Just five years ago, there weren’t many electric vehicles (EVs) you could buy new for under $60,000.
You could get the tried-and-tested Nissan Leaf, the popular Tesla Model 3, and a handful of other vehicles from Hyundai, Mini, and Polestar. There were only ten nameplates in total, with the MG ZS EV being the only Chinese option alongside a few small series from BYD before it became a serious competitor here.
Well, that has all changed.
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There are now more than three times the number of nameplates available, and it’s not just Chinese brands that have flooded the zone – although there are plenty of them too, including BYD, Chery, GAC, Geely, GWM, Leapmotor and Zeekr.
Bigger brands such as Kia, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo are now also offering electric vehicles for under $60,000, excluding on-road costs.
Sure, many of these models are rather monotonous small to medium-sized SUVs. Still, it’s an embarrassment of riches for new car buyers who want to make the switch to an electric vehicle but don’t want to spend too much on it.
Below are the members of the Daily Sparkz The editors shared which electric vehicles they would choose for under $60,000.
Daily Sparkz: BYD Act 1
I would buy a BYD Atto 1 for $24,000 and be happy.
For me the purpose of an electric vehicle is to make the very regular short journeys in suburbia such as the school run, the commute and the Coles run.
A car like this for under $25,000 is an absolute bargain with all the tech inside, and 140 miles of range is more than enough for me – I barely drive it in a week.
It’s the perfect second car for most families and a fantastic introduction to electric vehicle ownership at a very reasonable price.
MORE: Explore the BYD Atto 1 showroom
Marton Pettendy: MG 4 Excite 51
If I could spend $60,000 on an electric vehicle, it would be the entry-level MG 4 Excite 51, because it would be a second vehicle that I could use to drive from my semi-rural home to the city, and at $37,990 by car it offers unrivaled value for money – so I’d spend the change on a solar/battery system at home to charge it.
For $5000 less, this practical electric hatch only produces 25kW less than the mid-range MG 4 Essence 64, but still offers a decent range of 350km with the 51kWh battery.
Even a runabout should be fun, and the added bonus here is that the base MG 4 steers and handles well, being one of the few rear-drive electric vehicles available in this market segment.
MORE: Explore the MG 4 showroom
Ben Zachariah: Skoda Elroq
This is the kind of answer that changes depending on my mood and the day of the week (unlike every other answer I give…?).
The pre-facelift Hyundai Ioniq 6 discontinued deals are crazy, saving buyers $35,000 on a car with big performance and all-wheel drive. It’s hard to get past it, despite the… styling challenges, shall we say. But even though it’s technically a new car, these discounts apply to ’23 vehicles. Yes.
The pragmatist in me says the Toyota bZ4X. You know it’ll last, you know the resale value will be reasonable, and it’s just a solid commuter car that’s well-made. But I prefer driving cool cars, and the Fiat 500e is as cool and unpretentious as it gets. But I’m not that cool or unpretentious. Maybe if I looked as stylish in tweed as JWo…?
Then there is the Volkswagen ID.4, which is practical and has a certain style element, especially in black. Solid choice. It’s definitely cool. But call me Bela Fleck, because I’m also into things that are a little bit cool – the non-obvious choice – or at least I am today.
That brings me to Skoda’s smallest electric SUV, the Elroq.
It’s smaller than the Enyaq, has a better name, still looks smart without being overly wild and advertising that you’re in an electric vehicle, and has a radical gray fabric interior that feels sleek and modern.
It also has rear-wheel drive with 210 kW and 545 Nm, enabling a 0-100 km/h sprint time of under seven seconds and a range of over 500 kilometers. It also has real buttons on the steering wheel – none of the haptic bells and whistles like the ID.4.
That’s why my choice today is the Skoda Elroq.
Ask me again tomorrow.
MORE: Discover the Skoda Elroq showroom
Sean Lander: Kia EV5
After thinking about the hundreds of cars I drive in a year, I’ve come to the conclusion: electric vehicles are like lettuce. If you’re young, you can avoid eating it and it doesn’t really do any harm. But at some point you get older, start thinking about the future and the desire to continue living the life you want to live, and you realize that you have to eat salad whether you like it or not.
At some point I will have to buy an electric vehicle. That’s a shame, because after about five minutes in most electric vehicles I drive, I’ve explored all the gadgets and gizmos and they just become uninteresting. Obviously this is just my opinion, but it’s an opinion I’ve formed after 15 years of working in the automotive industry, watching V8 engines almost die out and sports cars go from tiny two-door tin tops to two-ton tanks.
