Best EVs under $40k and under $50k in Australia

As of November 2026, a growing group of new battery-electric cars is sold in Australia at the more affordable end of the market. This guide uses each manufacturer’s list price or recommended retail price, before on-road costs, as the primary threshold for “under $40,000” and “under $50,000.” Drive-away figures are shown separately, labelled as the maker published them (including any state, postcode, colour or campaign conditions). A car that is under $40,000 or $50,000 before on-roads can still be over that figure drive-away once stamp duty, registration, CTP and dealer delivery are added. The Volvo EX30 Plus is the clearest current example: its vehicle price is $49,990, just under the $50,000 list-price line, while its Manufacturer’s Recommended Drive Away Price is $55,990.

This is a specifications and official-price comparison, not a road test. EV Select has not driven these cars for this guide, and there are no scores or driving impressions here. “Best for” labels follow only from the cited official figures, such as the lowest confirmed drive-away price or the longest published WLTP range among cars priced on the same basis. Plug-in hybrids and other electrified cars that are not battery-electric are out of scope.

EV Select already publishes Cheapest electric cars in Australia 2026, a ranked list of variants that start below $35,000, last updated 2 November 2026. This article is the broader evergreen guide to the $40,000 and $50,000 brackets, with official charging, ANCAP and warranty figures where we could verify them. It is not a silent republish of that list, and we have not copied its prices as if they were re-checked today. For individual models see the buyer’s guides linked below. For leasing, see our MYEFO / FBT review and novated-lease savings explainer. Home charging costs are in our state-by-state charging guide.

How we have treated prices

List (or RRP) and drive-away are not like-for-like. They are kept in separate columns and are not ranked against each other. Many of the sharpest advertised numbers are time-limited national campaign drive-away prices, sometimes restricted to a colour, private buyers, a dealer calculator, or an order-and-delivery window. Those are official when they come from the manufacturer, and they are labelled with their conditions.

Prices below were verified on 13 November 2026 from official Australian manufacturer sites, or from maker configurators and dealer calculators as labelled, with browser reads at about 9:35–9:50pm AEDT (batch 1) and about 9:41–9:48pm AEDT (batch 2) where a live page was required. A VIC 3000 (Melbourne) postcode is used where the maker asked for one, for consistency with our other current guides.

BYD list prices are a special case. A browser pass of a configurator that began on bydautomotive.com.au redirected to evdealergroup-byd.com.au, which may be a dealer-group site, and any drive-away totals there were for NSW. We then re-checked bydautomotive.com.au itself. Official product, offers and configurator-landing pages on that domain did not display grade list prices. Model-specific configurator URLs on bydautomotive.com.au return a 301 redirect to evdealergroup-byd.com.au. Those dealer-group grade prices, and the NSW drive-away totals, are not published here as official BYD figures. The two national campaign drive-aways already on BYD’s official offers page (Atto 1 Essential $19,990 and Dolphin Essential $28,888) are unchanged.

Which cheap EVs could we officially price?

These battery-electric models are confirmed on official Australian manufacturer sites, with an official price we could verify on 13 November 2026 that places them in the $40,000 or $50,000 brackets on the basis used in each table.

Best for, from those official figures:

• Lowest confirmed official drive-away: BYD Atto 1 Essential, $19,990 promotional national drive-away (campaign conditions below).
• Lowest confirmed official small-SUV drive-away: Leapmotor B03X, from $29,990 drive-away on the Acorn Brown offer.
• Lowest confirmed official list / RRP under $40,000: Jaecoo J5 EV Summit, manufacturer’s recommended retail price $35,990. We still cannot name a cheapest list price across the whole class, because several makers still do not show a list price, and BYD’s lists were not confirmed on bydautomotive.com.au.
• Longest official WLTP range among cars we have officially priced at or under $40,000 on a list or drive-away basis: MG4 EV Essence 64, 452 km WLTP, at a $39,990 Drive Away Offer.
• Longest official WLTP-based range among cars with an official list or before-on-roads price at or under $50,000: Volvo EX30 Plus P5 Long Range RWD, up to 462 km, with figures based on WLTP testing standards (vehicle price $49,990; Manufacturer’s Recommended Drive Away Price $55,990). Volvo says those figures are preliminary and that vehicle certification is pending.

The GWM Ora 5’s 435 km figure is WLTC, not WLTP, and is not used in those range comparisons.

