You want to go electric, but dread the thought of waiting around the charging station for 45 minutes to an hour. While most electric vehicle charging is done at home overnight (for pennies on the dollar), the occasional road trip necessitates visits to public fast charging stations. Also known as ‘level 3’ DC fast chargers, the amount of time spent charging here varies widely from one electric vehicle model to another.
These are the fastest charging electric vehicles on the market today. Plus, we’ll take a sneak peek at a few EVs that are just around the corner.
*Note: Charge times are reflected as 10% to 80% because in all EVs, charging speeds slow significantly beyond 80% state of charge as the battery management system (the car’s computer) balances out the energy distribution at the ‘top of the pack’. In many cases, it may take the same amount of time to charge from 10% to 80% as it does to charge from 80% to 100%.
Electric cars cost $11,000 more than ICE competitors on average. Worried about when you’ll break even with an electric vehicle purchase? We did the math for you. See EV break-even times with and without incentives.
Outside of warranty, electric car battery replacement costs range from $2,000 – $8,000 in a hybrid or plug-in hybrid all the way to $12,000 – $20,000 in a fully-electric vehicle. It’s true that batteries should be much more affordable a decade from now, but that’s a lot of money on the line. To protect your wallet, EV manufacturer warranties should be a top consideration for drivers looking to go electric. These are the best electric vehicle warranties in 2022. The top of the list was unexpected to say the least!
The Best EV Battery Warranty
Rivian (8 years or 175,000 miles)
Surprise! The best EV warranty is offered by Rivian for the all-new R1T electric truck and R1S electric SUV. Coverage includes all components inside the high-voltage battery and 70% or more of the battery capacity for 8 years or 175,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Drivetrain components are also covered for 8 years or 175,000 miles. It can be unnerving to purchase a vehicle from a startup like Rivian, so at least they’re offering the best battery warranty there is. Learn more about Rivian’s warranty here.
Tesla Battery Warranty
Tesla’s electric powertrain warranty is split into two tiers.
The Tesla Model S (starting at $99,990) and Tesla Model X (starting at $114,990) have 8 year or 150,000 mile electric powertrain warranties. Battery capacity retention is guaranteed to be at least 70% under warranty.
The Tesla Model 3 Long Range and Performance and all Tesla Model Y’s get an 8 year or 120,000 mile powertrain warranty.
The most affordable Tesla today is the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive, which gets an 8 year or 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
The Best Battery Warranty For Affordable Electric Cars
Hyundai and Kia (10 years or 100,000 miles)
For electric cars under $65,000, you can’t beat Hyundai and Kia’s 10 year/100,000 mile EV warranty. The Hyundai EV warranty covers batteries, motors and powertrain components. There’s also the guarantee of at least 70% battery capacity retention. “While all electric-car batteries will experience degradation over time, ours will not degrade more than 70 percent of the original capacity during the warranty period.”
Learn more about Hyundai’s electric vehicle battery warranty. You can find Kia’s EV warranty details here.
The Rest of the Gang: 8 year/100,000 Mile Battery and Powertrain Warranty
In 2022, it looks like the industry standard for EV manufacturer warranties is 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. This manufacturer warranty applies to the following electric vehicles in 2022:
Ford Mustang Mach-E (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Ford F-150 Lightning (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Jaguar I-PACE (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Lucid Air (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Polestar 2 (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge (55% battery retention guarantee) see the details
Volkswagen ID.4 (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Audi e-tron (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Chevy Bolt (60% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Nissan Leaf (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Nissan Ariya (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
Toyota bZ4X (70% battery capacity retention guarantee) see the details
The Worst EV Battery Warranty in 2022
Volvo (55% battery retention warranty) and General Motors (60% battery capacity guarantee)
Unfortunately, this disappointing award goes to both Volvo and General Motors. Volvo makes some nice looking EVs, and Polestar’s much better warranty is essentially for Volvo’s with a different brand name. The battery retention warranty information was difficult to find, even a Volvo customer service representative couldn’t get me the information. I ended up finding one mention of the 55% battery capacity warranty here. Disappointing to say the least.
I’m surprised that GM is continuing to settle for last considering their much-publicized push to electrify their entire lineup quickly. The Chevrolet Bolt and GMC Hummer EV have 8 year/100,000 mile battery warranties with a notable catch. The battery retention portion of the warranty will replace the battery if it falls below 60% of the original capacity under coverage. See the full details here.
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You don’t have to spend one hundred grand to purchase an electric vehicle with great range in 2022. EVs aren’t cheap, but with fuel savings taken into account, the electric lifestyle starts to sound a lot more appealing. There’s a saying in electric mobility: range is king. That’s especially true for frequent road-trippers and those who live in one of America’s remaining charging deserts. These are the electric vehicles with the most range in 2022.
