The 5 Most Affordable Electric Cars You Can Buy In 2026 (So Far)

Car prices are still quite high at the moment, with KBB reporting an average price of $49,855 for a new car as of July 2026. While there's still a handful of new nameplates you can get for below half of that, many cars have been steadily increasing their price points over the last couple of years. For electric vehicles in particular, these haven't usually been the most affordable for the most part, which is certainly the case at the moment. But if you're set on reaping the benefits that EVs can offer, there's still some that can be bought for notably under the current national average. 

The most affordable electric cars on the market so far in 2026 are a mixture of existing models and brand-new ones making a comeback or have never been seen before. They don't come with as much cutting-edge technology as the more expensive EVs on the market, but if you're looking for practicality combined with efficiency, these five models all do a great job at supplying just that. Here's a look at the five cheapest brand-new electric cars you can buy, not limited to just 2026/27 model years.

Particularly in the last couple of years, Subaru has been expanding its relatively small lineup by means of electrification. In 2025, the Japanese manufacturer entered the mid-size Trailseeker into the market, essentially being the EV equivalent of the Outback. At $39,995, though, it can't be called affordable, which isn't the case for the brand's newest electric nameplate: the Uncharted. This SUV sits in the compact segment alongside the Solterra, being the cheaper option of the two.

Starting at $34,995 as standard (with a $1,450 destination fee), the Uncharted comes with pretty competitive stats overall. It shares the same Toyota co-developed platform as the Solterra, with quite a few design principles in common with its slightly larger sibling. Motivated by a single motor in its most affordable base trim, you get 221 horsepower and 308 miles of range, which is solid for an EV of this price. Classic Subaru features like all-wheel drive and X-Mode come with the Sport and GT trims, but these quickly move out of the affordable end of the EV market.

Moving to another Asian manufacturer that does have a pretty extensive lineup in 2026, Hyundai has been in the EV game since 2010 with the BlueOn. Today, three new 2026 model year electric vehicles can be bought from Hyundai: the Ioniq 5 (including the N model), the Ioniq 6, and the Ioniq 9. While the base Ioniq 5 is also one of the cheaper EVs, a brand-new Kona Electric can be picked up for less.

The caveat here is that you can't get a 2026 one, as Hyundai decided to skip a year to get through the remaining stock of 2025 models. Despite being a little older, there's still plenty of brand-new Kona Electrics out there for around $35,000, with some low-spec models getting as low as $32,000. You'll also be able to get the more powerful 201-horsepower versions for these prices as well with the SEL trim, which also gives you 261 miles of range. If you want a practical SUV that's a breeze to drive in towns and cities, you'll get a lot for your money here, with 200 miles of range in the base trim that'll cost less and 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space overall.

As the absolute pioneer of the mass market EV segment, the Nissan LEAF has always championed the idea of top-tier efficiency and practicality at a low price point. It's no secret that raw performance is at the bottom of the priority list for Nissan with the LEAF, but even 16 years after it was introduced in 2010, it's still one of the go-to cars for the two mentioned points. And that's after Nissan completely changed the philosophy for the 2026 model year, turning it into a crossover SUV after years as a sedan.

Now that the LEAF is in a new segment, the redesign also came with an all-new powertrain. A new 75 kWh battery works with a single electric motor up front, producing 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque. Again, not super special, but still competitive with others in the segment like the Kona Electric and Niro EV. The 303 miles of range in the base trim is also right up there with the compact segment's very best. The best part, however, is the $29,990 MSRP for the base S+ trim, along with a $2,245 destination charge.

While the Hyundai Kona Electric was left out for the 2026 model year, its subsidiary brand, Kia, kept the Niro EV in production for the year. Due to Hyundai owning Kia, it's no surprise to see the Niro EV share quite a few core components with the Kona Electric, including the base architecture and subsequently similar performance. Sold as a more upmarket, performance-enhanced compact EV, the 2026 Niro EV has 201 horsepower as standard, and has 253 miles of range as standard in the base Wind trim — only slightly slightly below the Kona Electric SEL's 261 miles. We reviewed the 2024 model year Niro EV, and there wasn't much about it we disliked.

If you buy a new 2026 Niro EV through Hyundai's official site, you'll see the sticker price of $39,700, putting it notably above other all-new nameplates in the segment. However, if you go through a dealership, you can get a base Wind trim for as low as $32,000 depending on where you live. Getting one with a few more optional features will push up the price tag slightly, but on places such as CarGurus, it's rare to see a base, front-wheel drive model go above $35,000. If you go for a four-wheel drive model or a high trim level, you'll get closer to the base MSRP.

As 2026 nears its end, it'll be very hard for another EV to undercut the Chevrolet Bolt's price. While other cars on this list earn their spot due to dealerships dropping sticker prices, Chevrolet's smallest electric vehicle is the most affordable on sale at time of writing straight from the manufacturer. Originally introduced back in 2017, the Bolt was cut from the lineup after the 2023 model year. However, for 2027 and beyond, the subcompact EV is back with a touch more power and much better looks.

The older Bolts were visually forward-thinking in their own right, but the 2027 model brings the nameplate up-to-date with the sportier, bolder aesthetic many other Chevrolets have adopted without losing any modernization. For performance, you now get 210 horsepower, up from 200 in the last-gen models, along with a solid 262 miles of range. Both the base LT and RS trims have the same powertrains, with the difference between them lying in the standard comfort and cosmetics. Both trims could be on this list when it comes to price, though, with the LT starting at just $28,995 and the RS at $32,995, including destination fees.