Cargo space? Third-row seating? EVs now have that.
Until recently, the electric family car was an oxymoron. Building an electric vehicle with a passable range has meant stuffing batteries into a small footprint at the expense of family-friendly features like comfort and usable cargo space. When EVs work for families, it’s often as one partner’s secondary electric commuter car with something like a hybrid Sienna minivan to do the proper kid hauling when required.
Electric car technology is improving, however. Battery packs are getting smaller. Dedicated EV platforms are offering more spacious and free-flowing cabins. And we’re starting to get electric cars that can serve as the primary family vehicle with multiple children. These electric family cars hold parents, multiple children, and their gear. They are pleasant to drive. They offer enough range to not add anxiety to what can already be a stressful experience.
This list will grow over the next year as exciting new SUVs like Volvo EX90 and Kia EV9 launch. But for now, here are the best electric family cars you can buy.
The Best Electric Family Cars You Can Buy
Rivian R1S
We don’t have an electric take on the GMC Yukon yet. But the Rivian R1S — while perhaps not quite as fun as its R1T pickup truck sibling — is the closest thing to that on the market.
Rivian designed the R1S for all five seats to accommodate a car seat at once, as terrifying as the thought of requiring that capability may be.
- Seats: 7
- Cargo Space: 105 cu.ft.
- EPA Range: 316 miles
- AWD: Standard
- Starting Price: $78,000
BMW iX
Midsize crossovers are often the preferred option for luxury car buyers now. And the BMW iX is basically an electric version of the brand’s popular X5 crossover.
The iX doesn’t offer the option for third-row seating. But it does deliver a massive cargo bay with a larger capacity than the X5. And the massive 111.5 kWh battery pack delivers plenty of range — up to 324 miles in EPA testing — for road trips.
- Seats: 5
- Cargo Space: 77.9 cu. ft.
- EPA Range: 324
- AWD: Standard
- Starting Price: $84,100
Volkswagen ID.4
The default American family car is the compact crossover. And in America, Volkswagen went the family-friendly (some might argue boring) route of leading off with the ID.4 crossover — basically the Tiguan but electric.
We have quibbles about the new VW digital cockpit. But the ID.4 is pleasant to drive, has more than 30 cu. ft. of cargo space in the trunk with the seats in use and starts under $40,000.
- Seats: 5
- Cargo Space: 64.2 cu. ft.
- EPA Range: 275 miles
- AWD: Available
- Starting Price: $37,495
Ford F-150 Lightning
Pickup trucks have become de facto family cars for many households — even if that’s not what they’re designed for. And the Ford F-150 Lightning makes an even better kid hauler than the standard F-150.
The spacious 14.1 cu. ft. frunk is excellent for hauling strollers, school bags and even golf clubs (for that rare afternoon off). It can serve as a drainable waterproof cooler for sports events to one-up that rival clan with a Yeti Tundra. And there’s no cooler parent move than being able to power your home for up to three days during a blackout.
- Seats: 5
- Cargo Space: 50.9 cu. ft.
- EPA Range: 320 miles
- AWD: Standard
- Starting Price: $51,974
Mercedes EQS SUV
The EQS SUV is Mercedes’s full-size luxury electric SUV. And as the name suggests, it’s more or less an SUV-ized version of the EQS sedan. And the like the EQS sedan, it’s extra swoopy-looking to minimize drag coefficient and improve range. However, that swoopiness comes at the expense of cargo space compared to its combustion counterpart, the GLS SUV.
Unlike the BMW iX, the Mercedes EQS SUV does offer third-row seating. But with just 6.8 cu. ft. behind the third row, it’s very much an either-or scenario. You either get a spacious trunk or a third row of seats but not both at the same time.
- Seats: 7
- Cargo Space: 74.2 cu. ft.
- EPA Range: 305 miles
- AWD: Available
- Starting Price: $104,400
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Keyword: The Best Electric Family Cars You Can Buy in 2022