In conjunction with World EV Day, Carsales has announced their Best Electric Car for 2022 and the winner again this year is the Tesla Model 3. In doing so the Model 3 beat out 13 of the most affordable EVs with the cutoff at $75,000 for the models from China, Japan, Korea, Europe and the USA.

Given the amount of EV models making it onto our market it is no mean feat that Tesla were able to have their Model 3 place at the top for the second year running. With so many more just beginning to make a splash here it will be very tough for them to three-peat next year.

To win the award, cars were judged against more than 100 criteria across five areas — safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance, driving range and recharging times. The Tesla Model 3 top-scored in the areas of driving performance and ownership costs and placed second in technology and comfort and convenience (to the Telsa Model Y).

Carsales found that even the entry-level Model 3 RWD offered “an engaging driving experience, long range, low ownership costs and plenty of high-tech equipment” thereby placing it first by a comfortable margin.

For more EV news Carsales has also launched a new EV Podcast, Watts Under the Bonnet — find it in the LISTNR app.

The cars tested in the competition were:

  • BYD Atto 3 Standard Range
  • Hyundai IONIQ 5 Dynamiq RWD
  • Hyundai Kona Electric Standard Range Elite
  • Kia EV6 Air RWD
  • Kia Niro EV S
  • Lexus UX 300e Luxury
  • Mazda MX-30 Electric E35 Astina
  • MG ZS EV Excite
  • MINI Electric Hatch Classic
  • Nissan LEAF
  • Polestar 2 Standard Range Single Motor
  • Tesla Model 3 RWD
  • Tesla Model Y RWD

With more and more affordable EVs making their way Downunder no doubt the judges’ jobs will be so much harder in the coming years. In the end, we the consumers win with so much more choice and that can only be a good thing.