SUVs dominate the current American electric market, much in the same way they’ve squeezed out smaller vehicles in the combustion-powered world. Of the 40 or so EV models available in the US today, almost 70% are SUVs, with even more on the way in the coming months and years. Modern automotive design has transformed today’s SUVs from truckish off-roaders into more road-friendly multitaskers, but Americans can’t seem to get enough SUVs, electric or otherwise, with their elevated seating position and spacious family-friendly cabins, and automakers love to sell ’em.
However, there’s a very practical reason why most EVs worth your attention are technically SUVs, from the traditional two-box silhouette of the Rivian R1S to weird tall crossovers like the Polestar 2 or Hyundai Ioniq 5: Taller SUV proportions just happen to leave plenty of room beneath the floor to accommodate the big, flat battery pack required to provide the range American drivers demand. And since most drivers care more about the visibility sitting high in an SUV affords than they do about ground clearance, it’s a win-win for shoppers and automotive engineers alike.
SUVs were already a force to be reckoned with on the automotive landscape and those that plug in are no exception. With so many choices in such a fast growing and highly competitive class, it can be difficult to wrap your head around the options. That’s where I come in with my 15 years of experience evaluating hundreds of SUVs for CNET reviews. I will help you understand what you should look for in a good electric SUV — including some of the best picks — how these battery-powered machines work and where the technology is heading in the future, near and far.
What is the best overall electric SUV?
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It’s a predictable pick, but the Model Y’s balance of range, performance and value make it a tough act to follow.
Tim Stevens/CNET
You had to have seen this one coming. Tesla is probably the most widely recognized and notorious EV manufacturer in America — it’s practically the Xerox of electric cars, for those old enough to still know how to operate a copy machine — and the Model Y is its bread and butter as the best-selling electric car in the US.
That’s not a fluke or simple brand familiarity. The Model Y earns its place at the top with a killer combo of class-topping range and performance that’ll knock the socks off new EV converts, before going for the KO with unmatched value. It’s not a perfect EV for everyone — I have my reservations regarding some of the brand’s more advanced driver aid technologies — but no vehicle is, and the Tesla Model Y’s core performance, specs and value make it an easy and smart pick for most electric SUV shoppers.
Best electric SUVs of 2023
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Don’t try this at home, kids. We tested the ice very thoroughly.
Don’t try this at home, kids. We tested the ice very thoroughly.
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Don’t try this at home, kids. We tested the ice very thoroughly.
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The R1S balances Rivian’s adventurous spirit with three-row practicality.
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The R1S balances Rivian’s adventurous spirit with three-row practicality.
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The Falcon doors add a nice bit of flare to what’s normally a visually bland class of vehicles.
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The Falcon doors add a nice bit of flare to what’s normally a visually bland class of vehicles.
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Chevy’s Bolt EUV ends production later this year; get ’em while they’re hot.
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Chevy’s Bolt EUV ends production later this year; get ’em while they’re hot.
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Our long-term Kia EV6 test car ships with standard bidirectional charging via its V2L AC adapter.
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Our long-term Kia EV6 test car ships with standard bidirectional charging via its V2L AC adapter.
Cargo and passenger capacity: The biggest advantage that an electric SUV has over a sedan or hatchback is capacity for people and cargo. Your needs in this respect will dictate how large an SUV you need, how many rows of seats you should look for and — to an extent — whether electric is even right for you in the first place. Of course, some SUVs built from the ground up with electrification in their DNA may also feature a second front trunk (or frunk) under the hood where the gasoline engine traditionally sits, giving them even more cargo flexibility versus their combustion-powered contemporaries.
Range and towing: How far an electric car can go on a single charge is usually the first number that shoppers check when considering an electric vehicle. Longer range means fewer stops on long trips and more peace of mind between charging stations on the road. However, SUV owners are much more likely to also use their vehicles for towing, which can reduce an EV’s advertised range significantly. (The same could be said for towing with combustion cars, but the squeeze is more obvious with EVs given their shorter cruising range and longer refueling times.) When shopping for an electric SUV, consider what and how much you’ll need to tow and leave plenty of wiggle room in your range estimates.
