The 5 most anticipated affordable electric cars of 2026

The transition to and electrification of the vehicle fleet in Europe is progressing more slowly than anticipated by major manufacturers and European institutions. After a fantastic 2020 that spurred major manufacturers to accelerate the electrification of their products, electric car sales cooled during 2021 and 2022 due to a misguided strategy: the leading manufacturers focused their marketing efforts too heavily on electric cars for Europeans, who demanded simple, affordable urban vehicles.

In fact, thanks to the arrival on the market of new urban electric cars at reasonable prices, between 25,000 and 30,000 euros, electric car sales grew to represent 6% of total sales in the Spanish market in 2024. This year they have grown to a stabilized 6%.

The surge in electric car sales has coincided with the arrival of urban electric models, with more reasonable prices and better suited to the real needs of European drivers, such as the BYD Dolphin Surf, BYD Atto 2 and BYD Atto 3, and the Kia EV3. Below, we present five of the new urban electric cars, priced between €20,000 and €30,000, that are likely to become commercial benchmarks in the segment across Europe.

Cupra Raval

He Cupra Raval It's one of the most anticipated new releases of the year. This sporty hatchback, the spiritual successor to the Seat Ibiza – a model with which it will coexist for a few more years – aims to become the youthful and dynamic benchmark in the electric vehicle market, thanks to its powerful and attractive design, specific tuning, and mechanical options of up to 226 hp and a range of around 440 kilometers.

This urban sports car with aspirations will be manufactured on line 1 in Martorell and will utilize the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform. It will have a final price of around €25,000 (excluding discounts and promotional incentives), which should boost its performance in the increasingly mature and established European electric car market. Working in its favor is the sporty and aspirational focus of the new Cupra brand, which promises to make the Raval one of the most significant models in its short history.

Volkswagen ID.Polo

The Volkswagen ID.2 is dropping its name and will now be called the ID.Polo. This way, it will maintain the brand name of one of Volkswagen's most significant vehicles in recent years. The new ID.Polo will share its factory, mechanical components, platforms, and technologies with the Cupra Raval – both will be manufactured on line 1 in Martorell – but, unlike the Raval, the Volkswagen ID.Polo is targeting a different market segment.

The ID.Polo is a car geared towards families, offering ample space and comfort (it boasts a 490-liter trunk) with a cabin and rear passenger space very similar to that of a current combustion-engine Golf. Its price should also be around €25,000 for the entry-level versions.

Renault Twingo

After hitting the mark completely with the revival of the Renault 5 in electric form and the arrival of the Renault 4, the French brand is back with another electric model that blends nostalgia, design, and technology: the new Renault Twingo. The Twingo features a design reminiscent of the first-generation model from the 1990s, an 82 hp electric motor, and a range of 263 kilometers.

With these figures it is easy to deduce that the new Renault Twingo aims to be an urban mobility solution, thanks to its compact size and a purchase price of around 20,000 euros, or even lower if current promotional discounts and institutional aid are applied.

Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf was the first mass-market electric vehicle, even before the rise of Tesla. After a second generation that had a less than stellar market experience, the Japanese automaker Nissan will begin selling the new Leaf starting next yearWith power outputs of 177 and 218 hp and batteries with a capacity of up to 75 kWh, it boasts a homologated range of – get this – 622 kilometers. The new Leaf will utilize the platform developed for the Ariya SUV and, in fact, will feature a similarly styled body. crossover which makes it very different from the Leaf as we have known it until now.

Unlike the other models mentioned, the Leaf will be a bit more expensive (with entry-level versions starting at over €30,000), but it's worth remembering that its size and power justify its market positioning, and that using more developed engines and platforms will help expedite its development. Furthermore, Nissan is working on a new electric Juke that will reuse the Leaf's platform, and it could be announced this year.

Kia EV2

Capitalizing on the success and strong sales of the Kia EV3, Kia's new urban SUV will be called the EV2 and will arrive on the European market sometime in 2026. The Koreans have so far only released a few images of the prototype. expensive conceptBut the Kia EV2 will become a reality to fill the void left by the discontinued Kia Soul. Its strengths include its body and its elegant, futuristic design, a spacious cabin, and a large trunk that makes the most of the car's 4.1-meter length.

The new EV2 will be manufactured in Slovakia – as this is a vehicle designed specifically for the European market – and will have a range of around 400 kilometers and an entry price of around 25,000 euros, while the more powerful versions will have a price above 30,000 euros.

Bonus: Tesla Model 2?

It's been many years (perhaps too many) since Tesla announced the Model 2 (also called the Model C), an affordable compact electric vehicle with a range of around 400 or 500 kilometers and a price tag of around €25,000. However, during all these years, Elon Musk has decided to focus all his efforts on the Model Y and the Model 3 (which has sold very well over the last five years), taking on the Cybertruck's big failure and amortize reputational crises due to outlandish political adventures who have contributed nothing good to Tesla.

The biggest problem with the Model 2 right now is the credibility of a possible announcement sometime in 2026, since Tesla has the facilities, the know-how, and the potential audience to guarantee that the future Model 2 can become a commercial success.