3 cheapest electric cars on the market right now
Who said electric cars had to be expensive? Here are three we spotted at the New York Auto Show.
- Automakers are showing more affordable electric vehicles at the 2026 New York Auto Show.
- Several EV models with starting prices under $35,000 are of interest.
- The Nissan Leaf, Fiat 500e Icona, and Chevrolet Equinox EV are among the affordable options to watch.
Automakers are showing off several EVs starting at about $35,000 or less at the 2026 New York Auto Show, as consumers grow concerned about rising car prices and soaring gas prices spur interest in electric vehicles.
The annual New York City Automobile Conference comes as the average price of a new car hit $49,275 in March 2026, the most recent data available, according to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book. Compared to March 2025, it increased by 3.5%.
The average price of a new electric vehicle in March 2026 was $54,508, 2.8% lower than the average price of an EV in March 2025, according to Kelley Blue Book.
“This month’s numbers show that industry ATPs nearing $50,000 reflect a market preference for larger, more expensive vehicles,” Cox Automotive executive analyst Erin Keating said in a statement. “Affordable vehicles still exist, but demand continues to be concentrated in higher-end segments.”
To tell the story of affordability, the USA TODAY Cars team looked at the roughly $35,000-and-under electric cars automakers are making a splash at the New York Auto Show.
1. Nissan Leaf
list price: $29,990
what they said“With more than 15 years of proven reliability and customer insights from nearly 700,000 vehicles sold worldwide, the new Leaf is built on the model’s DNA of reliable, affordable and attractive EV ownership, delivering strong value for the mass market,” Nissan said in a news release.
2. Fiat 500e icon
list price: $34,745
what they said: Fiat said in a news release that the 500e Icona is “an all-new, fully electric version of the Fiat brand’s most historic and iconic model.” The company added: “The two-door all-electric 500e is the lightest passenger BEV in its segment, with an EPA-estimated combined range of up to 149 miles (240 kilometers), powered by a 42KWh battery with a Level 2 (11kW) charging time of six hours.”
3. Chevrolet Equinox EV
list price: $33,600
what they said: Chevrolet says on its website that the Equinox EV is “America’s most affordable EV with more than 315 miles of range.”
