The Best Electric Luxury Cars You Can Buy in 2023
Electric luxury cars are smoother, faster, and longer-ranged than ever. Here are the best of the breed.
The Best Electric Luxury Cars You Can Buy in 2023
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2023 Lucid Air | MT Score 9.1/10
There's a new king of the EV luxury sedan hill in our MotorTrend Ultimate Rankings: the 2023 Lucid Air, a car conceived not by tech people, but rather by car people. Gorgeous, naturally athletic, and massively spacious, Lucid offers a vehicle that can stand toe to toe with the Model S. Speaking of, we recently tested the highest-performance spec Lucid Air Sapphire, Lucid's Plaid fighter, and it's the quickest car we've ever tested in the quarter mile, with a blistering 0-60-mph time of 2.2 seconds. The Air feels 2,000 pounds lighter than it is, with neutral handling and incredible acceleration. The interior is as beautiful as the exterior, with the expected array of tech features and more. The tech isn't foolproof, but it's hard to beat the Air for comfort. In many ways the Air embodies EV Luxury: brutally quick in performance, effortlessly cozy in comfort, and dramatically sleek in style. -
2023 Tesla Model S | MT Score 8.8/10
The 2023 Tesla Model S walked so the Model 3 could run. Just like its smaller, younger sedan sibling, the Model S remains the benchmark of the class, though the competition has become much more formidable in the full-size luxury electric car class. When the tri-motor Plaid trim was released it broke the internet. Even though the sub-two-second 0-60-mph run is not something a factory Model S can do on the street, its actual 2.1-second capability is still so extreme it'll have you questioning which way gravity is pulling. Practicality is great, build quality has recently been improved, but its Full Self Driving package remains science fiction rather than fact. -
2023 Tesla Model 3 | MT Score 8.7/10
Achieving benchmark status isn't easy, especially with scandal after scandal nipping at the company's heels, but the 2023 Tesla Model 3 has achieved our No. 1 ranking as the best compact luxury sedan, period, in our MotorTrend Ultimate Rankings. Despite build quality that can be hit or miss, and its marquee features being advertised as having more capability than they actually do, the Model 3's batteries, chassis, and motor all remain top tier in the class. Handling is also very good, and the Performance model includes driver-selectable torque split between the front and rear wheels. - 2023 BMW i4 | MT Score 8.6/10
While some EV builders stretch the truth about their car's capabilities, the 2023 BMW i4 actually rushes to 60 mph noticeably faster than BMW claims. We clocked the dual-motor M50 i4 performance variant at 3.3 seconds, quicker than BMW's conservatively rated 3.7 seconds. Quickness aside, the i4 makes a good case in other areas, as well, including technology and infotainment. Range isn't spectacular, and some of the bodywork isn't, either, but the i4 is a serious electric luxury sport sedan, especially so in its M50 guise. - 2023 Polestar 2 | MT Score 8.6/10
Aimed squarely at the Model 3, the 2023 Polestar 2 offers a sharper-styled alternative that still feels Scandinavian in its approach. The Polestar 2 offers power and quickness in the top-spec models but lacks some of the sure-footed agility of its competition. Those familiar with high-end racecars will certainly recognize the available Öhlins dampers the BST Edition 270 performance model offers, but the suspension tuning doesn't live up to the racy branding, with the 270 exhibiting both a harsh ride and unacceptable understeer. The interior is both well executed and well styled, from infotainment to overall comfort. The more familiar interior, less conservative styling, and greater cargo space are the main areas the Polestar 2 improves on its intended rivals, though overall Polestar still has some catching up to do. - 2023 Genesis G80 Electric | MT Score 8.4/10
Better to drive and more comfortable than its gasoline counterpart, one of the 2023 Genesis G80 Electric's main downsides is the luxury EV's low availability. The interior is sensationally beautiful, and the more than 500 lb-ft of torque its motors provide offers effortless acceleration on demand. That interior is also quite serene at speed, though its overly firm steering lacks feel. As an internal combustion engine (or ICE) vehicle turned into an EV, the G80 does have its compromises, namely reduced cargo space, but it's a worthwhile package overall. - 2023 BMW i7 | MT Score 8.3/10
We have our reservations about the globule styling of the Mercedes electric sedans, but the 2023 BMW i7 is a rolling object lesson in brutalism. The exterior is fit for your favorite cyberpunk corporate villain, and the interior does likewise with the 8K, 31.3-inch touchscreen that can be optioned to deploy from the headliner. The technology doesn't stop there, either, with further touchscreens and hands-free driving capability. Pulling up to any location in the i7 may inspire awe, but the performance and range the base version of BMW's halo electric sedan offers doesn't quite do the same. - 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS-Clas | MT Score 8.2/10
The rung above the EQE on the Mercedes EV ladder is the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS-Class. Exorbitantly comfortable and surprisingly agile, the EQS is full of amenities and features that testify to its substantial price tag. Gesture-recognition systems, biometric authentication, and 64 color ambient lighting are among the lengthy features list, though unfortunately a frunk is not. On the plus side, its rear trunk is not only automatic, but hands-free.
- 2023 Porsche Taycan | MT Score 8.1/10
The 2023 Porsche Taycan was built in large part to demonstrate how well Porsche can make an EV hustle. Besides its amenable handling, the Taycan's higher-end trims are astoundingly quick, capable of trading punches with some of the fastest electric sedans in the world, including rivals such as the Model S Plaid, though the Taycan's range doesn't measure up to that of the Tesla. The Cross Turismo models even address the sedan's lack of cargo space, making the Taycan range more practical as well as more powerful than its Audi E-Tron GT platform mate depending on spec. - 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE-Class | MT Score 7.7/10
Unlike the E-Tron GT, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE-Class is built for daily use. A bonafide luxury sedan with a beautifully finished interior and numerous comfort features, the EQE offers enough range to be road-tripped while available rear-wheel steering means the Model-S-sized Benz can maneuver like a much smaller car. Driving dynamics are good, though brake feel leaves much to be desired. The exterior is not as appealing as the interior, but the efficiency numbers mean the blobby bodywork pays dividends aerodynamically.mer - 2023 Audi E-Tron GT | MT Score 7.6/10
Despite being a large sedan, practicality is not the goal of the 2023 Audi E-Tron GT. Speed and style take priority, and the sleek all-wheel-drive Audi has those elements in abundance. The E-Tron GT is stereotypically quick for a luxury electric car (it's available in two power configurations), though in terms of handling it stays true to its Audi roots and understeers at the limit. What really lets down the quickest of electric Audis is the aforementioned impracticality, especially its middling range and lack of space in the trunk and back seats.