I’ve Driven 15 Electric Cars This Year. These Are My Favorites.

• This year, I tested 15 electric cars from brands like Polestar, Tesla, Rivian, Mercedes, and Kia.
• I sampled battery-powered SUVs, pickup trucks, and luxury sedans. 
• My three favorites were the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Rivian R1S, and Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo. See why.

I’ve had the privilege of testing out more than a dozen different electric cars in the last 12 months — a feat that wouldn’t have even been possible just a few years ago.

Now that auto companies are getting serious about green tech, there’s a whole smattering of battery-powered rides available. From small SUVs and hatchbacks to pickup trucks and luxury sedans, there’s an electric vehicle out there for almost everyone, as long as you’re willing to pay up. And the options will only grow in 2023. 

I’ve gotten behind the wheel of EVs from Tesla, Jaguar, Kia, Mercedes, and more this year, but three stood out.  

The Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hyundai took a gamble with the Ioniq 5’s out-there looks, but the futuristic little SUV is a stone-cold stunner in my book. It truly resembles nothing else on the road — until Tesla’s sci-fi Cybertruck materializes, that is. 

Equally striking is the Ioniq 5’s interior, which is way bigger than you’d expect thanks to an extra-long wheelbase. It’s got a flat floor, an uncluttered design, and, in some models, a sliding center console that lets you choose to expand floor space up front or in back. Despite its techy look, the Ioniq 5 retains dedicated buttons for the climate settings and radio, which I find much more convenient to use while driving than a touchscreen. 

It also excels in the all-important range department with an EPA rating of up to 303 miles. It’s priced starting at $41,450. 

The Rivian R1S

California startup Rivian’s second consumer model, the R1S SUV blends the thrilling quickness of a sports car, the plushness of a big luxury SUV, and the capability of a serious off-roader into one supremely stylish EV. 

Smash the right pedal, and the R1S flies forward with a silent swiftness that, frankly, makes little sense given its bulky size. Hit the trails and the Rivian’s adjustable-height suspension and advanced four-wheel-drive system make off-roading a breeze — even for a newbie like me. Inside, you get a fancy, minimalist interior, seven seats, and massive amounts of cargo space. 

Plus, Rivian made it a point to break the mold with a whole bunch of exciting features like a big front trunk, a built-in bluetooth speaker, an air compressor, and Gear Guard, which surveils the area around the car using an array of cameras. 

Rivian’s website currently shows an estimated starting price of $78,000 for the base R1S, but you’ll have to get in line behind thousands of preorder holders.

The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

The Taycan Cross Turismo is Porsche’s totally badass electric station wagon. It’s long, low, wide, and completely mesmerizing.

But you don’t buy a Porsche just to stare at it. The Taycan Cross Turismo showed me why the German brand has been the poster child of impeccable driving dynamics for decades. The wagon has ultra-precise steering and feels practically glued to the asphalt around bends. 

Plus, the Turbo S version I drove (which cost a whopping $209,000) packed an ungodly amount of power: 616 horsepower normally and up to 750 in short bursts, Porsche says. Find a safe stretch to floor it and the Taycan slingshots forward faster than your brain can possibly process. Porsche says 60 mph arrives in just 2.7 seconds. 

Importantly, after a long day of nauseating 0-60 pulls, the Taycan fills up fast. It’s compatible with 270-kilowatt chargers, which enable it to recharge from 5% to 80% in a breezy 22.5 minutes, according to Porsche. 

The Taycan Cross Turismo starts at $97,700, $11,000 more than the regular Taycan sedan. 

Got a tip about Tesla or the wider auto industry? Are you an electric-car owner with a story to share? Contact this reporter at tlevin@insider.com