{"id":82582,"date":"2025-05-24T13:23:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T17:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=82582"},"modified":"2025-05-24T13:23:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T17:23:05","slug":"opinion-its-time-to-start-recommending-some-tesla-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=82582","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: it’s time to start recommending some Tesla alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\"buy<\/figure>\n

For years, Tesla has been the go-to EV recommendation for \u201cnormals\u201d looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first electric cars. In light of questionable recalls<\/a> and its CEO\u2019s recent involvement in controversial politics<\/a>, however, people are starting to distance themselves from the trailblazing company<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All that begs the question: what should we recommend to EV noobs now<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Despite early quality issues<\/a> and ongoing service headaches<\/a>, the groundbreaking S3XY lineup of EVs have always had a secret weapon in the form of the Tesla Supercharger network.<\/p>\n

That network of dependable high-speed chargers, paired with solid app integration that makes it easy for Tesla drivers to find available chargers just about anywhere in the US, gave the brand a leg up \u2013\u00a0but no more. By opening up the Supercharger network to brands like Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and others, Tesla has given away its biggest competitive advantage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/span><\/p>\n

Add in charging and route-planning apps like Chargeway<\/a>, that make navigating the transition from CCS to NACS easier than ever with its intuitive colors and numbers and easy on\/off switch for vehicles equipped with NACS adapters, and it feels like the time is right to start suggesting alternatives to the old EV industry stalwarts. As such, that\u2019s exactly what I\u2019m going to do.<\/p>\n

Here, then, are my<\/em> picks for the best Tesla S3XY (and Cybertruck) alternatives you can buy.<\/p>\n

Less Model S, more Lucid Air<\/h2>\n\n
\"Lucid-$20K-EV\"
Lucid Air sedans; via Lucid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Developed by OG Tesla Model S engineers with tunes from Annie Get Your Gun<\/a><\/em> playing continuously in their heads, the Lucid Air promises to be the car Tesla should and could<\/em> have built, if only Elon had listened to the engineers.<\/p>\n

With panel fit, material finish, and overall build quality that\u2019s at least as good as anything else in the automotive space, the Lucid Air is a compelling alternative to the Model S at every price level \u2013\u00a0and I, for one, would take a \u201ctoo f@#king fast<\/a>\u201d Lucid Air Sapphire over an \u201cas seen on TV<\/a>\u201d Model S Plaid any day of the week. And, with Supercharger access reportedly coming later this quarter<\/a>, Air buyers will have every advantage the Supercharger Network can provide.<\/p>\n

HONORABLE MENTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Less Model 3, more Hyundai IONIQ 6<\/h2>\n\n
\"Hyundai-free-charger-EVs-IONIQ-6\"
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited; via Hyundai.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hyundai has been absolutely killing it these days,\u00a0with EVs driving record sales<\/a>\u00a0and new models earning rave reviews from the automotive press<\/a>. Even in that company the IONIQ 6 stands out, with up to 338 miles of EPA-rated range and lickety-quick 350 kW charging available to make road tripping easy \u2013\u00a0especially now that the aerodynamically efficient IONIQ 6 has Supercharger access through a NACS adapter<\/a> (the 2026 \u201cfacelift<\/a>\u201d models get a NACS port as standard).<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s sole electric sedan hasn\u2019t seen the same sales success as IONIQ 5, of course \u2013\u00a0but that has more to do with America\u2019s insatiable lust for crossovers and SUVs than any shortcoming inherent in the IONIQ 6 itself. All the same, Hyundai is helping dealers clear out its remaining 2024 and \u201925 models with 0% financing for up to 48 months through June 2nd<\/a>.<\/p>\n

HONORABLE MENTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Less Model X, more Volvo EX90<\/h2>\n\n
\"\"
2025 Volvo EX90; via Volvo Cars.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once upon a time, Mrs. Jo Borr\u00e1s and I were shopping three-row SUVs and found ourselves genuinely drawn to the then-new Model X. Back then it was the only three-row EV on the market, but it wasn\u2019t Elon\u2019s antics or access to charging, or even the Model X\u2019s premium pricing that squirreled the deal<\/a>. It was the stupid doors.<\/p>\n

We went with the similarly new Volvo XC90 T8 in denim blue, and followed up the big PHEV with a second, three years later, in Osmium Gray<\/a>. When it\u2019s time to replace this one, you can just about bet your house that the new 510 hp EX90 with 310 miles of all-electric range will be near the top of the shopping list.<\/p>\n

HONORABLE MENTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Less Model Y, more Kia EV6<\/h2>\n\n
\"Kia-EV6-GT-lease\"
2024 Kia EV6 GT; via Kia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If half the fun of driving a Model Y is terrifying your passengers with its straight-line speed<\/a>, then the Kia EV6 has to be a serious contender for a replacement.<\/p>\n

The sporty EV6 GT made its global debut by drag racing some of the fastest ICE-powered cars of the day, including a Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG GT, a Porsche, even a turbocharged Ferrari \u2013\u00a0and it beat the pants off \u2019em<\/a>. Combine supercar-baiting speed with an accessible price tag<\/a>, NACS accessibility, $10,000 in customer cash<\/a> on remaining 2024 models ($3,000 on 2025<\/a>s) and just a hint of Lancia Stratos in the styling, the EV6 is tough to beat.<\/p>\n

HONORABLE MENTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Less Cybertruck, more therapy<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Image created by Chat GPT.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not bulletproof, it\u2019s not easy to upfit<\/a>, it shouldn\u2019t be used for towing<\/a>, and it won\u2019t win in a straight fight against a vinyl picket fence<\/a>. By just about every standard \u201ctruck\u201d metric, the Tesla Cybertruck falls short against the competition from Chevrolet, Ford, and Rivian. On a more subjective front, the Cybertruck has become a symbol for a conservative movement that is (depending on your point of view) either making America great again or plunging a once-great democracy into an era of fascist oligarchy and widespread stupidity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In short, it\u2019s probably best to skip the CT.<\/p>\n

If you disagree with that statement and feel like driving a new Tesla Cybertruck is the key to happiness, I\u2019m not sure an equally ostentatious GMC Hummer EV<\/a> or more subtle Rivian R1T<\/a> will help you scratch that particular itch \u2013\u00a0but maybe therapy might!<\/p>\n

HONORABLE MENTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Original content from Electrek<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For years, Tesla has been the go-to EV recommendation for \u201cnormals\u201d looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first electric cars. In light of questionable recalls and its CEO\u2019s recent involvement in controversial politics, however, people are starting to distance themselves from the trailblazing company. All that begs the question: what should we recommend […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}