Top Electric Car Companies of 2026

Electric cars are popular with car buyers for lots of reasons, including efficiency, driving dynamics, and, depending on where they live, tax incentives. They're also a good way to reduce corporate average emissions, which is partly why nearly every automaker offers at least one. The number of choices available in the market can be overwhelming, which leads many shoppers to ask, "What are the top electric car companies?"

The experts at Edmunds have compiled extensive data to determine the top 10 electric car companies, listing notable models, highlighting features, and discussing any important partnerships they might have. Our list was ranked using the following variables: the popularity of the brand in the market, sales numbers, the number of electric vehicle (EV) models, and our expert vehicle rankings. Every buyer has different needs and preferences, but this list should give you a good starting point for the search for your next EV. If you're curious about the latest EV companies, check out our article, New Electric Car Companies.

Tesla
Chevrolet/GMC
Ford
Hyundai
Cadillac
BMW
Honda
Rivian
Kia
Volkswagen

1. Tesla

Tesla Motors had a major role in inspiring widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and it's currently the most popular electric car maker by a healthy margin with over 41% market share. While the original Tesla Roadster was the first to arrive, the more practical Model S sedan took the automaker to the next level. It established many Tesla hallmarks, from the large infotainment tablet to the long battery range and seat-pinning acceleration.

Next came the Tesla Model X — Tesla's first SUV and still one of the only EVs with seating for up to seven passengers. The signature falcon-wing rear doors looked cool but ended up being problematic because they sometimes opened at odd angles and often prevented owners from mounting objects on their roof.

The Model 3 sedan was Tesla's attempt at making an inexpensive electric car for the masses. It was the first Tesla to adopt the company's spartan interior philosophy: Use as few buttons as possible and allow the central touchscreen to handle most controls. That screen features a horizontal or landscape layout, as opposed to the portrait-style vertical screens on the Models S and X.

Initially, the Model 3 was advertised with a starting price of $35,000. The first versions, though, not only cost roughly $20,000 more, but the Standard Range Model 3 ended up becoming a rarity. Only a small number were ever produced, and they were fairly difficult to order (as we found out when we added a $35,000 Model 3 to our One-Year Road Test fleet). These days, a Model 3 starts around $38,380 before any tax credits or incentives, including a $1,390 destination fee.

In late 2019, Tesla released a compact SUV called the Model Y. It was based on the Model 3 and looked nearly identical except it had a hatch in the rear and added cargo space. The Model Y recently received a visual update to bring its styling more in line with that of the Cybertruck.

Speaking of, the sci-fi-inspired Tesla Cybertruck is the automaker's first attempt at an electric pickup; it has proved to be incredibly polarizing in terms of styling and capabilities.

Tesla's Supercharger network remains one of the company's biggest accomplishments. The Superchargers are a series of DC fast-charging stations that are easy to use, well maintained, and widely available throughout the U.S. The Supercharger network was initially exclusive to Tesla owners, but Tesla has since begun opening up the network to non-Tesla EVs. This has become popular, especially as other brands have begun to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) pioneered by Tesla. However, the charging process isn't as easy for non-Tesla owners, and it typically costs more for other EVs to use the network.

2. Chevrolet/GMC

Chevrolet's parent company, General Motors, got its start making modern EVs in the late 1990s with the EV1. It was a small electric car that was considered by many to be ahead of its time, given that no charging infrastructure existed. Fast-forward to 2017, when the automaker launched the Chevrolet Bolt EV.

The Bolt's timing was much better — it came onto the market after the success of the low-cost Nissan Leaf and groundbreaking Tesla Model S, both of which proved consumers were coming around on electric vehicles. The Bolt EV offered over 200 miles of range, a useful cargo area and an affordable price tag. It wasn't the coolest EV on the road, but it was a solid option for those who wanted a long-range EV without spending luxury car money. The Bolt was steadily updated over the years, gaining more range and a refreshed interior and exterior since its introduction.

Edmunds has recognized the Bolt's value and named it the Edmunds Top Rated Electric Car for 2023. The Bolt stopped production in 2023, but Chevy will bring it back for the 2027 model year. Chevy has since introduced several other EVs, including the compact Equinox EV and midsize Blazer EV sport-utility vehicles, plus the full-size Silverado EV pickup and its "Professional Grade" sibling, the GMC Sierra EV. Add in the pavement-busting, 9,000-pound GMC Hummer EV and you've got a pretty serious lineup that should cater to almost any buyer. These vehicles are built on GM's modular battery architecture that allows GM to create dedicated EVs of different sizes. GM has even shared the technology with the Honda Prologue.