Officially priced at or under $40,000

This table includes cars with an official list or RRP at or under $40,000, or a labelled official drive-away at or under $40,000. A drive-away in this band does not mean the list price is also under $40,000, if no list was shown.

Officially priced under $50,000 (and above the $40,000 drive-away band, or on list)

These cars have an official list or before-on-roads price at or under $50,000, or a labelled official drive-away above $40,000 and at or under $50,000. The Volvo EX30 Plus is included because of its $49,990 vehicle price, even though its recommended drive-away is over $50,000.

Higher official grades we also priced sit over $50,000 on the figures given, and are not in the tables above: Kia EV3 Air Long Range Drive Away Estimate $52,990, Earth $58,990, GT-Line FWD $68,490 and GT-Line AWD $72,235.07 (personal, postcode 3000); Volvo EX30 Ultra P5 Long Range list price $54,990 including GST and drive-away $61,481, and Cross Country from $69,817; Zeekr X Performance AWD $57,900 (Incl GST & LCT); smart #1 Premium from $53,900 + ORC and BRABUS from $63,900 + ORC; and MG S6 EV Essence AWD Drive Away Price $55,990 (was $56,990).

The Hyundai Kona Electric shows “Pricing Coming Soon” on the official calculator used for the Inster, so no Kona price is published here.

You can also compare many of these models in the EV Select database: BYD Atto 1, Dolphin, Leapmotor B03X, GAC Aion UT, MG4, Hyundai Inster, Kia EV3, Volvo EX30 and others in Compare EVs. Those listings are a snapshot of the database and are not a substitute for the official manufacturer figures cited below.

BYD Atto 1

The Atto 1 is BYD Australia’s city electric hatch, sold as Essential and Premium. On BYD’s official offers page, the Essential has a promotional national drive-away price of $19,990 for retail customers who order between 15 September 2026 and 15 December 2026 and take delivery by 31 December 2026. Metallic paint costs extra. Demonstrator vehicles and some other transactions are excluded; BYD’s full offer terms apply. A list price was not shown on official bydautomotive.com.au product, offers or configurator-landing pages, and is not published here (see the price-treatment note above). The $19,990 campaign is Essential only; we still do not have an official Premium price.

The official product page quotes 30 kWh, 65 kW, 175 Nm, front-wheel drive and 220 km WLTP for the Essential, and a Premium hero of 115 kW and 310 km WLTP (BYD notes that those hero performance figures are for Premium; other grades differ). AC charging is quoted at a maximum of 11 kW. A peak DC rate in kilowatts was not clearly stated on that product page. Vehicle warranty is 6 years; the traction battery is 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever occurs first, with terms in BYD’s warranty statement.

ANCAP rates all Atto 1 variants five stars, with a 2025 date stamp, tested in 2025 and expiring in December 2031, on sale from November 2025. The rating is based on testing of the BYD Dolphin Surf sold in Europe; ANCAP says the Atto 1 holds the same safety specification. Scores are 82% adult occupant protection, 86% child occupant, 76% vulnerable road user and 79% safety assist. ANCAP’s media release “Six high performers rated for Australian market” announced five-star results in that round.

Who it suits. On official promotional drive-away price, this is the cheapest new EV we could confirm. The Essential’s 220 km WLTP range is the shortest in this priced group and is best treated as a city and commuting car, ideally with home charging. See our Atto 1 Essential buyer’s guide.

BYD Dolphin

The Dolphin remains BYD’s small electric hatch, in Essential and Premium form. The Essential has a promotional national drive-away of $28,888 on the same order and delivery window as the Atto 1 Essential (15 September to 15 December 2026, delivery by 31 December 2026), for retail buyers, with metallic paint extra and the same style of exclusions. A list price was not confirmed on bydautomotive.com.au and is omitted.

BYD’s Australian specification sheet (MY25 Dolphin brochure) and product page give the Essential 70 kW, 44.9 kWh, 340 km WLTP (410 km NEDC) and a CCS2 port at 60 kW, and the Premium 150 kW, 60.48 kWh, 427 km WLTP (490 km NEDC), CCS2 at 80 kW, and a 30–80% charge in 29 minutes. We still do not have an official current price for the Premium. Warranty matches the Atto 1: 6 years vehicle, 8 years or 160,000 km battery. Do not compare the NEDC figures with WLTP.

ANCAP rates all Dolphin variants five stars, 2023, tested 2023, expiring December 2031 (89 / 86 / 85 / 77).

