The Hyundai Kona Electric, already one of the most affordable EVs in the US, was the top-selling electric vehicle priced below MSRP last month. Volkswagen’s ID.4 was second, with Hyundai’s IONIQ models and Kia’s EV6 also selling well below MSRP.
Hyundai Kona Electric tops EVs selling below MSRP
Electric vehicles, like the Hyundai Kona electric, and larger trucks and SUVs accounted for most models priced below MSRP, according to a new study from online auto research firm iSeeCars.
As automakers like Hyundai and Kia look to level the playing ground as their EVs do not qualify for the federal tax credit (only through leasing), new incentives are driving prices under MSRP.
Hyundai introduced the 2024 Kona Electric in December as one of the most affordable EVs in the US, with starting prices under $33K. The new Kona EV is bigger, features a bold new design, has more range, and charges faster than its predecessor.
According to the study, the Hyundai Kona Electric sold for an average of $36,211 in January. That’s 4.6% below its average MSRP of $37,964.
Rank
Model
Price vs MSRP (January 2024)
Avg price
Avg MSRP
1
Hyundai Kona Electric
-4.6%
$36,211
$37,964
2
VW ID.4
-3.6%
$48,740
$50,547
3
Ford F-150 (hybrid)
-3.3%
$82,132
$84,910
4
Kia EV6
-2.5%
$52,004
$53,315
5
Hyundai IONIQ 6
-2.4%
$47,691
$48,861
6
Nissan Maxima
-2.2%
$42,234
$43,163
7
Chrysler Pacifica (PHEV)
-2.0%
$53,263
$54,329
8
Nissan Ariya
-1.9%
$50,751
$51,734
9
Hyundai IONIQ 5
-1.9%
$50,477
$51,455
10
VW Arteon
-1.8%
$47,852
$48,734
Top ten new cars priced below MSRP January 2024 (Source: iSeeCars)
Volkswagen’s ID.4 electric SUV was second on the list, selling for 3.6% below MSRP with an average price of $48,740.
In third was Ford’s F-150 hybrid, with average selling prices 3.3% below MSRP. Ford is cutting production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup, citing “slower than expected” demand.
Kia’s EV6 was fourth (-2.5%), while Hyundai’s IONIQ 6 (-2.4%) and IONIQ 5 (1.9%) were among the top ten.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 (left) and IONIQ 6 (right) at Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
Incentives are driving lower prices
Hyundai and Kia are running significant EV incentives to stay competitive in the US (their largest market).
On top of a $7,500 EV lease bonus, Hyundai has offered major deals, including an extra $7,500 “Final Pay Incentive” that can be stacked for up to $15,000 in savings on the IONIQ 5.
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric SUV (Source: Hyundai)
The 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (starting at $41,450) was already cheaper than the Ford Mustang Mach-E ($42,995), Nissan Ariya ($43,190), and Toyota bZ4X ($42,000) before incentives. It’s no wonder why Hyundai (including Kia) surged past Ford and GM to become the second largest EV maker in the US, behind only Tesla last year.
Last month, Hyundai introduced a $7,500 purchase incentive on the 2024 IONIQ 6, making the electric sedan nearly $10K cheaper than the new Tesla Model 3.
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Source: Hyundai)
According to Hyundai’s website, the automaker is still offering $7,500 in Retail Bonus Cash on all 2024 IONIQ 6 models and 2024 Kona Electric models. Meanwhile, the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE RWD is eligible for a $7,500 Bonus Cash offer.
Hyundai Motor America CEO Jose Munoz told Automotive News last week that the automaker’s first EV and battery plant in the US will open ahead of schedule this year in GA. It could open as soon as October.
2024 Hyundai Kona EV (Source: Hyundai)
Munoz said Hyundai is “pulling ahead” because everyone knows how important the EV tax credit is. Hyundai and Kia accounted for about 8% of EVs sold (~117K models) in the US last year, according to research from BloombergNEF.
If you are in the market for a new Hyundai EV, now may be the time to start shopping with some of the lowest prices since launching. You can use our links below to find great deals on Hyundai, Kia, and VW’s electric vehicles at a dealer near you.
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Taiwanese smart-scooter pioneer Gogoro is taking a step into more accessible territory with its newest model, the Ezzy. The company hopes to leverage its massive lead in battery-swapping technology while also bringing its smart scooters to a broader audience by lowering its price point.
Designed as a no-frills, budget-friendly ride that doesn’t skimp on modern conveniences, Ezzy is priced around NT$59,980 (around US $2,000). Once you add in the government subsidies from its native Taiwan, that price drops below NT$30,000 (around US $1,000). For Gogoro, this is the smartscooter distilled to its essential core: practical, connected, and ready for daily life.