3. Ford

Ford dipped its toes into the EV world with the Ford Focus Electric, but that model had a short range of 115 miles at best. Ford made a bigger splash with the introduction of the Mustang Mach-E for the 2021 model year. The electric SUV's adoption of the Mustang name initially riled up Mustang purists, but once the dust settled, the Mach-E proved to be one of our favorite EVs. It went on to win the Edmunds Top Rated Luxury EV award for 2021.

Ford followed up the excellent Mach-E with another home run, the F-150 Lightning. Taking a page out of the same playbook, the F-150 Lightning borrowed its name from the gas-powered performance F-150 SVT Lightning pickup of the late 1990s to early 2000s. The all-electric Lightning paired the utility and power of the F-150 truck with a quieter zero-emissions electric motor. Our editors liked the F-150 so much that we gave it the Edmunds Top Rated Best of the Best award for 2023.

Ford's latest EV is the work-focused E-Transit, which seeks to bring electrification to the job site or delivery route. It looks much like a standard Transit van but offers up to 159 miles of pure electric range.

4. Hyundai

Hyundai made a splash with the debut of the Hyundai Kona Electric, earning high marks in Edmunds' ratings. The automaker's next electric SUV, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, made more waves with its utility and retro-inspired styling. The Ioniq 5 was recently named the Edmunds Top Rated Electric SUV, and the lineup grew with the debut of the Ioniq 6 sedan.

Genesis, Hyundai's luxury brand, is also in the electric car business. It started with the GV60, a small performance-oriented SUV, before launching two electric versions of gas-powered vehicles: the Electrified GV70 compact SUV and the Electrified G80 midsize sedan.

5. Cadillac

GM's luxury brand, Cadillac, has several noteworthy EVs to keep an eye out for. The Cadillac Lyriq is the brand's first electric vehicle. It is classified as a small SUV, but its elongated proportions give it a wagon-like appearance, and its trim stack has grown to incorporate a high-performance V model. Also new are the compact Optiq and midsize Vistiq models as well as the full-size Escalade IQ and its long-wheelbase sibling, the IQL. Cadillac's Bentley-challenging and Rolls-Royce-rivaling flagship model is also an EV, and it's called the Celestiq. It's highly customizable and built-to-order.

6. BMW

BMW's first production electrified cars came in the form of the compact i3 hatchback (available as a pure EV or with a two-cylinder gasoline range-extender) and the sleek i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. In BMW's current lineup, however, you'll find the EV-only i4 compact sedan, the excellent i5 midsize sedan, the i7 executive sedan and the iX midsize SUV, with the Neue Klasse–based iX3 crossover on its way The brand is highly committed to electrification, and we've enjoyed the fruits of its labor thus far thanks to those models' typically sharp Bavarian driving dynamics and smart electric drivetrains.

7. Honda

Honda is in an interesting place when it comes to electric cars. Formerly, it only offered the Clarity as either a plug-in hybrid, full EV or fuel cell model. Now, the Honda Prologue is doing the brand's heavy lifting in the EV department, with sales taking the segment by storm despite its origins as a GM model. The Prologue seems to be meant to warm people up to and judge the interest in a dedicated Honda EV in the U.S., and it would seem that the interest is there in spades.

8. Rivian

Rivian is a California-based automaker with a factory in Illinois. It currently offers two vehicles, the R1T, an all-electric pickup truck, and the R1S, an SUV variant. The R1T was one of the first all-electric pickup trucks available, followed by the larger Ford F-150 Lightning. In 2022, we awarded the R1T the Edmunds Top Rated Editors' Choice award for making a great first impression and exceeding our expectations. It remains a staff favorite, with the lineup adding a quad-motor version, making it a true powerhouse.

Perhaps more exciting than its current offerings are the forthcoming R2 electric SUV and especially the R3 and R3x, the latter of which set the internet abuzz with its classic boxy styling and rugged stance. We're extremely excited to get some time in these models.

9. Kia

Kia is Hyundai's sister brand and shares many mechanical components with its South Korean counterpart. One of its first electric cars was the Kia Niro EV, an electric version of an existing hybrid vehicle. Kia then brought out the futuristic-looking EV6 and larger EV9, an electric three-row SUV with a max EPA-estimated range of just over 300 miles. It has quickly become a staff favorite at Edmunds thanks to its unique styling and excellent driving dynamics. In 2026, the Kia EV3 is expected to debut.

10. Volkswagen

Volkswagen's ID sub-brand started with the European-only ID.3, but here in the States, we got the larger ID.4 compact SUV. We've since seen the long-awaited debut of the ID. Buzz electric van, with its retro styling inspired by the old Type 2 VW Bus. VW plans to continue to introduce electric models to its lineup here in the U.S. while seeking to have a greater emphasis on software integration as part of its Accelerate strategy.