Who it suits. It is a larger, longer-range hatch than the Atto 1 Essential, still at a confirmed campaign drive-away under $30,000 for the Essential. See our Dolphin buyer’s guide.

BYD Atto 2 and Atto 3 EVO

Both are on official Australian product pages, but no official list or drive-away from bydautomotive.com.au is published in this guide, for the reason set out under price treatment. Specs from those official product pages, for context only: the Atto 2 is listed in Dynamic and Premium form at 130 kW, 7.9 s 0–100 km/h, 51.13 kWh and 345 km WLTP. The Atto 3 EVO product page quotes the Dynamic at 420 km WLTP, 60.48 kWh and 150 kW, and the Premium at up to 510 km WLTP, 230 kW and DC charging up to 220 kW; an “ATTO 3 Essential” label also appears.

ANCAP’s 2022 Atto 3 rating is five stars (91 / 84 / 69 / 80), expiring December 2028, and applies to Australian FWD variants built from 21 November 2022 after a specified VIN, or earlier Australian-supplied cars that have received the stated brand updates. We have not applied that rating to the Atto 3 EVO generally, or to a rear-wheel-drive Premium, without confirmation that it is covered. We found no ANCAP rating for the Atto 2.

Leapmotor B03X

The B03X is Leapmotor Australia’s compact electric SUV (the official Australian site is leapmotor.net/en-au; leapmotor.com.au did not resolve to Leapmotor’s car site when we checked). Official product figures: Style, 39.8 kWh, up to 292 km WLTP, 8.6 s 0–100 km/h, 100 kW peak DC, about 16 minutes 30–80%; Design LR, 53.0 kWh, up to 382 km WLTP, 145 kW, 133 kW peak DC, about 16 minutes 30–80%.

The official offers page advertises the B03X from $29,990 drive-away. The footnote says the offer is available on new B03X models in Acorn Brown, purchased and delivered between 1 October and 31 December (the footnote does not repeat the year; surrounding offers on the same 2026 end-of-year page use 2026 dates), or while stocks last. The drive-away price includes 12 months’ registration, CTP, stamp duty and dealer delivery. Other colours and options cost extra. Government, fleet and rental buyers are excluded. Leapmotor Australia reserves the right to change, withdraw or extend the offer. A list price was not shown on the pages we opened. We found no ANCAP rating for the B03X.

Who it suits. It is the lowest confirmed official drive-away among the small electric SUVs we could price, if you can use the Acorn Brown offer and accept that there is not yet an ANCAP rating. See our B03X launch article.

GAC Aion UT

GAC Australia’s official Aion UT page advertises a national drive-away price from $31,990, “exclusive for Q4 2026 orders.” The footnote says the national drive-away offer is available on orders placed between 1 October 2026 and 31 December 2026, unless otherwise extended; a $1,000 deposit is required; and prices may vary by state, model, colour and specifications. Official range is 430 km WLTP. A 30–80% charge is quoted at a maximum of 24 minutes. A battery capacity in kWh was not on the product page we opened.

ANCAP rates all Aion UT variants, tested in 2026, under the 2026–2028 criteria, with the rating expiring in December 2034, on sale in Australia from April 2026. ANCAP’s media release “As electric vehicle sales grow, safer choices expand” describes a five-star result. Scores on the 2026 criteria are published as Safe Driving 68%, Crash Avoidance 74%, Crash Protection 90% and Post Crash 88% — not the older four-pillar percentage set used for most of the other cars in this guide.

Who it suits. It still has one of the longer official WLTP figures in the under-$40,000 drive-away group (430 km) at a national campaign drive-away from $31,990 in the Q4 order window. It is no longer the longest official WLTP car we have priced in that band; the MG4 EV Essence 64 is rated at 452 km.

GWM Ora 5 SUV

GWM Australia (official site gwmanz.com/au) lists the Ora 5 as a small electric SUV. The official model page says the range starts at $32,990 drive-away for the Lux and $36,990 drive-away for the Ultra, and that an integrated spare tyre is included. The build tool on the same page shows drive-away from $33,990 for private buyers in Victoria, for a 2026-build vehicle, with a current offer of an additional $1,000 off the drive-away price ending 30 November 2026 (T&Cs apply), or a finance offer. Treat the $32,990 and $33,990 figures with those labels; we have not invented a single national list price.

