Only a few years ago, if you wanted an electric car, your choice was pretty simple: If your budget was under $40,000, you bought a Nissan Leaf, and if it was more than that, you bought a Tesla Model S. Now, however, there are so many EVs on the market that consumers have to balance long driving range, quick charging, and price in their decision. Most people think they need around 300 miles per charge, and the battery needs to take at least 150 kilowatts on a DC fast charger to be competitive. But crowning the Buzz AwardsBest EV for 2026 is more than just checking a few boxes, and in deciding this year’s winner, editors and road testers from CarBuzz, HotCars, and TopSpeed also considered affordability, NACS compatibility, specification, and whether the price may be impacted by tariffs and the loss of EV tax credits.
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