{"id":7223,"date":"2026-04-13T17:12:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T21:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/?p=7223"},"modified":"2026-04-13T17:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T21:12:13","slug":"the-best-ev-manufacturers-arent-selling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/the-best-ev-manufacturers-arent-selling\/","title":{"rendered":"I’ve driven Tesla, Rivian, and almost every other top-selling EV in America. Americans are buying the wrong ones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tesla is still the best-selling EV manufacturer in America. Toyota, having recently pivoted hard into EVs, is hot on its heels.<\/a> After you squeeze Hyundai\u2019s bargain IONIQ 5 in at number 4, GM, Ford, and Rivian round off the top 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is, I\u2019ve driven the majority of EVs on this list, and plenty lower down. Sales really aren\u2019t reflecting quality or price when it comes to EVs. Teslas aren\u2019t even cheap any more, and their factories still can\u2019t do something as basic as getting their vehicles\u2019 body panels to match. Toyota (and Lexus by extension) is selling well as always, but its EVs aren\u2019t particularly good at the moment. Rivians are wonderful… When they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what should you look at instead? Well, there are two names a little lower down the list that should really<\/em> be doing better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve driven Lucid\u2019s entire lineup. We actually have a full review of the Gravity coming shortly, so keep an eye out for that. Anyway, it\u2019s my conclusion that Lucid makes the best EVs on the market. The styling is beautiful, the experience is futuristic, and each vehicle is a genuine engineering marvel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other year, I had to take an Air Pure to Eastern Pennsylvania and back from upstate New York. It was a couple of hundred miles each way. I did everything possible to kill that thing\u2019s range. I turned brake regen to its lowest setting, upped the air con, wound down all of the windows, and drove like a moron. The Air Pure, despite being the cheapest model in the lineup, had more than enough range for the journey. The grip and handling were so good, I would\u2019ve sworn it was an AWD vehicle if I wasn\u2019t aware of the specs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the extreme end, there\u2019s the Lucid Sapphire. At over a quarter of a million dollars, and with very limited numbers produced, this isn\u2019t going to be something anyone really buys. But it does sum up Lucid\u2019s capabilities pretty well. It has 1,234 horsepower and a sub 2-second 0-60 time. If you launch it, it has enough oomph to pin someone to the seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But again, it really stands out in terms of handling. I was whipping it around a few mountain roads, and it was like being on rails. It took an enormous amount of effort to get the mildest squeak from the tires. This is for the best, as you can genuinely tap the accelerator on the Sapphire and you\u2019ll find yourself cruising along at 90 before you get a chance to glance down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n