Official technical figures on that page: 58.33 kWh battery, up to 435 km WLTC (not WLTP), 15.5 kWh/100 km, 150 kW and 260 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 8 seconds, 10–80% in 30 minutes on a 120 kW DC charger, and AC 0–100% in approximately 6.6 hours at 6.6 kW. GWM states an 8-year unlimited-kilometre battery-pack warranty; the page also refers to a “comprehensive warranty” without a term we could extract, so the vehicle-warranty length is omitted rather than guessed.

A 2022 ANCAP rating for the GWM Ora applies to the earlier Ora hatch introduced in February 2023. That is a different model. We have not applied it to the Ora 5 SUV.

Who it suits. It is a small electric SUV with a published Victorian private drive-away in the mid-$30,000s, but you should judge range on the WLTC figure GWM actually publishes, not against a WLTP table.

Leapmotor B05

Leapmotor’s official offers page lists the all-electric B05 from $35,990 drive-away on new cars in Lightning Yellow, purchased and delivered between 1 July and 31 December (again, the footnote does not repeat the year; it sits on the same 2026 offers page), or while stocks last, including 12 months’ registration, CTP, stamp duty and dealer delivery. Other colours cost extra. Government and rental buyers are excluded.

The official B05 page quotes the Style at 56.2 kWh, up to 401 km WLTP, 160 kW, 7.5 s 0–100 km/h, 156 kW peak DC and about 16 minutes 30–80%. The same page also publishes a hero of “up to 482 km” total WLTP and a 67.1 kWh battery figure. We have not assigned the 482 km figure to a grade without a clearer official pairing, so confirm the larger-battery grade with Leapmotor. No ANCAP rating was found.

Who it suits. It is a longer-range official WLTP alternative to the B03X Style, at a higher campaign drive-away, if the Lightning Yellow offer fits.

Jaecoo J5 EV

The J5 EV is Jaecoo Australia’s small all-electric SUV, in Summit grade on the official site. A novated-lease disclaimer on Jaecoo’s official offers page states a manufacturer’s recommended retail price of $35,990 (that 10% fleet discount, for eligible novated-lease clients, is applied to the RRP and excludes registration, CTP, stamp duty and dealer delivery). Separately, $36,990 is the drive-away offer price for the J5 EV Summit with no metallic paint or options, on new stock ordered from participating dealers between 1 November 2026 and 30 November 2026, while stocks last.

Official product figures: 402 km WLTP, 155 kW, 130 kW DC, 30–80% in 28 minutes, CCS2 / Type 2 on the front driver’s side. A battery capacity in kWh was not on the product page we opened. Jaecoo states an 8-year unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an 8-year unlimited-kilometre warranty on the high-voltage battery, plus 8-year roadside assistance, with terms on its warranty pages. We found no ANCAP rating for the J5.

Who it suits. It remains the only car in this guide with a confirmed official RRP under $40,000, and it also has a labelled drive-away offer and a 402 km official WLTP range. The current $36,990 drive-away is a short November window.

MG4 EV

MG’s official Australian site is mgmotor.com.au; mg.com.au is not MG. On MG’s official offers page, every MG4 price below is labelled Drive Away Price, and the offers end 31 December. The footnotes, opened from that page, date the sale and delivery window as 01 November to 31 December 2026, at participating MG dealers, while stocks last, and exclude fleet, government and rental buyers. The asterisk means the drive-away is without options, and for new vehicles includes 12 months’ registration and 12 months’ CTP, the maximum dealer delivery charge and estimated stamp duty (for selected demonstrators, the balance of registration and CTP). The infinity mark is cashback redeemed at the point of sale as a deduction from the original purchase price; $2,000 cashback applies to the MG4 EV Urban (and to the MGS5 EV).

Official Drive Away Prices on that page: Urban Essence 43 $29,990 (was $31,990, includes $2,000 cashback); Urban Essence 54 $32,990 (was $34,990); Urban Essence 54 Special Edition $33,990 (was $35,990); Essence 64 $39,990 (labelled “Drive Away Offer”); and XPOWER $47,990. No separate list prices were shown.

Official specifications from MG’s Urban and MG4 range/brochure pages: Urban Essence 43 is 43 kWh LFP, 110 kW, 9.0 s 0–100 km/h and 316 km WLTP; Urban Essence 54 and the 54 Special Edition are 54 kWh LFP, 118 kW, 8.7 s and 405 km WLTP; on-board charging is 6.6 kW. 10–80% times at 25°C are 28 minutes (43 kWh) and 30 minutes (54 kWh). There is a conflict on Urban peak DC: the official MG4 range page lists Max DC Charging Power as 82 kW (Essence 43) and 87 kW (Essence 54), while the official Urban 2026 brochure technical table lists Maximum DC Charging Power as 150 kW for both Urban grades, and a brochure footnote ties the 10–80% times to a 150 kW ultra-fast charger. Both official figures are recorded here; we have not silently picked one.