Efficiency: SUVs are heavy and, typically, less fuel efficient than smaller sedans, hatchback and some vans. The same goes for electric SUVs, with their big heavy batteries. The Tesla Model Y is a thrifty eSUV, but it chugs 13% more electricity than the most efficient electric sedan. (At 123 mpge, the Tesla is still miles ahead of a similarly sized combustion or hybrid-powered SUV.) Keep an eye on the EPA estimated efficiency when comparing electric SUVs; with this number and your local energy rates, you can easily calculate how much it costs to operate an EV and how much you could potentially save compared with a conventional combustion car.
Charging: For long road trips, an EV’s DC fast charging experience can have an even larger impact on EV ownership than its range. Electric SUVs tend to have larger batteries to compensate for their large chassis, which means they tend to take longer to fill their bucket of electricity even with very fast charging speeds. Most plug-in SUVs I recommend can DC fast charge to 80% — the recommended capacity to optimize charging speeds — in 20 to 30 minutes, covering at least 200 miles between stops. You’ll also want to consider what EV charging networks (Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America, Rivian’s Adventure Network and others) cover your most-beaten paths.
Features: An electric car is more than just a battery, motors and a charging port. It’s also a car, which means it needs to be a good car that meets your needs for cabin technology, safety and driver aid technologies, and style. For electric SUVs that encourage active lifestyles, features like bidirectional charging may become even more important, allowing owners to draw power from an EV’s battery pack to power accessories, electric bikes and even appliances at a trailhead, work site or tailgate party.
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Bidirectional charging, such as Kia’s V2L, allows an electric SUV to power appliances, camping gear or even trickle charge another EV.
Antuan Goodwin/CNET
How we test electric SUVs
Simply put, I test electric SUVs the same way I’ve tested nearly every EV model sold in the US over the last 15 years: I drive them. The process always starts behind the wheel in real-world conditions on public roads. For each SUV I test, I cover over 200 miles behind the wheel on a mixed driving route that includes dense urban streets (complete with potholes), long stretches of highway and twisty mountain roads. Most electric SUVs aren’t really built for serious off-roading, but I make sure that the ones that are — such as the Rivian R1S — tackle a trail or two along the way.
My long test route allows me to also check the DC fast charging speed and to compare my first-hand tested range and efficiency with estimates reported by the US EPA, both to double-check the official numbers against the real world and to make sure my experiences represent those of the typical American driver. As always, of course, your mileage may vary.
Along the way, I also check each SUV’s cabin comfort, dashboard tech and driver aid features to get a feel for where each vehicle stacks up against the hundreds of combustion-, hybrid-, hydrogen- and battery-powered SUVs I’ve reviewed during my tenure with for CNET reviews.
Volkswagen’s ID.4 is an unflashy but solid alternative to the Tesla Model Y. It boasts a good amount of range for running errands and daily driving; it’s got good and peppy performance and is more spacious than many other electric SUVs in its class. Its exterior design doesn’t draw a whole lot of attention to its “EV-ness,” which is nice. However, awkward dashboard touch controls and strange ergonomic design decisions — such as the omission of rear window switches on the back doors — kept it from clicking with me.
Mercedes-Benz’s EQE SUV checks a whole lot of the right boxes. Luxurious and spacious without being too large and loud? Check. Healthy reservoir of range? At around 270 miles, check. Its clever electric all-wheel drive system is even reasonably efficient. About the only con I can think of is that US models don’t seem to be available with Benz’s triple-display, full-width Hyperscreen, but that may actually be a good thing. (The Hyperscreen makes a splashy first impression, but I don’t think it adds much in terms of actual useful functionality over the standard and still massive screen.)
Audi’s Q8 E-Tron and BMW’s iX are also excellent electric SUVs in their own right with premium cabin materials and solid electric performance, range and charging speeds. There’s a bit of a learning curve to BMW’s iDrive infotainment, but once set up, it’s one of the best and most flexible cabin tech suites in its class. Meanwhile, the Audi is noteworthy for being one of the only EVs I’ve seen available with two charging ports (one on each front fender), so you’ll almost never run into a too-short-charging-cable situation.
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The BMW iX’s angular fascia and highly customizable cabin tech both take a bit of getting used to.
Antuan Goodwin/CNET Cars
FAQs
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