easily be used by country buyers who cover big distances every day. The same couldn’t be said for many other EVs here.

With range anxiety still top-of-mind for EV buyers, you also have to consider the access to Tesla’s unbeatable Supercharger network – still the benchmark in Australia for public EV recharging in 2025.

But from the other end of the ownership spectrum, Tesla still sticks with a disappointing four-year/80,000km vehicle warranty, which is well behind every single rival.

In the final reckoning, our judges concluded that Tesla has vastly improved the Model 3 sedan with this mid-life overhaul – and, of course, it’s hard to look past the Model 3’s value equation as well.

With a base MSRP of $64,900, our Ultra Red Long Range AWD test car came in at $73,104 on-the-road – a dual-motor electric sedan cheaper than many of the single-motor cars on test.

It’s an incredible amount of car for the money – and the Chasing Cars Best EV of 2024. Well done, Tesla. All the other EV automakers: time to lift your game.

Best Sub-$60,000 EV: MG 4 Excite 51

The MG 4 Excite 51 sets the benchmark for affordable electric motoring in Australia – and swept away the other four cars in our sub-$60K category to be the winner of this class. New age MG has quickly learned how to make a great-driving car.

Looking at its stats on paper, however, you could be forgiven for wondering how the cheapest MG 4 was awarded anything at all.

With its modest 17.6kWh/100km consumption, the base-spec 50.8kWh (usable) battery capacity provided just 289km of as-tested range – the shortest of any car here. Its 6.6kW peak AC recharging speed is also the slowest, cementing the entry-level MG as very much a city car.

Fast DC recharging with its modest peak of 87kW means that going from 10 to 80 percent adds just 202km of range – also the poorest of the field. (Although it’s worth noting that the Excite 51 does use a lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, battery pack, which can be regularly charged to 100 percent without significant degradation.)

Plainly, this is not the EV for those who drive rural kilometres on a daily basis. If that’s you, MG might usher you towards the bigger-battery 64 or 77 models sitting only a short distance away in the showroom.

But what the Excite 51 does have going for it is price. At just $41,717 drive-away as-tested, the MG 4 Excite 51 was the runaway cheapest vehicle of our Megatest – a clear half the price of five other cars here.

It puts a practical, fully electric hatchback in the same pricing realm as a Toyota Corolla Hybrid – and certainly cheaper on something like a novated lease, given the Corolla isn’t FBT exempt like the MG.

And that’s all ignoring the fact that as this article was published in January 2025, the MG 4 Excite 51 was being offered for $34,990 drive-away – unbelievable value for an EV. One with a 10-year/250,000km warranty, no less.

Away from the numbers, the MG 4 is way better to drive than it needs to be, but equally it also isn’t quite perfect yet.

Its black interior headlining and all-black interior trim give its cabin a slightly unwelcoming, cave-like feel. MG’s human-machine interface can be a bit finicky, specifically the requirement of pressing hard on the brake pedal before the car will start, or select Drive or Reverse.

The MG 4 transmits a bit of road harshness into its cabin, while, maddeningly, the cruise control slows down on even the slightest of freeway curves.

We’ve also experienced smartphone connectivity issues in several MG 4 test cars – hard to forgive considering that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both still require a cable. And in the back, there are no air vents.

But for the most part, this is an outstanding small car with fun, rear-drive handling, terrific suspension tuning and unbeatable value. It puts EV ownership within reach of more people, which is award-worthy in its own right.

Best $80,000+ EV: BMW i4 eDrive 35

Glancing over the recorded as-tested data from our EV Megatest, the BMW i4 eDrive 35 flew very much under the radar, being neither the best or worst at anything in particular. 

Wearing the storied Bavarian blue and white roundel loudly and proudly on its controversial nose, the i4 eDrive 35’s as-tested range of 351km was nothing exceptional – and well short of its WLTP claim of 490km.

And while the base i4’s 0-100km/h time of 5.57sec and 0-400m time of 13.72sec would silently beat the V8 Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores of yesteryear, that’s mediocre acceleration by modern EV standards. To be sure, i4 eDrive 35 owners would do well to avoid any drag races with cheaper dual-motor Tesla Model 3s.

However, if you ask us, this is the best luxury electric car currently on-sale between $80,000 and approximately $100,000 – or nudging right up against the FBT exemption threshold.

