Best Tesla EV Alternatives to Consider

The world of electric vehicles in 2025 is very different than it was even a few years ago. While Tesla once held a comfortable lead in market share, battery technology and range, that lead is quickly deteriorating in the face of aggressive competition from the mainstream brands.

If you are considering alternatives to Tesla for your next EV purchase, you might need help figuring out which is the best choice for you. Luckily, Edmunds is here to make your search much easier. All prices below include the destination charge and do not factor in the possible federal EV tax credits.

Jump to:
Tesla Model 3 alternatives
Tesla Model Y alternatives
Tesla Model S alternatives
Tesla Model X alternatives
Tesla Cybertruck alternatives

Tesla Model 3 alternatives

Since its debut, the Model 3 has been a relatively affordable, efficient EV sedan that convinced many folks to switch from internal combustion. Its most recent update even earned Edmunds Top Rated Electric Car honors for 2025. But now, the part of the EV market that Model 3 once dominated is packed with exceedingly strong competition. If you're looking for something different than a Model 3, you have some great options.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

While the Ioniq 6 may get less of the spotlight than its retro-futuristic cousin, the Ioniq 5, it shares the same underpinnings. To our eyes, the Ioniq 6 looks awesome and delivers excellent range at an affordable price. The Ioniq 6 offers an EPA-estimated range of 324 miles, compared to the Model 3’s 363 miles, but its base model is about $5,000 cheaper than the cheapest Model 3. Hyundai’s build quality and dealer network are also more robust than Tesla's, making it a great alternative if you plan to hang onto the car for a while.

Edmunds Rating: 8.1
Starting price: $39,045
Read our 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 review
Shop all Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedans for sale

Ford Mustang Mach-E

While the Mach-E initially caught a lot of flak from Ford fans over its odd name choice, it’s found plenty of fans with its affordable price, good maximum range and everyday practicality. It’s also surprisingly fun to drive, a quality the Model 3 also offers. The Mach-E has a maximum range of 320 miles, which trails behind the Tesla, but with a starting price of $38,490, it makes a pretty good case for itself. Add in Ford’s massive dealer network and the practicality of its hatchback body, and things are looking even better.

Edmunds Rating: 8.2
Starting price: $38,490
Read our 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E review
Shop all Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs for sale

Used option: Polestar 2

The Polestar 2 is a fantastic entry-level EV. It does everything well including offering 270 miles of maximum range, which is enough for most people most of the time. It’s got a comfy, reasonably well-equipped interior and plenty of storage thanks to its hatchback body. And like the Model 3 and Mach-E, it’s fun to drive. When you consider that many of these models are available below $30,000, it’s hard to argue against it as a first EV.

Edmunds Rating: 7.8
Starting price: Varies based on year and trim
Read our 2023 Polestar 2 review
Shop all used Polestar 2 models for sale

Tesla Model Y alternatives

Tesla’s Model Y is the slightly roomier, blobbier SUV version of the Model 3, and because people are crossover crazy, sales of the Y have been reasonably strong until recently. The Model Y recently got a face-lift to bring its styling more in line with that of the Cybertruck, too. If you're shopping for a compact electric SUV, though, there are several great alternatives.

Polestar 3

The newest Polestar to hit dealers takes what made the Polestar 2 great and adds to it with a seriously handsome crossover shape plus impressive range and performance. The EPA estimates a maximum range of 350 miles and buyers can spec up to 517 horsepower, which compares favorably with the rest of the segment. The new Model Y’s max range is a little worse than the Polestar’s at 327 miles, and while it’s slightly cheaper at $61,630, you still have a fairly bare-bones interior. The base single-motor Polestar 3 is better equipped and starts at $68,900, including destination.

