Top five electric SUVs in Australia

In the car marketplace, three things are absolute truths: 1) People buy a whole lot of SUVs (over 50 per cent of the Australian market was claimed by SUVs in 2021); 2) Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasingly being accepted by Australians as the way of the future; and 3) Red cars go faster. 

As you’d expect, then, electric SUVs are becoming far more commonplace and while Tesla has famously found much success in marketing its range of sedans, which includes Australia's best selling EV, the Model 3, most manufacturers are attempting to appeal to buyers with zero emissions versions of cars in the most popular SUV categories.

Although our market is still considered under-developed in terms of infrastructure and emissions regulations (they’re coming, the Labor Government says, but not fast enough), Australia has an increasing number of electric models on sale, as well as an exciting list of electric SUVs on the way soon.

Read on to see our picks for the best electric SUV options currently available, why we picked them, and if you're not yet sold, what you have to look forward to. 

5. Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor

Why it's here: Range

While the Polestar 2 sedan has a longer 652km claimed range under WLTP testing, it’s fairly impressive that the larger Polestar 3 SUV still manages a 631km claimed range in dual-motor form, and without breaking the bank as much as some premium EV SUVs might.

At $132,900 before on-roads it’s not cheap, but previous contenders for the longest-range EV SUV include the likes of the BMW iX xDrive50 at $185,400 or, depending on which testing figure you follow, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV at $195,900.

4. Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge

Why it’s here: Style

While Tesla is dominating the sales charts, Volvo is slowly creeping up the leaderboard thanks to its decision to focus on electric vehicles. A modest increase in sales of 3.9 per cent between 2022 and 2023 is surely welcome when some established brands are tumbling down the charts.

The XC40 as an overall model has a large part to play in that growth, accounting for more than half the brand’s sales before even adding the closely related (and all-electric) C40 to its figure.

Available in either a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive variant ($76,990) with up to 445km of driving range or a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive option ($85,990) with up to 510km of range, the XC40 and C40 Recharge are both proof you don’t need to sacrifice style to go electric.

3. Kia EV9 

Why it’s here: Size

Electric SUVs are coming in a growing variety of shapes, sizes and prices. While compact and mid-size models have been more popular so far, the bigger options are coming. But one has arrived already.

Kia’s EV9 is (as the name implies) the bigger sibling to the EV6, a three-row, seven-seat SUV that’s an electric alternative to the likes of the popular Toyota Prado and Nissan Patrol (at least in terms of size, not off-road ability). Importantly, its size doesn’t make it difficult to drive or park, making it a suitable choice for families regardless of where they live.

The EV9 also benefits from technology pioneered by earlier models from Kia and parent company Hyundai like the Ioniq 5 and EV6, namely its 800-volt architecture. It means the upper-large SUV’s top-spec 99.8kWh battery can be charged at impressive speed, from 10 to 80 per cent in about 24 minutes on a 350kW charger.

Hyundai will follow shortly after with its own large SUV, the Ioniq 7.

2. MG ZS EV 

Why it’s here: Affordability

The most affordable end of the electric SUV market is extremely competitive. So competitive in fact that depending on how long it’s been between this article being published and you reading it, the MG ZS EV may no longer be the cheapest EV SUV on the market.

A $39,990 drive-away asking price (at the time of publishing) puts this small electric SUV thousands of dollars clear of the next-cheapest electric SUV, the slightly larger BYD Atto 3, which has also proven to be popular due to its similar perceived value. 

The MG ZS EV has a claimed 320km electric driving range, a 50.3kWh battery, and V2L capability for running appliances or charging relatively large batteries from the MG’s own lithium-ion unit.

1. Tesla Model Y

Why it’s here: Popularity

Of course a list of Australia’s best electric SUVs would be topped by the Model Y. The American brand’s mid-sizer is, by some margin, Australia’s most popular battery-powered SUV. Tesla has simply cornered the market, taking a dominant position thanks to its reputation as a technology leader.

It helps that there are three options to choose from locally, the RWD ($65,400), Long-range AWD ($78,400) and Performance AWD ($92,560) and the price has fluctuated to maintain demand. 

Electric SUVs coming soon

It wouldn’t be a complete list without mentioning the new models on the verge of launching in Australia which could really shake up the above list, so here are the electric SUVs we’re looking forward to:

Jeep Avenger 

Yes, the brand famous for its ability to ‘go anywhere’ is jumping into the EV market. But the Avenger isn’t exactly designed to trek across the outback.

Instead, this front-wheel-drive compact SUV is meant to navigate the urban jungle. It will boast a 115kW/260Nm powertrain and a 400km range when it arrives.

Nissan Ariya

Already a player in the EV market, thanks to its Leaf model, Nissan has plans to release the all-electric Ariya SUV in Australia eventually, albeit several years after its launch in Japan and other markets (it’s been hugely popular elsewhere, so we’ve had to wait, because we don’t buy enough EVs). The Ariya will come with the choice of either a 63kW or 87kW battery, the latter offering more than 500km of range.

Audi Q6 e-tron

For Audi, the Q6 e-tron is a big step toward what it hopes for its future electric models. Built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture co-developed with Porsche, the mid-size electric SUV will arrive in Australia in the first half of 2025.

With a focus on balancing dynamics, usability and driving range, the Q6 e-tron moves past some of the teething issues seen in early electric cars - even Audi’s own engineers admit the Q6 makes its early electric cars look outdated.

Porsche Macan Electric

For something with a little more spice, the Macan Electric is based on the same PPE basis as the Q6 but focuses more on being a harder-driving SUV. Thrills might take priority over elegance in some aspects, but don’t expect it to be rough around the edges.