Our EV Megatest produced no data for how our contenders felt to drive, yet if there was, you might just be looking at the outright winner. It was a clear consensus among the three judges that the BMW i4 is the most driver-focused EV of all 24 cars here – by a mile.

The i4 eDrive 35 bristles with the kind of dynamics that would make you drive to a winding road just for the sake of it.

One of the most dynamically pleasing EVs we’ve driven so far at the dawn of this electrified revolution, a rear-mounted 210kW/400Nm electric motor grants the eDrive 35 classic rear-drive handling that would be familiar to anyone who’s owned a BMW in the past.

Its acceptable 1990kg kerb weight not only sees it scrape under the two-tonne mark, but doesn’t overburden it with heft like so many other EVs.

With sharp and direct steering, there’s a fluidity to the i4’s handling that made it a favourite of our judges on the winding test loop, while power oversteer is even available – making this electric BMW an absolute hoot.

Comfortably sneaking in under the LCT threshold at $85,900 before on-road costs, this entry-level i4 is also superb on urban roads, pleasing our judges with its grown-up refinement and ride quality over our pockmarked Canberra test loop – even with four people aboard.

This is a car you’ll be wanting to spend plenty of time inside. Even with its artificial-leather upholstery, the i4 feels beautifully appointed, mounting the driver in a traditional legs-forward seating position, with the steering wheel high and perpendicular to your chest.

While space in the back is a little tight – and the rear doors themselves offer a fairly compact aperture through which to squeeze – this would be a lovely car to drive on a daily basis.

We don’t hesitate to say that BMW is currently making the best EVs of any legacy automaker. And yet the biggest praise we can heap on the BMW i4 eDrive 35 is that it would feel pleasingly familiar to anyone coming from a combustion-engined 3 or 4 Series – especially something like a 320i or 420i.

It wraps a fundamentally brand-new technology in a traditional BMW package, making the jump to full electrification a little one rather than a leap. For many, that alone will be invaluable.

Gold Star EV: BMW iX1 eDrive 20 xLine

Four new electric BMWs fronted our EV Megatest in 2024, and three made this list of winners and commendable vehicles – not bad odds.

Representing the compact premium SUV segment, the single-motor, front-drive, entry-level iX1 eDrive20 xLine impressed with its ample cabin space, good quality and strong comfort.

Cheaper and more efficient than the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model, the iX1 eDrive 20 felt satisfying to drive on our 2.5km test loop – a recurrent theme with all the electric BMWs on-test.

Out on public roads, it continued to excel with outstanding refinement and decent ride quality, despite wearing optional, up-sized 19-inch wheels.

It’s also an attractive car to our eyes, with plenty of space for adults in the back and practical 40/20/40 split-fold rear seats.

As-tested range of 322km from its 64.7kWh (usable) battery was deemed acceptable, while having the lowest torque output of any car (247Nm) to shift a hefty 1940kg, the iX1 was the second slowest accelerating car of the field.

That might be hard for some to swallow, given its relatively expensive $80,900 price before on-road costs.

But in a luxury context, that still represents decent value for money, we think, and what made the budget-luxe iX1 stand out even more was the direct comparison with its Mercedes-Benz and Volvo competitors, which it easily shaded for all-round ability.

Gold Star EV: BMW iX3 M Sport

Sometimes the more you drive a car, the more you like it, and that was the case with the single-motor, rear-drive BMW iX3 M Sport and our three judges.

Retaining all the virtues of a traditional BMW SUV – such as a spacious cabin and big boot – the iX3 simply adds all the best bits of electric motoring, such as refinement, response and quietude.

The end result is just a Very Good Car with outstanding all-round ability, and reasonable 351km as-tested range from a 74kWh (usable) battery.

Climb inside and the iX3 feels like an expensive luxury product. You’re presented with a very conventional interior full of beautiful-feeling buttons – sparing you the screen-loving arrangement now so common in so many cars, especially electric models.

The smaller 19-inch wheels of our iX3 M Sport test car, along with adaptive dampers, gifted it excellent ride quality around our urban loop. This is also a well-built car that’s pleasingly quiet.

And also one of the most driver-engaging cars on our test. Power and torque of 210kW/400Nm grant decent acceleration, and while the iX3 might be the heaviest car here at 2180kg, there’s a sports SUV stuck inside, trying to get out.

