Best Electric Luxury Cars of 2026

Luxury EVs are quiet, powerful and packed with cutting-edge technology, but which are the best?

2026 Audi A6 Sportback E-tron Quattro front 3/4

written by Kyle Hyatt
edited by Kirk Bell
4/21/2026
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Our top five favorite luxury EVs span three major German automakers and one U.S. upstart.
All five picks share a similar layout, with four-door sedan-like designs.
These are all replete with modern tech, but some well out-range others on this list.

Luxury cars and electric drivetrains are incredibly well matched. The smooth, effortless, nearly silent power and torque of an EV paired with the high-tech features and creature comforts of a modern luxury car just works. This is one of our favorite segments as it ticks a lot of boxes for the perfect daily driver.

It should be no surprise that four out of five of our picks hail from legacy German automakers, but one of our picks, the Lucid Air, might be a bit surprising especially considering we chose its base model. Read on to find out why we picked the cars we did and what we like and don't like about them. Our list is arranged from worst to best, so strap in.

If you simply want the most range and nothing else, check out our EV range leaderboard. We range test every EV we get our hands on, and some of the cars on this list have huge real-world range figures.

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2026 BMW i4

Edmunds Rating: 6.9/10

Base price: $59,250 including destination

Good: Smooth ride over bumps; hatchback design makes it easy to load cargo; big and sharp-looking display screens; quick acceleration, especially from the M60 version

Bad: A bit expensive considering the feature set; touchscreen controls can be distracting to use while driving

BMW's i4 represents a fun-to-drive, practical and easy-to-live-with path to EV ownership. It offers usable range, even from the base model, a big hatchback cargo hold that makes grocery runs a breeze, and a stylish interior with great technology. Sure, it's a bit expensive for the features you get, but that's luxury car life.

One thing we like — and this is not a guarantee among luxury EVs or modern BMWs in general — is that the i4 flies under the radar. It's a relatively anonymous but handsome sedan, and compared to some of the more lozenge-shaped entries on our list, that's worth mentioning.

2026 Mercedes-Benz EQE

Edmunds Rating: 7.4/10

Base price: $66,300 including destination

Good: Smooth and silent acceleration; interior has plenty of room front and rear; striking available dash-spanning Hyperscreen control interface

Bad: Convoluted infotainment menu structure takes focus away from the road; modest acceleration from the base 350 version; pinched rear window hinders visibility

When Mercedes debuted its EQ lineup's design language, it was meant to appeal to early adopters. You know, the first people to buy any new technology — the same people who have closets full of HD DVDs, Microsoft Zunes and Juicero machines. The brand is starting to move away from that design ethos, but there's still something striking and deeply futuristic about the EQE, even if it does look like lozenge.

As sleek as the exterior is, the interior is the star of the show. The Hyperscreen is still wild even a few years after its debut, and you wouldn't confuse the rest of the EQE's interior with the cabin from any other brand. The EQE's other traits are solid, too. It has decent maximum range, it's quiet and comfortable, and while the base 350 model doesn't have the neck-snapping EV acceleration people love, it's still pleasant to surf that wave of electric torque.

2026 Lucid Air

Edmunds Rating: 8.1/10

Base price: $72,400 including destination

Good: Excellent real-world range; supercar-like acceleration; comfortable and smooth in day-to-day driving; spacious cabin with ample storage

Bad: Fit and finish isn't up to the level of other luxury EVs; hasn't matched EPA range estimates in Edmunds' testing

As the only non-Teutonic entry on our list, the Lucid Air — and the base Pure model, in particular — has done a lot to distinguish itself among some pretty serious company. We've long praised the Air's excellent drivetrain, more-fun-than-it-should-be handling, and unique styling inside and out. The Air is a refreshing take on the luxury electric sedan formula, and while it's certainly had its software and build-quality teething issues, it's one of our favorite EVs on sale today.

2026 BMW i5

Edmunds Rating: 8.2/10

Base price: $68,550 including destination

Good: Comfortable and classy cabin; lots of standard in-car tech features; excellent real-world range; strong performance from the M60 version

Bad: Some onscreen controls are hard to learn or access; numb and artificial steering feel

BMW's i5 — or as we call it in LA, "The 5," (that's a little freeway humor for you) — is a fantastic everyday luxury EV. It has a great ride, excellent driving manners and a nice interior, plus it avoids an overly flashy or blob-shaped exterior. We lived with one for nearly a year and it was a consistent favorite among our staffers. BMW upped its range recently as well, making it an even easier pick. Sure, like its smaller sibling, it's more expensive than it feels, but that's just the nature of the luxury beast.

2026 Audi A6 Sportback E-tron

Edmunds Rating: 8.4/10

Base price (2027): $67,995 including destination

Good: Plenty of range; quick fast-charging capability; quiet cabin on the highway; super-smooth ride quality

Bad: Hard to see out of the back; rear seating isn't all that comfortable; cabin isn't quite as luxurious as the interiors of rivals

Audi's A6 Sportback E-tron effectively replaces the internal combustion engine A6, and we don't mind because the electric version is so good. The Sportback (aka hatchback) styling is practical, and we think it looks great. The E-tron offers excellent range, quick charging and a stellar ride, and it has a very nice, if not super posh, interior. Audi has been building E-tron models for a while now, and this time around, we really think it nailed the recipe. The A6 Sportback E-tron is a killer daily driver and our favorite electric luxury car.

by Kyle Hyatt

Kyle Hyatt has been working as an automotive journalist since 2017. In that time he's written over 3,000 car-related articles as well as tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles of both the two and four-wheeled varieties. Kyle is a contributor to Edmunds, and in addition to stints on staff at CNET's Roadshow and Jalopnik, his byline has been featured at Car & Driver, Robb Report, Autoblog, Motor Trend, The Drive and Ars Technica. When he's not busy writing, he's usually out enjoying his 2003 Porsche 911 or working to finish his custom 1969 Honda CB350 twin project sometime before the next ice age.

edited by Kirk Bell

Cars have been an important part of his life since Kirk learned to identify them by their headlights as a toddler. He grew up helping pit crew for his dad’s highly unsuccessful drag racing escapades, and he turned his knowledge of the car culture into a career when he became an editor at Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine starting in college. Kirk has been writing about full-scale cars for more than 20 years and was named to the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury in 2014. He was most recently senior editor at Motor Authority, where he specialized in luxury and performance cars. Kirk also authored and edited several car books, including the award-winning Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and NASCAR Chronicle when was managing editor at Consumer Guide Automotive. Kirk enjoys nothing more than a track day, but he’s also a Wisconsin sport fan and he enjoys spirited drives in his 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

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$52,243

Prices based on sales in VA thru 5/4/26

Final assembly in Germany