The Essence 64 is 64 kWh LFP, 140 kW, 7.5 s, 452 km WLTP, 154 kW maximum DC and 10–80% in 25 minutes at 25°C. The XPOWER is AWD, 64 kWh NCM, 150 + 170 kW, 3.8 s, 405 km WLTP, 140 kW maximum DC and 10–80% in 30 minutes at 25°C.

MG’s official warranty page says new MG passenger vehicles have a 7-year unlimited-kilometre warranty as standard, with a service-activated extension of up to 10 years or 250,000 km, whichever comes first, for personal-use passenger vehicles serviced with MG. The high-voltage battery is covered for 7 years or 150,000 km, whichever occurs first. Fleet, government and rental buyers are excluded from some of those terms; the warranty pages carry the full conditions.

ANCAP rates the MG 4 Electric five stars, 2022 rating year, on sale from August 2023, expiring December 2028, with scores of 83 / 86 / 75 / 81. That rating applies to 2WD variants only. It covers the Urban and Essence 64 grades as 2WD cars; it is not applied to the AWD XPOWER. ANCAP’s media release “Five-star ANCAP safety rating for MG 4 Electric” announced the result.

Who it suits. The Urban Essence 43 is now among the lowest official hatch drive-aways we could confirm, at $29,990 including the cashback, and the Essence 64 has the longest official WLTP range among cars we have priced at or under $40,000 (452 km) at a $39,990 Drive Away Offer. See our MG4 Urban Essence 43 buyer’s guide.

MG S5 EV

The official offers page lists the S5 EV Essence 49 kWh at a Drive Away Price of $39,990 (was $41,990), with $2,000 cashback, and the Essence 62 kWh at $44,990 (was $46,990). The same 01 November–31 December 2026 sale and delivery window, participating-dealer and asterisk conditions apply. MG also describes the model as up to 62 kWh and up to 450 km WLTP.

The official 2026 S5 EV brochure gives grade-level figures: Essence 49 kWh, 125 kW, 250 Nm, 8.2 s 0–100 km/h, 335 km WLTP (410 km NEDC), 6.6 kW on-board charger and 120 kW maximum DC; Essence 62 kWh, 150 kW, 350 Nm, 7.0 s, 450 km WLTP (545 km NEDC) and 150 kW maximum DC. DC rapid charging is quoted as 30–80% in under 20 minutes. Both grades are rear-wheel drive, with 750 kg towing capacity. Warranty wording matches the MG4 (7 years unlimited as standard, up to 10 years or 250,000 km when serviced with MG; battery 7 years / 150,000 km).

ANCAP rates all MGS5 EV variants five stars, 2025 rating year, on sale from May 2025, expiring December 2031 (90 / 86 / 82 / 79). ANCAP’s media release “Electric trio powers ahead with top marks” announced five-star results in that group.

Who it suits. The 49 kWh Essence is a small electric SUV with a confirmed official drive-away still at $39,990 after cashback. The 62 kWh Essence steps over $40,000 drive-away but stays under $50,000, with a 450 km official WLTP range. See our MG S5 EV Essence 62 buyer’s guide.

MG S6 EV

MG’s official offers page lists the MGS6 EV Essence RWD at a Drive Away Price of $48,990 (was $49,990), including $1,000 cashback, and the Essence AWD at $55,990 (was $56,990), which is over $50,000. The same * terms and 01 November–31 December 2026 sale and delivery window apply. A dedicated model-page specification set (battery, WLTP, DC, ANCAP) was not verified this turn, so those figures are omitted rather than guessed. The RWD is included as a confirmed official drive-away inside the $50,000 band.

Hyundai Inster

Hyundai’s official Inster product page does not itself display a dollar price. The official calculator, read through Melbourne City Hyundai, showed a labelled Drive Away Price on a limited-time driveaway offer: $35,990 for the Inster Standard Range and $41,990 for the Inster Cross Extended Range.

