Consumer Reports, the American nonprofit consumer organization, released its latest “14 best EV Buys in 2024” index. Interestingly, the list demonstrates the advancements of legacy automakers from Germany and South Korea in the electric vehicle space.
About the study
Consumer Reports evaluated approximately 50 electric vehicles in 2024 to determine which models are the best all-rounders.
The analysis tested these EVs in various key aspects, such as performance, range, comfort and quality.
Interestingly, only 14 EV models made the final ranking. It is also worth noting that most of these models are from Korean and German automakers.
The study also revealed that some of the EVs fell short of their advertised EPA-rated driving range by as much as 50 miles. Meanwhile, other tested models managed to surpass their claimed driving range.
Consumer Reports’ 14 Best EV Buys in 2024
Germany’s BMW iX electric SUV dominated Consumer Reports’ best electric cars list in 2024 with the highest score of 84/100.
South Korea’s Hyundai Ioniq 6 followed with an 83/100 rating.
Another BMW model, the i4, tied with the Ioniq 6 in the second spot with the same score of 83/100.
The Kia EV9 secured the third spot with a 78/100 rating from Consumer Reports. The Porsche Taycan secured the fifth spot with a 76/100 rating.
Presented below is Consumer Reports’ full best EVs list in 2024:
Rank | Car | Score (out of 100) |
1 | 2024 BMW iX | 84 |
2 (tie) | 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 83 |
2 (tie) | 2024 BMW i4 | 83 |
4 | 2024 Kia EV9 | 78 |
5 | 2024 Kia EV6 | 77 |
6 | 2024 Porsche Taycan | 76 |
7 | 2024 Genesis GV60 | 75 |
8 | 2024 Lexus RZ | 74 |
9 | 2024 Tesla Model Y | 72 |
10 | 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron | 71 |
11 (tie) | 2024 Kia Niro | 71 |
11 (tie) | 2024 Nissan Ariya | 70 |
13 (tie) | 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E | 70 |
13 (tie) | 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron | 70 |
Other top-performing EV models per market segment
Consumer Reports also outlined the best electric vehicle models in different market segments:
Category | Models | Scores |
Mass-market cars | Hyundai Ioniq 6 Kia Niro | 83 /10071/100 |
Luxury cars | BMW i4Porsche Taycan | 83/10076/100 |
Two-row SUVs | Kia EV6 Tesla Model YNissan AriyaFord Mustang Mach-E | 77/10072/10070/10070/100 |
Three-row SUV | Kia EV9 | 78 /100 |
Luxury SUVs | BMW IxGenesis GV60 Lexus RZAudi Q4 e-tronAudi Q8 e-tron | 84/10075/10074/10071/10070/100 |
As you can observe in the top 14 rankings, over a third of the tested EVs identified as Best Buy models belong to the Hyundai/Kia group – 5 out of 14. German EVs from BMW and Audi also dominated the list with 5 entries. It only demonstrates the competitiveness of South Korean and German automakers in the electric vehicle market as they continuously innovate their offerings. Interestingly, global market leader Tesla only had one entry, the popular Tesla Model Y electric crossover. These kinds of studies continue to be crucial to guide customers in their shift to clean energy vehicles.