Note: We’ve decided to place an emphasis on affordable electric vehicles with the most range. Affordability is a moving target in 2022’s crazy auto market, but in the realm of EVs, we’ve defined ‘affordable’ as EVs under $65,000. If you’re in the market for luxury, we’ve got those covered too.
Electric Cars With the Best Range
Tesla Model 3 Long Range (Dual Motor)
Range: 358 miles
Price: $57,190 with destination
Max charging speed: 250 kW (20-80% in 20 minutes, adding 214 miles of range)
0-60 mph (fun factor):
Federal EV tax credit qualification: No, credits were exhausted. Learn about EV incentives here.
See our full review of the 2022 Tesla Model 3 Long Range here.
Polestar 2 Front-Wheel Drive
Range: 270 miles
Price: $49,800 with destination
Max charging speed: 250 kW (20-80% in 20 minutes, adding 214 miles of range)
0-60 mph (fun factor): 6.8 seconds
Federal EV tax credit qualification: Yes, learn more about EV incentives here.
There are now three electric pickup trucks on American roads, but buying one is easier said than done. Everyone wants one, and wait lists extend months and in some cases, years. We’ve decided to include electric trucks that are not yet available for purchase, so long as specs have been released and reservations or orders can be placed today.
Ford F-150 Lightning XLT Extended Range
Range: 320 miles
Price: $72,474
Max charging speed: 130 kW (15-80% in 40 minutes)
0-60 mph (fun factor): estimated 4.5 seconds
Federal EV tax credit qualification: Yes, learn more about EV incentives here.
What does the future hold? Not necessarily more range, surprisingly. Many auto analysts expect range for relatively affordable EVs to settle in around the 250-350 mile range. Why? Battery shortages loom on the horizon. Raw materials are in high demand, and there are only so many places on Earth to get lithium, cobalt and other materials.
Should you buy an EV now or wait? If you can find what you want for MSRP or very close to it, it just might be the right time to buy or lease. All signs point towards higher EV prices for 2023 and 2024 model years.
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As electric cars, trucks and SUVs enter the mainstream, the tug-of-war between EV startups and legacy giants is heating up. Will Tesla hold its lead, or will Ford, General Motors and the rest catch up? And then there’s the intersection of supply constraints and public demand. Bookmark this page for the latest quarterly and monthly sales and market share updates for electric vehicles in the United States.
In the first quarter of 2022, fully-electric vehicles (BEVs) reached a record 5.2% of new sales market share in the United States. When combined with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid vehicles, electrified sales topped 12%.
Q1 2021
Q2 2021
Q3 2021
Q4 2021
Q1 2022
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV)
2.5%
2.8%
3.1%
4.5%
5.2%
Electrified (Hybrid + PHEV + BEV)
7.8%
8.5%
10.4%
11.5%
12.4%
According to analyses by Kelly Blue Book, Tesla sales accounted for 75% of all EVs sold between January and March 2022.
Automaker
Q1 2021
Q2 2021
Q3 2021
Q4 2021
Q1 2022
Tesla*
69300
76230
75509
115248
129743
Ford
6614
6361
5880
8285
6734
General Motors
9025
11263
4515
26
457
Nissan
2925
4804
2345
4165
4371
Volkswagen Group
6805
11675
8357
9081
7932
Hyundai-Kia
2829
4401
5921
5246
15480
Mercedes-Benz
0
0
0
443
2091
BMW
340
511
426
199
1171
Stellantis
0
0
0
0
0
Volvo/Polestar
435
2153
2430
2986
3092
Rivian
0
0
0
920
1227
Lucid
0
0
0
125
460
TOTAL US EV sales
98832
118233
106562
147799
173561
* Tesla does not release sales numbers by region. The included numbers are estimates from Cox Automotive based on vehicle registration data.
The impact of the Chevrolet Bolt recall stands out among the data. General Motors lost major market share in 2021. Hyundai and Kia introduced new EVs in 2021 that have catapulted the Korean brands to the top 5 among electric vehicle sales. Ford’s EV sales are entirely dependent on the Mustang Mach-E until the upcoming F-150 Lightning makes it to customer’s hands.
% EV Market Share in US
Automaker
Q1 2021
Q2 2021
Q3 2021
Q4 2021
Q1 2022
Tesla*
70.9
64.4
70.0
72.0
74.8
Ford
6.8
5.4
5.5
5.6
4.4
General Motors
9.2
9.5
4.2
0.0
0.3
Nissan
3.0
4.1
2.2
2.8
2.5
Volkswagen Group
7.0
9.9
8.3
6.1
4.6
Hyundai-Kia
2.9
3.8
5.5
3.6
8.9
Mercedes-Benz
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.3
1.2
Mazda
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.1
BMW
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.6
0.7
Stellantis
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Jaguar
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.1
Rivian
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.4
0.7
Lucid
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.4
0.3
Volvo/Polestar
0.4
1.8
2.3
2.0
1.9
* Tesla does not release sales numbers by region. The included numbers are estimates from Cox Automotive based on vehicle registration data.