One with a classic rear-drive feeling that our judges coveted around our winding testing circuit.

“The most grown-up SUV in the field, and the most grown-up car in the field,” said judge Dupriez. At $91,000 before on-road costs, the iX3 M Sport is the most expensive car here, but it’s worth every cent if you ask us. A real surprise packet.

Gold Star EV: Hyundai Kona Electric (Base)

If somehow you could add up every element of a car and be left with a final figure of merit, the new Hyundai Kona Electric would score very highly among all the 24 cars assembled here.

While its 99kW power output – from a single, front-driven electric motor – makes it the least powerful car of the field (and therefore the slowest), the well-packaged Kona simply aims to please in every other way.

It’s basic but well built, and impressed with its wide and spacious cabin, sophisticated suspension tuning, nimble handling and outstanding ride quality during our four-up testing on Canberra roads. As-tested range was a decent 320km from its 48.6kWh (usable) battery.

The lightest car of our entire test at 1615kg, the Kona was also great to drive. “This is the base model Kona, it has the small battery, it looks pretty dowdy outside – it looks like a base model – but it drives actually like a pretty grown-up car,” said judge Baker.

The only thing holding the Kona back from EV greatness is its price. At $54,000 before on-road costs, it’s a lot of money for effectively a base model grade – especially compared to another EV hatch like the MG 4. Which is a pity because the electric Kona deserves to do well in the Australian market.

It’s a fantastic example of a well-rounded, modern EV – one much-liked by all the judges and all who drove it.

This test marked the beginning of our time with the Kona Electric, before we took into the Chasing Cars garage for an additional six months, to carry out an extensive long-term review which you can read more about here.

Gold Star EV: BYD Seal Premium

While the Tesla Model 3 is the winner of our EV Megatest this year, we don’t doubt that in future it might not have such an easy time. That could be because of cars like the BYD Seal.

While we’re not massive fans of the Seal Performance, at just $52,990 before on-road costs, the Seal Premium is our current pick of the range and represents incredible value – especially with its pricing adjusted downwards by almost $6K for 2025.

The single-motor, rear-drive vehicle we had on test paired with the biggest battery of any car here – 82.5kWh (usable). That meant 458km of as-tested range, the second-best of any of our 24 cars.

Climb inside and there’s a leather interior and slightly quirky, acquired-taste styling, but abundant space and comfort.

And to drive, the Seal is very good. Its 0-400m effort of 13.99 seconds is impressive for a single-motor EV. That’s thanks to its punchy 230kW and 360Nm – and an acceptable 2055kg kerb weight, giving it the best power-to-weight of any single-motor car on-test.

Although the Seal is rear-wheel drive, it isn’t a cut-price BMW i4 eDrive 35, however. Its dynamics and steering can’t match the BMW for feel, poise and polish, and you can’t partly disable or turn off the stability electronics, either.

Around our urban test loop, comfort was at least in the upper half of our field. But for all the Seal Premium’s virtues, the biggest takeaway is that BYD is improving rapidly. Watch this space.

Gold Star EV: Cupra Born

There’s just something about the little Cupra Born hatch that endeared it to our three judges.

Aside from the aggressively funky exterior styling, the Born makes a strong first impression inside with pleasingly familiar Volkswagen-Audi Group quality – be that design, material choices and refinement.

But it was range where the little Born really shined in our EV Megatest, its large 77kWh (usable) battery boasting the longest range of any car – an incredible 470km as-tested.

The front seats are also great, the steering bristles with life and is nicely direct, and the ride is decent. The 170kW/310Nm single electric motor also gives the Born surprise rear-drive, hot-hatch dynamics. This is a fun little car.

It’s also a road trip weapon with superb active-safety systems including rock-solid lane-keeping assistance, and some of the quietest highway manners of any car here. The Born also gained the most range in 10-80 percent recharging of all our test cars – a stellar 329km in just 30 minutes.

That’s even if Australian models lack key connectivity features (such as a smartphone app) and you do suffer a weight penalty from that large battery – the Born weighing a hefty 1960kg.

But while its $59,990 base price (before on-road costs) is also not the cheapest, the Born is easy to like – and it’s hard to beat the feeling of seeing 500km, or more, of available range on the digital instrument cluster.