Official product figures: Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) range of 327 km for the Standard Range and 360 km for the Inster Cross, also summarised as 327–360 km depending on battery type and powertrain. Standard Range: 42.0 kWh, 71.1 kW and 147 Nm, front-wheel drive. Inster Cross Extended Range: 49.0 kWh, 84.5 kW and 147 Nm (Hyundai’s official press room also describes the 49 kWh extended-range model as providing up to 360 km WLTP). A 10–80% charge is quoted in approximately 30 minutes when connected to a 150 kW charger; a separate vehicle peak-DC figure in kilowatts was not clearly stated. Vehicle-warranty terms were not extracted from an official warranty page this turn and are omitted.

ANCAP rates all Inster variants four stars, 2025 rating year, on sale from May 2025, expiring December 2031 (70 / 83 / 70 / 69). ANCAP’s media release is explicit: “New and familiar SUVs arrive with five-star safety, four-star for Hyundai Inster.”

Who it suits. The Standard Range is a city-sized official SUV drive-away at $35,990 on the current limited-time offer, with a shorter official WLTP range than the MG4 Essence 64 or Aion UT, and a four-star rather than five-star ANCAP rating.

Kia EV3

Kia’s official build-and-price tool, for personal users at postcode 3000, showed these Drive Away Estimates: Air Standard Range $46,990, with an RRP of $47,600 also shown; Air Long Range $52,990; Earth $58,990; GT-Line FWD $68,490; and GT-Line AWD $72,235.07. On this guide’s list-price basis, only the Air Standard Range belongs under $50,000, because of that $47,600 RRP. The $46,990 drive-away is below RRP plus typical on-road costs, so it looks like a campaign, but no offer text was shown on the build-and-price page itself.

Kia’s official EV3 offers page, opened the same day, does label a Drive Away Offer valid in November 2026 at participating Kia dealers only, and shows the same drive-away estimates (Air SR from $46,990, and the higher grades as above). Footnote [A] says that price includes 12 months’ registration, a CTP insurance estimate (private buyer with a good driving record), stamp duty, and applicable statutory and dealer delivery charges; it excludes premium paint and optional extras, is for private buyers only, and excludes fleet, government and rental buyers. The same page also offers $1,000 cashback on all EV3 grades, redeemable as a reduction in the purchase price, on in-stock new or demonstrator vehicles purchased and delivered between 1 September and 30 November 2026, for private and business buyers, not fleet, government or rental, and not in conjunction with any other offer unless stated. We have left the $46,990 Drive Away Estimate as shown, and have not assumed that the cashback has already been subtracted, or that a net $45,990 figure should be published.

Official Kia Australia figures (features page and MY27 EV3 brochure): Air SR, 58.3 kWh, 150 kW, about 7.5 s 0–100 km/h and 436 km WLTP; Air Long Range, 81.4 kWh, about 7.7 s and 604 km WLTP; Earth and GT-Line FWD, 81.4 kWh, about 7.9 s and 563 km WLTP; GT-Line AWD, 81.4 kWh, 195 kW, about 6.6 s and 559 km WLTP. On-board charger 6.9 kW single-phase or 10.5 kW three-phase. Air SR 10–80% is approximately 29 minutes on a 350 kW charger, or 55 minutes on a 50 kW charger; the long-range grades are approximately 31 minutes and 79 minutes on those same chargers. A peak vehicle DC rate in kilowatts was not stated. Kia’s offers page also refers to a 7-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, with a 7 year / 150,000 km term for certain commercial uses; full terms are on Kia’s warranty page.

ANCAP rates all EV3 variants five stars, 2025 rating year, on sale from March 2025, expiring December 2031 (83 / 86 / 78 / 81).

Who it suits. The Air Standard Range is a five-star small SUV with an official RRP under $50,000 and a 436 km official WLTP range, plus a VIC 3000 Drive Away Estimate of $46,990 on the current November offer. The longer-range grades we priced are over $50,000 drive-away (and we do not have an official RRP for them). See our Kia EV3 GT-Line buyer’s guide for the higher grade.

Volvo EX30

Volvo’s official Australian build page (https://www.volvocars.com/au/build/ex30-electric/), read for Melbourne, VIC 3000, showed the Plus P5 Long Range RWD at a Manufacturer’s Recommended Drive Away Price of $55,990 (struck-through $56,271), under a banner of “from just $55,990 driveaway.” The breakdown showed a vehicle price of $49,990 before a $281 discount. That vehicle price is just under $50,000, so the Plus is included in this guide’s $50,000 list-price bracket, with the important caveat that the recommended drive-away is over $50,000 and should not be compared as if it were a list price.