2021 Electric Vehicle Market Share and Sales
As 2021 came to a close, the worsening chip shortage dominated automotive headlines. Inventory was slim to none, and dealer markups were complicating the market for buyers. By year’s end, plug-in vehicles (fully battery-electric and plug-in hybrids) claimed 4.8% market share in the United States. Battery-electric vehicles were 3.4% of all new car sales in the US in 2021. In Q4 of 2021, that figure reached 4.5%.
Electrified vehicles (EVs, plug-in hybrids, and hybrids) were 10.9% of 2021 new vehicle sales. Notably, this was months prior to the record gas prices of early 2022.
In total, 471,426 fully-electric vehicles were sold to American car buyers in 2021. The total represents a 83% increase in fully-electric vehicle sales since 2020.
Electrified powertrains continue to see rapid growth. By the fourth quarter of 2021, electrified vehicles made up 11.5% of new light-duty vehicle sales.
Tesla Continues to Dominate EV Sales
As the chip crisis continues, legacy automakers have been hit the hardest. Tesla’s vertically-integrated manufacturing and supply chain strategy has proven to be a major strength. Despite numerous new entrants into the electric vehicle market, Tesla retains a roughly 70% market share among fully-electric sales in the United States.
Check back for the latest data once Q2 2022 numbers are released. Additional data and insights will be added to this ‘living’ page.
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My very own Hyundai IONIQ 5 has a special trick up its sleeve. In fact, even Tesla can’t claim it. In 2022, very few electric cars are engineered with 800-volt architecture. While still an outlier, all signs point towards an auto industry heading in the direction of faster charging, better efficiency, and smaller battery sizes – all of which are unlocked by promising 800-volt electrical systems in EVs.
800-Volt Electric Powertrains Bring Faster Charging and Engineering Benefits
The mass adoption of electric vehicles largely depends on the ability to find real solutions for a few ownership challenges for today’s EV drivers:
Charging is too slow
Range is not enough
Batteries are too expensive to replace
Most electric vehicles in 2022 are built on 400-volt systems, but these systems have limits. Indeed, some automakers are quite happy with their 400-volt EV platforms. Tesla manages to find other ways of mastering efficiency and power delivery, and has not mentioned plans for a voltage upgrade. One BMW senior engineer called settling with a 400-volt platform the “best compromise”, but not everyone agrees.
800-volt systems can deliver double the power through the same current, or if desired, the same power through half the current. The result is roughly 50% faster charging for the same battery size. As a result, batteries can be made smaller and overall weight is reduced, increasing efficiency and ideally lowering the cost of the vehicle.
Would a car need a massive battery with a 500-mile range if it can charge a smaller battery that’s good for 250 miles in just 15 minutes? What is that smaller battery was A LOT cheaper?
Which Electric Vehicles Use 800-Volt Architecture?
In 2022, just a few electric vehicles use 800-volt systems for power delivery and charging.
Of particular interest is the different paths taken by Ford and GM for their upcoming electric trucks. The F-150 Lightning is built on 400-volt architecture, while the Chevrolet Silverado EV is jumping to 800-volt architecture, and the result is much faster charging speeds for the Chevy. Will this matter to consumers, or will brand loyalty win out?
Why doesn’t Tesla use 800-volt charging? We’re not sure, but clearly they’ve found success with their existing 400-volt architecture.
Solid-State Batteries Approach Production
Fortunately, a whole host of solutions are uniting to offer a better way forward for EVs. And it’s not all about charging speeds. Solid-state batteries are finally approaching real-world usability following decades of research and development. For the better part of the last decade, $100 per kilowatt-hour was the affordability target for battery development. That goal was reached, but the latest raw material shortages are sending prices back up, and electric car prices have gone up accordingly. The U.S. Department of Energy thinks that $60 per kilowatt-hour is within reach, however it’s increasingly looking like solid-state batteries may offer the only path to such low-cost batteries.
Toyota says it will be the first to bring a solid-state battery into a production vehicle. In typical Toyota fashion, their solid-state battery will debut in a hybrid powertrain rather than a full battery-electric vehicle. It looks like the world will see what solid-state battery chemistry is capable of in 2025.
Innovation Continues at Lightning Speed
Faster charging, better range, and (hopefully) lower prices are promised time and time again with every new EV model announcement. 800-volt architecture and solid-state batteries are the headlining developments that automakers are working on behind the scenes. We didn’t even touch on new battery chemistries, manufacturing methods, and electric motor breakthroughs in the works. We’ll have to save that for another day, as there’s always something new to talk about in the EV space.
But the promise of faster charging and energy-dense batteries begs the question: would you take faster charging over more range? It’s looking like that will be the EV debate of the decade. What are your thoughts? Let us know in a comment or over at the YAA Community Forum. What matters most when you head out on a journey?
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