Edmunds Rating: 8.2
Starting price: $68,900
Read our 2025 Polestar 3 review
Shop all Polestar 3 models for sale

Hyundai Ioniq 5

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is one of the most popular EVs on sale in the U.S. because it offers a stellar balance of style, practicality, range and price. The expansive dealer network also makes it a very easy car to own. With a maximum range of 318 miles, it’s within spitting distance of the Tesla at a much lower price. The base Ioniq 5 starts at just $44,075, including a destination charge of $1,475. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s $17,555 less than the Model Y. For that money, you also get features you couldn't get in a Tesla, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Edmunds Rating: 8.2
Starting price: Varies based on year and trim
Read our 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 review
Shop all Hyundai Ioniq 5 models for sale

Used Genesis GV60

If you like the Ioniq 5 but want more rounded styling with a slightly more upscale interior, look no further than its cousin, the excellent Genesis GV60. Built on the same Hyundai Group platform as the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the GV60 brings Genesis' unique take on luxury to the party with cool available features such as biometric access and that cool rotating crystal shifter. With a maximum range of 248 miles, however, it trails behind the Tesla a bit, but not enough that most people would find it a problem. Bonus points to the Genesis for being regularly available on the used market for under $40,000.

Edmunds Rating: 8.4
Starting price: Varies based on year and trim
Read our 2023 Genesis GV60 review
Shop all used Genesis GV60 SUVs for sale

Tesla Model S alternatives

Tesla’s Model S is its longest-running model. It has a lot going for it, with its still impressive max range and the availability of a super powerful Plaid trim level. Unfortunately for Tesla, its luxury sedan is facing serious competition from the likes of Lucid, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

Lucid Air

The closest competitor for the Model S is the Lucid Air. The Air faced plenty of its own teething problems when it launched but has matured into an incredibly unique vehicle with real luxury and one of the most exciting performance versions on the market in the form of the 1,234-horsepower Air Sapphire. If it’s maximum range you’re after, you’ll want the Grand Touring trim, which offers an EPA-estimated range of 512 miles, besting the Model S by a cool 102 miles. The base model Air Pure starts at $71,400, including a $1,500 destination charge.

Edmunds Rating: 8.4
Starting price: $71,400
Read our 2025 Lucid Air review
Shop all used Lucid Airs for sale (new Lucids are only available on the official website)

Mercedes-Benz EQS

While the EQS lacks the range and the power of either the Model S or the Air, it makes up for them with build quality, a great interior, and the backing of the world’s first car company. While it sits somewhere in the middle of the regular S-Class and E-Class in terms of size and status, it tops the heap for electric sedans in the Mercedes lineup. Of course, for the power-hungry, there is also an AMG trim level that produces a very healthy 649 horsepower (700 hp in boost mode). The EQS offers a maximum EPA-estimated range of 390 miles, which, while not class-leading, is perfectly respectable.

Edmunds Rating: 8.2
Starting price: $105,550
Read our 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS review
Shop all Mercedes-Benz EQS sedans for sale

Used option: Porsche Taycan

On paper, the Taycan doesn’t belong in this grouping of long-range, high-powered EVs, but in practical terms, a used Taycan might be the best bargain in EVs right now. While its EPA-estimated range of just 246 miles may seem unimpressive, we’ve found in our testing that the Taycan regularly exceeded those numbers in normal driving conditions without much effort. It is also unquestionably the best-handling EV in this group, with Porsche’s engineers pulling no punches, per usual. Build quality, in typical Porsche fashion, is also stellar, and when you consider that a nice example can be had for between $40,000 and $60,000, it all starts to make a lot of sense.

Edmunds Rating: 8.2
Starting price: Varies based on year and trim
Read our 2023 Porsche Taycan review
Shop all used Porsche Taycans for sale

Tesla Model X alternatives

The Model X, Tesla’s first foray into the world of SUVs, was meant to be a grand display of engineering, with wild new falcon-wing doors and room for seven passengers. However, it ended up being overly complicated and awkwardly proportioned. Those fancy rear doors caused early adopters plenty of problems, and even now they can prove troublesome in parking structures or other tight parking situations. The alternatives here all have traditional doors, so finding something better shouldn’t be too tough.

Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

One of our favorite electric luxury SUVs is the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. It’s got the benefit of more conventional SUV styling and it boasts slightly better maximum range than the Model X. Its top-spec (non-Maybach) 580 4Matic version is considerably down on power compared to Tesla's Model X Plaid, but 536 electric ponies is nothing to sneeze at and should be plenty to scare your mother-in-law with a hard launch. Pricing for the EQS SUV starts at $106,400, including a $1,150 destination fee. This is a good chunk more than the base Model X, which starts at $86,630, but you’re also getting considerably more and better standard equipment.

