Tesla Was Surprisingly Missing From Autotrader's 'Best Electric Cars for 2021'
Aleena Juarez
· 3 min read
Tesla
has been a driving force for the electric vehicle
(EV) market. Though EVs are still not the norm, they are becoming increasingly more mainstream, and many auto manufacturers are producing their own. Tesla’s popular, luxury cars have made it appealing for people to consider switching to EVs.When you think about the best EVs on the market, you probably think of Tesla. So why weren’t they on
Autotrader's
list of the best electric cars for 2021?
Which electric cars made the top 10 list?
Autotrader ranked EVs based on factors like fuel efficiency, safety features, and affordability.
For an EV to make this list, the vehicle must be less than $75,000. All of the cars have a plug, but four of the cars listed are hybrids. You must be able to drive these cars more than 15 miles on electricity, and they must be available for purchase within the next six months.
With that being said, these are the top 10 electric cars:
- 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV
- 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
- 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric
- 2021 Hyundai Ioniq Electric
- 2021 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring
- 2021 Nissan Leaf
- 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime
- 2021 Volkswagen ID.4
- 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge
- 2021 Volvo XC60 Recharge
Why didn’t Tesla make the list of best EVs?
According to Autotrader, "Notably absent from this year's list is Tesla, a result of new competition from the likes of Chevrolet, Ford, and Volkswagen. We're fans of Tesla and its cars on many levels, but the collective ownership experience has not been without its well-documented challenges and inconveniences."
It’s easier to buy a vehicle and get customer service from more established automakers. This gives an edge to newer vehicles like the Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Mustang Mach-E, and VW ID.4. Tesla is still a fairly new company, and they have room to improve in several areas. You can look out for the brand in future ranking lists.
You might disagree with the electric car ranking list
You might be confused about how one of the most prominent EV manufacturers isn't on the list. While many Tesla models are far from cheap, the starting price of the
Model 3
and Model Y are below the $75,000 requirement. All of the Tesla models can definitely run more than 15 miles on electricity. Many of the vehicles that earned a recommendation from Autotrader like the Volvo XC60 Recharge, Toyota RAV4 Prime, and Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring weren’t fully electric.
A few readers commented that they felt like hybrids didn’t make sense on a list of top electric cars. But, this is just a list from one website, and if you plan on buying a new EV, you probably want to do more research elsewhere.
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