The Ultra P5 Long Range was shown at a list price of $54,990 including GST and a drive-away of $61,481, which is over $50,000 on both figures. The Cross Country was shown from $69,817, also over $50,000.

The configurator readout gave 462 km of range and 0–100 km/h in 5.3 s, without labelling the range cycle on that page. Volvo’s official Australian product and specifications pages say the P5 Long Range Electric has an estimated range of up to 462 km, with figures based on WLTP testing standards, 200 kW / 343 Nm, 5.3 s 0–100 km/h, a 69 kWh nominal battery, an 11 kW on-board charger, and a 10–80% charge in 28 minutes at a 150 kW DC station. Volvo also states that those figures are preliminary, derived from estimates and calculations, and that vehicle certification is pending. The P8 AWD Electric (Cross Country) is quoted at up to 417 km and 3.7 s, which is not needed for the under-$50,000 Plus grade.

ANCAP rates all EX30 variants five stars, 2024 rating year, on sale from May 2024, expiring December 2031 (88 / 85 / 79 / 80). ANCAP’s media release “Five-star safety ratings for new alternative-powered SUVs, while others lag behind” announced the result.

Who it suits. On official list / vehicle price, the Plus is a premium small SUV just inside the $50,000 threshold, with the longest official WLTP-based range among cars we have priced on that list-price basis (up to 462 km). Budget for a recommended drive-away of $55,990 in Melbourne, not $49,990, if you are comparing out-the-door figures.

Zeekr X

Zeekr’s official Australian configurator (https://conf.zeekrlife.com/en-au/) showed prices labelled Incl GST & LCT, with no on-road costs and no drive-away displayed: RWD $48,900 and Performance AWD $57,900. The RWD therefore sits in the under-$50,000 list-price bracket; the Performance AWD does not. Official configurator specifications with those prices: RWD, 61 kWh, 405 km WLTP, 230 kW peak DC; Performance AWD, 66 kWh, 415 km WLTP, 150 kW peak DC.

ANCAP rates all Zeekr X variants five stars, 2024 rating year, on sale from October 2024, expiring December 2031 (91 / 87 / 84 / 84). The same alternative-powered-SUV media release announced the five-star result.

Who it suits. The RWD is a five-star small SUV with a before-on-roads price under $50,000 and a 405 km official WLTP range. Because no drive-away was shown, you still need to add Victorian (or other state) on-roads before comparing it with campaign drive-away cars.

smart #1

The official Australian configurator on au.smart.com showed prices labelled from $X + ORC (before on-road costs): Pro+ $49,900, Premium $53,900 and BRABUS $63,900. Only the Pro+ is under $50,000 on that before-on-roads basis. Official figures shown for the Pro+: 420 km WLTP, 150 kW DC, 10–80% in 30 minutes, and 0–100 km/h in 6.7 s. A battery capacity in kWh was not in the configurator readout we were given and is omitted.

ANCAP rates all smart #1 variants five stars, 2022 rating year, on sale in Australia from September 2024, expiring December 2028 (96 / 87 / 70 / 94).

Who it suits. The Pro+ is another official before-on-roads price just under $50,000, with a 420 km official WLTP range. As with the Zeekr X, on-road costs are extra, so the out-the-door price will be higher.

What is the cheapest EV in Australia?

Among official prices we could verify on 13 November 2026, the lowest drive-away is still the BYD Atto 1 Essential at $19,990, as a promotional national drive-away for orders by 15 December 2026 and delivery by 31 December 2026, for retail buyers, with metallic paint extra. That is not a list price, and it may change when the campaign ends.

The lowest confirmed official list / RRP under $40,000 remains the Jaecoo J5 EV Summit at $35,990. We still cannot name a cheapest list price across the whole market, because several makers still do not show a list price, and BYD’s lists were not confirmed on the official site.

The lowest confirmed official drive-away among the small SUVs we priced is still the Leapmotor B03X at $29,990, on the Acorn Brown offer and conditions above.

What is the best EV under $40,000?

On the list/RRP threshold that this guide uses, the only official recommended retail price at or under $40,000 we could verify is the Jaecoo J5 EV Summit at $35,990 RRP. Other cars in this group are advertised as campaign, calculator or state drive-aways, or their list prices were not confirmed, so they are not ranked as “under $40,000 list.”

On drive-away figures we could verify at or under $40,000, the Atto 1 Essential ($19,990 promotional national DA) is the cheapest, the MG4 EV Essence 64 has the longest official WLTP range (452 km) at a $39,990 Drive Away Offer, and the B03X is the cheapest official SUV drive-away we confirmed. Which is “best” depends on whether you need range, a third-box SUV, or the lowest entry price — and on whether a campaign still applies when you buy.