Edmunds Rating: 8.5
Starting price: $106,400
Read our 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV review
Shop all Mercedes-Benz EQS SUVs for sale

Kia EV9

Kia’s flagship model may seem like an oddball choice to go against Model X, but they are essentially trying to do the same job: Carry a family and all their stuff in comfort and style, using electric power. Here’s the thing, though: The EV9 does it better. So much so that we named it the Edmunds Top Rated Electric SUV for 2025. Not only does it have a great interior with much better ergonomics than the Model X, but it also doesn’t have any of the X’s quirks like those falcon-wing doors or the never-enough-shade panoramic glass roof. With a starting price of $56,395 and a maximum range of 304 miles, it makes itself a pretty killer value proposition compared to the aging Tesla.

Edmunds Rating: 8.6
Starting price: $56,395
Read our 2025 Kia EV9 review
Shop all Kia EV9 SUVs for sale

Used BMW iX

BMW’s first dedicated electric SUV challenged a lot of folks’ tolerance for weird design when it debuted, but now that it’s been around for a while, we’ve gotten used to it. Also, while the exterior came off as odd, the interior is utterly unique and a great place to be. Couple that with BMW’s excellent driving dynamics and a respectable maximum range of 309 miles, and a used iX makes a great alternative to a Model X. Things look even better when you start looking at used iX prices, with plenty on the market with under 10,000 miles going for between $55,000 and $75,000. 

Edmunds Rating: 8.4
Starting price: Varies based on year and trim
Read our 2023 BMW iX review
Shop all BMW iX SUVs for sale

Tesla Cybertruck alternatives

Tesla’s stainless steel behemoth, the Cybertruck, has proven itself not to be a very good truck, an especially great EV, or even very good at keeping its body panels attached to itself. The odds are good that if you bought a Cybertruck, you did it because it looks like nothing else on the road, and in that way, there’s no real competition. If, on the other hand, you expected the Cybertruck to work like a typical truck and you’ve found yourself disappointed, we’re happy to tell you that there are now a handful of really great electric pickups available to choose from.

Rivian R1T

Where the Cybertruck is a vaguely truck-shaped object with a bed (kind of), the R1T is a proper pickup with a usable, if short, bed and real capability off-road. It’s also great to drive on-road, has an excellent interior, and, thanks to its conventional bodywork, will be a lot easier to care for than the Cybertruck. The R1T is available in a few different flavors with single-, dual- and even triple-motor versions available now, and a quad-motor variant coming soon. It has up to 420 miles of maximum range and a starting retail price of $71,700. This makes it $10,535 cheaper than the Cybertruck, which also only offers up to 325 miles of range.

Edmunds Rating: 8.4
Starting price: $71,700
Read our 2025 Rivian R1T review
Shop all used Rivian R1T SUVs for sale (new Rivians are only available on the official website)

GMC Sierra EV

The Sierra shares its architecture with the Silverado EV and the Hummer EV, but we think it wears its proportions the best. GMC has just expanded its Sierra EV offerings to include a new base model, making it $27,000 cheaper to get into than it was last year. Add in that it’s capable of doing real truck stuff, including off-roading with its new AT4 trim, and the electric Sierra starts to look pretty enticing. The 2026 Sierra EV starts at $64,495 including destination, and with a maximum range of 390 miles, you’ll go a lot farther per charge than you would in a Cybertruck. The Sierra’s 10,500-pound towing limit is slightly less than the Cybertruck’s advertised 12,000-pound limit, but towing with an EV continues to be a losing proposition if you need to go farther than across town.

Edmunds Rating: 8.0
Starting price: $91,195
Read our 2025 GMC Sierra EV review
See all GMC Sierra EVs for sale

Used Ford F-150 Lightning

Perhaps the Cybertruck has you yearning for an electric truck that’s more traditional than the Rivian. That’s where Ford’s F-150 Lightning comes in. This half-ton EV offers one of the best front trunks in the business, excellent road manners, a great interior and contemporary Ford pickup styling. It will tow up to 10,000 pounds when properly optioned and has a maximum range of 320 miles. The Lightning is regularly available for between $40,000 and $50,000 on the used market, making it much less expensive than the Cybertruck.

Edmunds Rating: 8.4
Starting price: Varies based on year and trim
Read our 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning review
Shop all used Ford F-150 Lightnings for sale