In the five years since 2020, the price of new electric vehicles in Australia has dropped drastically – and the cheapest EVs are now well within reach of even savings-savvy Aussies.
When the Tesla Model 3 arrived in 2019, it basically set the tempo for all following electric cars, with legacy automakers like Volvo, Hyundai and Kia still playing catch-up to the US auto giant. Now, in 2025, the entry-point to the electric car market Down Under is defined by cheap and value-packed models from China. Brands like BYD, MG, GWM and Chery offer electric cars at the lowest prices, with costs dropping by thousands of dollars year on year.
So if you’re looking to make the move and go electric, what are your best options in 2025? Have no fear, we’ve wrapped up the cheapest picks in this article, including some analysis on each model.
Note that while the Nissan Leaf (AU$34,990) and the MG ZS EV (AU$36,990) would normally be included on this list, we’ve excluded them for now, as these cars are currently undergoing a refresh and will likely not be on the market for much longer, with updates tipped for both soon (and hence the runout pricing of the Leaf).
The cheapest EVs in Australia in 2025
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BYD Dolphin Essential: AU$29,990
Definitely the cheapest EV in Australia as of January 2025, the BYD Dolphin is competing with the likes of the Toyota Corolla and the Hyundai i30. As a mid-size hatchback with a small battery, the Dolphin is best suited for inner-city treks and short drives – though the range is sufficient for a holiday with planned stops.
The Dolphin Essential comes with a 340km range (WLTP), which is fairly average for an EV in 2025, but is still far ahead of earlier models which launched with ranges below 300km. 16-inch rims, a 44.9kWh battery and maximum motor power of 70kW (180Nm torque) mean that the Essential isn’t going to be winning any drag races anytime soon, but it should be fine if you’re looking to save some money on your fuel bill by switching to home charging.
The Dolphin has a fine road feel and some brilliant features built-in. Despite the price, the car comes with a 360º camera, giving you a top-down view when parking via the infotainment system. The user interface is Android-based and feels great, and the built-in physical buttons are handy to have.
All of this said, it’s quite a small car, and tall folk might be better off looking at some of the other EVs on this list with a higher roof line. The internal door handles also feel a bit cheap, and can take some getting used to – if only so that you don’t accidentally break them.
If you like the Dolphin and want a bigger battery, more power, 17-inch rims, faster public charging and nicer rear suspension, the Dolphin Premium costs AU$36,990.
GWM Ora Standard Range: AU$33,990
Moving up in price, the GWM Ora Standard Range begins at AU$33,990 as a very unique looking mid-size hatchback. It offers the lowest range of the EVs mentioned on this list at 310km WLTP, underpinned by a 48kWh battery. Its motor produces 126kW power (250Nm torque) with a front-wheel drive design, and a DC charging capacity of 80kW.
You might be most interested in the GWM Ora for its style, as its performance specs are outpaced by both the Dolphin and the MG4. It features a 10.25-inch centre screen and Apple CarPlay support (but not Android Auto). Both the driver and front passenger seats are electric, with a 360º camera system, adaptive cruise control and lane assistance.
Speaking as somebody who has driven this car, I’d warn any buyer about its particularly sharp charging speed curve. When charging the car in public, the speed drops dramatically after 80%, which lead me to spend more than two hours at a public charger on one occasion. Its lane assistance is also particularly weak – but for an inner city runabout, it’s still a fine pick. If you want extra features, the Extended Range model costs AU$36,990 and the GT costs AU$43,990.
MG4 Excite 51: AU$34,990
The MG4 Excite 51 might be the most attractive model on this list if you’re after great driving feel, as it features a satisfying rear-wheel drive drivetrain compared to the front-wheel drive designs of its close competitors.
Priced well above the BYD Dolphin Essential and sporting many of the same specs, including a similar DC charging capacity (88kW) and a WLTP range of 350km, the MG4 Excite 51 starts at AU$34,990. It’s a low price compared to the rest of the electric vehicle market, but based on cost alone, value-minded shoppers may be more inclined to go for the Dolphin.
That price nets you a 150kW (250Nm torque) motor and a 51kWh battery, along with several handy smart features. A reverse camera, 10.25-inch touch screen, 7-inch digital cluster (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility), 17-inch alloy wheels and lane detection and assistance come standard, with more features added to more expensive models.
If you like this car, but would prefer a longer range, a greater suite of features or faster acceleration, there’s a wide range of trims to choose from. Prices then go to AU$41,990, AU$44,990 and AU$50,990. There’s also an AWD model available for AU$55,990 before on-road costs.
Chery Omoda E5 BX: AU$37,990
The Chery Omoda E5 BX is the only car on this list that shares its model name and chassis with a petrol-powered variant of the same name (minus the E5). It has a lot of stylistic differences to the petrol model, including a flattened grille where the charging port resides, but is ultimately a very similar, albeit differently powered, beast.
The Omoda E5 is Australia’s cheapest electric SUV, scraping in just below a revision of the BYD Atto 3 (below) as of the start of 2025. For that reason alone it might be more attractive for folks with large families or who like a car with lots of space (not that the MG4 was particularly lacking in boot capacity).
