Are the electric vehicles really the future of transportation? Of course, they are, and one of the main reasons is they’re environmentally more friendly compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines. Governments around the world are pressing carmakers to reduce carbon emissions from their fleet, pushing the electric revolution. That’s great news for consumers because more competition means lower prices and better-quality of electric cars. If you’re looking for a new car, here are the top 3 electric vehicles that are great choices.
BYD Atto 3
I guess not many of you have heard of BYD, which is an automotive giant in Asia. I know many of you are doubtful about Chinese products’ quality, rather buying traditional European or American brands. If you think you should buy Tesla instead, think twice. BYD is producing the most advanced car batteries in the world. Even some Teslas run on BYD’s batteries.
But let’s discuss Atto 3, a great-looking family SUV that you can buy not only in Asia but in Europe, too. Atto 3 runs on BYD’s patented Blade Battery which is one of the world’s safest batteries. This car has a high-efficiency heat pump system, designed to enhance thermal efficiency and reduce energy loss, increasing the driving range which is a serious issue in the EV industry.
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It takes 7.3 seconds for Atto 3 to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, with a top speed of 160 km/h. Atto 3 has a range of 420 km, and you can charge your Atto 3 from SOC 30% to 80% in 29 minutes.
The price tag of €38,000 makes this car highly competitive. It’s roughly €10,000 cheaper than Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is a direct competitor. With a spacious passenger space and an equally spacious trunk (555 l), Atto 3 is a car to seriously consider.
Nio EL6
If Tesla is something of a standard for electric vehicles, Nio is the Chinese answer to it. It’s a luxury family SUV designed to compete with Tesla Y or BMW iX3. The most important selling point for EL6 is the battery swap technology. Long story short, the owner of EL6 can swap batteries instead of charging, which massively saves time. Charging takes at least 40 minutes, and swapping a depleted battery for a fully charged one takes only 5 minutes.
Talking about EL6’s battery, there are two of them to choose from. With the 75-kWh one EL6 has a 400 km range (and this option costs €65,500), and if you choose 100-kWh, expect a range of up to 530 km and a price of roughly €74,500. The European swapping battery network is still small, but Nio is taking the European market very seriously so a massive expansion is expected.
Note: the EL6 is a name for the European market. In some other markets, this electric SUV is named ES6.
Zeekr X
Although Zeekr is a new car brand and completely unknown to European buyers, it comes from a well-known Geely Group that owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus. Zeekr X is an electric crossover that comes with a 69 kWh battery pack, enabling a driving range of up to 440 km.
The X comes in two variants: Long Range RWD and Privilege AWD. Both share the same battery back, but Long Range has one motor that powers the rear wheels. The Privilege has an additional motor on the front, enabling it to get from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds. The Long Range variant gets from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, with a top speed of 180 km/h for both variants.
With plenty of room in the cabin and a decent 362 liters of trunk space, Zeekr X is an excellent option in its niche. Its direct competitors are the Volvo XC40 Recharge and BMW iX1 which cost €63,995 and €55,000 respectively. The X is way cheaper, with €45,000 for the Long Range version and around €50,000 for the Zeekr X The Privilege.
These are our top 3 electric vehicles to buy in Europe in 2024. Do you agree with us?