12 best EV sedans available in Australia

If you’re one of the many Australians that’s ready to take the plunge and turn your motoring from fossil fuelled to electric, you’ll probably have noticed there’s not the same choice in vehicle layout as there is with ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars. We’re behind the rest of the developed world in all types of EVs, and when you look at electric sedans Australia is a real back-marker.

Ironically, we have more choice than most of the rest of the planet beyond EVs, and you can buy a petrol- or diesel-powered version of – across many, many brands - everything from a dual-cab ute (or even the bigger, full-sized USA-made ute) to a sporty convertible, and everything else from an SUV to an off-road four-wheel drive.

But something with an electric driveline? Suddenly, you’re more or less locked in to either a hatchback or an SUV. As for an electric sedan, forget it? Or is there hope?

The truth is, buying any sort of conventional sedan vehicle (you know, a four-door with a boot and 'normal' ride height) is getting pretty hard to do. That’s simply because the world has gone mad for the SUV concept with its higher ride height, butch looks and the (sometimes broken) promise of off-road fun.

All of which has left the sedan an endangered species, regardless of what’s powering it. And in terms of the demise of the world’s sedans Australia is following the global trend pretty faithfully. Which is why the EV sedan concept is yet to really launch. And may never.

But just as not too many buyers are queuing up for a sedan, not everybody wants an SUV’s tough look or its higher seating position. So it’s nice to see that our market stills provides some sedan-layout alternatives.

And even better is the fact that just because you want old-school packaging, doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate a new age driveline. Which is another way of saying there are, indeed, a handful or pure-electric sedans in showrooms right now. You just need to know where to look.

So here’s the current crop of EV sedans you can buy in Australia right now:

Audi e-tron GT

From $158,300

Range: 443-448km

BMW i4

From $99,900

Range: 465-530km

BMW i5

From $ 112,400

Range: 516-582km

BMW i7

From $232,400

Range: 560-625km

BYD Seal

From $ 49,888

Range: 510-570km

Genesis G80 Electrified

From $ 145,000

Range: 440km

Hyundai Ioniq 6

From $ 72,435

Range: 429-614km

Mercedes-Benz EQE

From $134,000

Range: 500-626km

Mercedes-Benz EQS

From $ 194,000

Range: 459-610km

Polestar 2

From $67,400

Range: 532-654km

Porsche Taycan

From $156,300

Range: 335-504km

Tesla Model 3

From $62,000

Range: 500-630km

When it comes to which one is right for you, the electric driveline of the above choices throws you a bit of a curve-ball. As well as figuring out if the sedan body will work for you (and it doesn’t suit everybody or there wouldn’t be hatchbacks and SUVs) you need to determine whether the implications of the battery-electric driveline will also fit your lifestyle.

Do you need the family-friendly space of a station wagon rather than a sedan? Would the best electric sedan for you be an SUV after all, given the packaging differences over an ICE car?

You also need to consider things like range as well as how fast the car can be charged at either at a commercial charging station or in your own garage. Will the range be enough for ALL your driving? Can you squeeze a working week out of the range, leaving you all weekend for a leisurely charge? Does the packaging allow you sufficient boot space? Can you do without ever towing again (most EVs are either hopeless or incapable of towing a trailer). Would a hybrid be a better bet at this stage in your life? Nothing is a given in the EV world.