In terms of performance, the Omoda E5’s motor has a maximum power of 150kW (340Nm torque), powering 18-inch alloy wheels as a front-wheel drive car. It’s driven by a 61.1kWh battery, with a projected 430km WLTP range and a DC charging capacity of 80kW.
On the features side, the E5 includes two 12.3-inch displays across the instrument cluster and the infotainment system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are compatible, with driver assistance features like lane keeping and a reversing camera. The upgraded E5 EX costs AU$39,990 if you’d like a few extra tricks up your sleeve, such as a surround-view camera.
BYD Atto 3 Essential: AU$39,990
Only two years ago, the BYD Atto 3 represented the cheapest EV in all of Australia, but after the introduction of newer models, it’s now listed at number five. Still, the newly refreshed Atto 3 has received an even cheaper trim for 2025, the Essential, which axes some features of more expensive models in return for a lower price.
The Atto 3 Essential includes up to 345km WLTP range with a 50.1kWh battery, along with the same 150kW motor (340Nm torque) featured in pricier Atto trims. It sits on 17-inch wheels and is front-wheel drive. It has a 70kW DC charge capacity, a 5-inch digital cluster, heated and power-adjustable side mirrors, power-adjustable front seats, keyless entry, synthetic leather seat upholstery and 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Driving features such as lane assistance and a reversing camera, along with a 360º birds-eye view camera, come standard in the Essential, but if you want a longer WLTP range of 420km, you may be more interested in the AU$44,990 Premium trim.
Frequently asked questions
Which EV is the cheapest?
The BYD Dolphin Essential is the cheapest EV in Australia at the time of writing, with its AU$29,990 price before on-road costs. Electric car prices tend to fluctuate in Australia with the ‘cheapest’ model being shuffled between a handful of cars from time to time (at one point, four out of the five cars on this list were the nominal ‘cheapest EV’).
What is the most popular EV in Australia?
Going off data from VFACTS, the Tesla Model Y is the most popular EV in Australia, followed by the Tesla Model 3. The popularity of these options stems from their price point being a sweet spot between premium and relatively affordable (with attractive upgraded trims to be had for more well-heeled buyers). In third place is the MG4, which is also the third most affordable EV in the country.
What is the cheapest electric car with the longest range?
Of the five cheapest electric cars on our list, the EV with the greatest battery range is the Chery Omoda E5, which sports a WLTP-rated range of 430km. Note that this is an indicative driving range based on testing in several different environments, and that you’re unlikely to get this distance during all forms of driving. It does, however, indicate a greater base range than the other cars on this list, and it may be an attractive model for somebody looking to travel in and out of a major city between work and holidays.
The Omoda E5 also features the highest public DC charging capacity of all the cars on this list at 90kW, which will make public charging less of a burden (though it is notably lower than many more expensive cars).
What is the best EV in Australia?
There is no definitive ‘best’ EV in Australia, and it’d be difficult to weigh all of the options available in the country and find one that’s objectively better than the rest. However, if you’re a value-minded shopper, the cars listed above might be a worthwhile pick for different reasons; say if you want the space of an SUV, or the great driving feel of a RWD car, or simply the cheapest option available.
Speaking outside of this list, other popular options include the BYD Seal (AU$46,990), the Tesla Model 3 (AU$54,900), Tesla Model Y (AU$63,400) and the Polestar 2 (AU$64,900).
When will electric cars be affordable in Australia?
Electric cars are rapidly becoming more affordable, with the cheapest model now under AU$30,000. They’re already cheaper to run than petrol cars (provided that you’re not paying too much for your electricity and charging at home whenever you can) and we’ll likely see prices continue to slowly drop below AU$30,000.
In just a few short years, the cheapest EV has come down by almost AU$20,000, with this trend being led by the introduction of newer models. Previous cheapest models included the MG ZS EV and the Nissan Leaf, though both are currently undergoing refreshes.
The development of electric car tech is leading to lowered costs of development, along with cheaper, more accessible materials, such as lithium and cobalt. At the cheaper end, many Chinese automakers have also been subsidised by the Chinese government to develop their cars, which in tandem with low labour costs in the country means cheaper EVs on the road.
We’ll likely see prices drop more, as they approach parity with traditional petrol cars.
Should I be worried about buying a cheap EV?
Almost every new EV currently for sale in Australia has received a five-star ANCAP rating for collision and passenger safety, with all models on this list including a slew of useful features for assistance on the road.
Battery fire risks are considerably rare too; according to EV FireSafe, only 511 battery fires in EVs have successfully been identified between 2010 and June 2024 anywhere in the world, a considerably small number when you consider the roughly 40 million EVs on the road internationally.
Just don’t get carried away thinking the car is bullet-proof. Just because many new cars feature lane assistance and smart cruise control, you can’t simply rely on it to automatically drive you from point A to B – always pay attention when on the road and never let go of the wheel.
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zac.kelly@futurenet.com (Zachariah Kelly)