What is the best EV under $50,000?

On list or before-on-roads prices at or under $50,000, the set we could officially confirm is now: the Jaecoo J5 EV Summit at $35,990 RRP; the Kia EV3 Air Standard Range at $47,600 RRP; the Zeekr X RWD at $48,900 (Incl GST & LCT, no on-roads shown); the smart #1 Pro+ from $49,900 + ORC; and the Volvo EX30 Plus P5 Long Range RWD at a $49,990 vehicle price (recommended drive-away $55,990). Among those, the EX30 Plus has the longest official WLTP-based range (up to 462 km). The Tesla Model 3 and Geely EX2 / EX5 may also belong in this band, but they could not be officially priced this turn (see below).

On official drive-away figures at or under $50,000, the field is wider and includes the under-$40,000 campaign cars plus the Inster Cross Extended Range, MG S5 EV Essence 62 kWh, Kia EV3 Air Standard Range (VIC 3000 estimate), MG4 EV XPOWER and MG S6 EV Essence RWD. Do not rank a $48,900 before-on-roads price against a $48,990 drive-away as if they were the same kind of number.

Is the luxury car tax relevant?

For the 2026–27 financial year, the Australian Taxation Office’s luxury car tax thresholds (last updated 1 June 2026) are $91,661 for fuel-efficient vehicles and $80,809 for other vehicles. LCT is 33% only on the amount above the applicable threshold. Every car in this $40,000 / $50,000 guide sits well below both figures, so luxury car tax is not a factor at these prices. (Zeekr’s configurator still labels its prices “Incl GST & LCT”; at $48,900 the LCT component would be nil on those ATO thresholds.)

Does the EV FBT exemption still apply for novated leases?

Yes. The current fringe-benefits-tax exemption for eligible electric cars still applies. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 4) Bill 2026, which would phase in changes to that treatment, has the official Parliament status “Before Reps” and is not law. The House of Representatives agreed to the third reading on 29 October 2026, but the bill has not been enacted. The ATO’s electric car discount page, last updated 3 November 2026, says “This measure is not yet law” and that the existing discount continues in full until the end of March 2027. For what the draft changes would do if they became law, see our MYEFO and FBT review. Confirm your own tax position with a tax professional or your novated-lease provider.

Models we could not officially price, and exclusions

The Cupra Born is excluded as a current orderable car: the official Australian site says it is currently unavailable to order in Australia and is now sold out.

The Tesla Model 3 has no verified official price in this research. Tesla Australia’s product and design pages (tesla.com/en_AU/model3 and the Model 3 design page) returned HTTP 403 Access Denied from this environment on the evening of 13 November 2026, so no Tesla figure is published. See Tesla Australia for a current official price if that page is available to you.

The Geely EX2 and EX5 are treated the same way: geelyauto.com.au refused the connection (TLS error) on the evening of 13 November 2026. The official Geely Australia site at geely.com.au loaded, but it did not clearly show an official list or drive-away price for the EX2 or EX5 (the only $30,000 figure on the homepage and offers page was a loan comparison-rate example, not a vehicle price). No Geely figure is published here.

The Hyundai Kona Electric is on official sale in the sense that it appears in Hyundai’s calculator, but that calculator showed “Pricing Coming Soon,” so no price is listed.

Plug-in hybrids (including the BYD Atto 2 DM-i, Jaecoo SHS hybrids, and the Leapmotor B10 Hybrid EV) are excluded because they are not BEVs. The Kia EV2 did not have a current official product page (the EV2 URL we tried returned 404).

Other candidates that still need an official price, or a full official specification, include: BYD Atto 1, Dolphin, Atto 2 and Atto 3 EVO list prices and a VIC 3000 drive-away from the official site (dealer-group figures omitted); MG S6 EV specifications and ANCAP; list prices for several campaign drive-away cars (MG4, MG S5, Inster, Leapmotor, Aion UT, Ora 5); Leapmotor all-electric B10 and C10; Chery / Omoda electric models if any are sold as BEVs besides the Jaecoo J5 EV; and Renault, Mini, XPeng, Honda or Skywell models that might fall under $50,000.

This is general information, not purchase, tax or finance advice. Confirm prices, specifications, offer conditions and availability with the manufacturer or your dealer.