Which leads me to the Kia EV5. Aside from the obtrusive and poorly calibrated speed sign recognition, it’s one of the most car-like electric vehicles you can buy for under $60,000. It offers plenty of space, a reasonable range, an interesting look and a familiar feel. It doesn’t come with a Blu-Tack cinema screen on the dash and comes with a great warranty and a large dealer network.
However, it is not without its frustrations. The speed sign detection mentioned above, the charging port is in the wrong place (all EVs should have charging ports in the back), and if you don’t turn off the silly noises, it makes, well, silly noises.
It’s a reasonably harmless car that I wouldn’t sigh about every time I had to get in. I’ll never be excited about driving either, but when the day comes that I actually have to start eating salad, it would be bearable.
MORE: Explore the Kia EV5 showroom
William Stopford: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Epiq
There are actually a variety of EV options for under $60,000.
However, if you rule out anything that makes the ride too wobbly or stiff, the herd thins out. Don’t want poorly calibrated driver assistance systems? The number of options continues to shrink. Plus, I’m not a fan of front-wheel drive electric vehicles overall, so what was once a long list is now just a short one.
Hyundai can’t seem to give away the Ioniq 6, and the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive flagship Epiq is on sale for $59,990 in-car. That’s over $34,000 cheaper (!) than the original price, with the caveat that these are still leftover stock from MY23 (!!).
Yes, it’s ugly (!!!) and yes, the depreciation will probably be brutal, but that’s a lot of car for the money. Try to negotiate the price even further.
I would also consider a BYD Seal or a Volkswagen ID.4, but unfortunately I have yet to drive either.
MORE: Explore the Hyundai Ioniq 6 showroom
James Wong: MG 4 Essence 64
With the excellent Cupra Born not for sale in Australia, the mid-range MG 4 Essence 64 makes me a good second choice in the sub-$60,000 EV segment.
Balanced rear-wheel drive, a compact tailgate, a range of more than 400 km and numerous premium features still make the MG an incredible value in 2026 – the driving price is currently around $42,500.
Even with fluctuating prices and increasing competition in the market, I still think the MG 4 is one of the cheapest electric vehicles you can buy in Australia.
A close second is the Kia EV3 Air Long Range, one of the few electric vehicles that offers a range of over 600 km for less than $60,000.
MORE: Explore the MG 4 showroom
Damion Smy: Skoda Elroq 85 Select
There are plenty of electric vehicles priced under $60,000, and for my personal standards the BYD Atto 1 – at $23,990 before on-road costs – would do the trick. But in the spirit of what I could pony up the money for if a larger EV were needed, I’d go with the Skoda Elroq 85 Select for two main reasons: the design and the design.
I also like the looks of the Volvo EX30 ($59,990 before on-roads) but not how it drives, and while the base Zeekr 7X ($57,990 before on-roads) is impressive, I’m not a fan of the door buttons and some of the functions hidden in the center touchscreen menus.
So if I’m looking for something more substantial than a city car, I’d instead opt for the Elroq 85 Select ($54,990 before on-roads) in Velvet Red (another $770) because it has a stylish if somewhat space-saving interior, a beefy 210kW/545Nm powertrain, a 0-100km/h sprint time in 6.6 seconds, a range of 340 miles, and $195 maintenance.
Again, it’s its unique flavor that sets me apart from other Volkswagen Group products, but you’d still have to give me a damn good reason why I personally have more than one Atto 1 and more than $30,000 in spare cash…
MORE: Discover the Skoda Elroq showroom
Max Davies: BYD Seal Premium
Having recently spent some time with the base Dynamic, I’m confident that the BYD Seal would be my first choice for an electric vehicle under $60,000.
I found the Dynamic to be a pleasure to drive as it has ample power and, thanks to its rear-wheel drive, handles more lively on the road than most other new electric vehicles.
But I’d step it up a notch and go for the premium price of $52,990 before hitting the road, or about $57,000 before driving in Victoria. It has the same basic features, including a simple, functional interior and rear-wheel drive, but offers significantly more power and – most importantly – a much greater usable WLTP range of 570km.
I wouldn’t need much more. It also deserves brownie points for being a sedan in a market dominated by boring SUVs.
MORE: Explore the BYD Seal showroom