The Ezzy looks like it is trying to build on Gogoro’s success with its 2024 Jego launch, the company’s previous forray into lower cost electric scooters. The Jego was a massive success and wound up resulting in around 40% of the company’s sales. Now the Ezzy looks to keep the good vibes rolling in a sleek, compact, and intuitive package.
The scooter features a rounded, minimalist body with a durable front panel and straightforward controls. Practicality is the guiding principle: a 68 cm (27 inch) long seat, spacious footwell, and a 28 liter (7.4 gallon) under-seat storage compartment, which the company says is large enough for two helmets – if they’re a 3/4 and a half helmet. Put it all together, and the features sound like they should make the Ezzy ideal for urban errands or weekend jaunts. Add in a built-in cupholder and flip-out footrests, and you’ve got a scooter designed to seamlessly slot into everyday routines with one or two riders aboard.
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The design is cute, but it’s under the panels where Gogoro usually tries to set itself apart. Ezzy is powered by a new hub motor capable of speeds up to 68 km/h (42 mph), high enough for city traffic while keeping maintenance low. The last time I was scootering around in Taipei, those speeds felt like plenty on the congested streets.
And while Gogoro’s scooters have long been impressive, the most important part of the company’s offerings isn’t even its rides, it’s how they’re powered. Ezzy integrates directly into Gogoro’s famed battery-swapping network, which includes thousands of swap stations around Taiwan.
Riders can skip charging downtime by swapping depleted packs at GoStation kiosks, which regularly see hundreds of thousands of battery swaps every day.
Electrek’s Take
In terms of performance, Ezzy strikes a balance. It’s not built for speed demons, but it likely won’t bog down in traffic either. It’s not overflowing with gadgets, yet includes thoughtful features that matter – cup holder, flip-out footrests, and room for two helmets. At around US $2,000 retail before subsidies, it’s clearly aimed at broadening access to smart two-wheeling in dense cities. And since the combustion engine scooters still dominate cities in most countries, making electric alternatives more affordable is a key part of displacing those heavy polluters.
This feels less like a normal launch and more like a strategic pivot for Gogoro. While the company’s premium Smartscooters – like the sports car-inspired Pulse or high-performance SuperSport – are impressive, they’re also spendy and niche. Ezzy, by contrast, looks like what Gogoro might want every city overpopulated by cars to embrace: a stylish, comfortable, and economical electric scooter that’s accessible to the masses.
It’s still early days and Gogoro hasn’t confirmed availability beyond Taiwan, but enthusiasm for affordable, swappable-battery electric scooters is growing. If Ezzy finds even moderate success in its initial market, it could pave the way for Gogoro to expand its smart ecosystem deeper into urban centers worldwide.
In short, Ezzy may not be a headline-grabbing performance machine, but that’s exactly the point. Sometimes progress happens not with fireworks, but with smart, thoughtful moves that make electric mobility more attainable for everyone. And that’s an evolution worth riding along with.
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The e-bike industry in the West has long been a tale of two territories. North Americans enjoy higher speeds and power limits for their electric bicycles while Europeans are held to much stricter (i.e. slower and lower) speed and power limits. However, things might change based on current discussions on rewriting European e-bike regulations.
New power levels are not totally without precedent, either. The UK briefly considered doubling its own e-bike power limit from 250 watts (approximately 1/3 horsepower) to 500 watts, though the move was ultimately abandoned.
But this time, the call for more power is coming from within the house – i.e., Germany. The Germans are the undisputed leaders and trend setters in the European e-bike market, accounting for around two million sales of e-bikes per year. Home to leading e-bike drive makers like Bosch, the country has yet another advantage when it comes to making – or regulating – waves in the industry.
And while there aren’t any pending law changes, the largest German trade organization ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband), which is highly influential in achieving such changes, is now discussing what it believes could be pertinent updates to current EU electric bike regulations.
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Some of the new regulations involve creating rules maxing out power at levels such as 400% or 600% of the human pedaling input. But a key component of the proposed plan includes changing the present day power limit of e-bikes from 250W of continuous power at the motor to 750W of peak power at the drive wheel.
The difference includes some nuance, since continuous power is often considered more of a nominal figure, meaning nearly every e-bike motor in Europe wears a “250W” or less sticker despite often outputting a higher level of peak power. Even Bosch, which has to walk the tight and narrow as a leader in the European e-bike drive market, shared that its newest models of motors are capable of peak power ratings in the 600W level. That’s still far from the commonly 1,000W to 1,300W peak power seen in US e-bike motors, but offers a nice boost over an actual 250W motor.
Other new regulations up for discussion include proposals to limit fully-loaded cargo e-bike weights to either 250 kg (550 lb) for two-wheelers or 300 kg (660 lb) for e-bikes with more than two wheels. As road.cc explained, ZIV also noted that, “separate framework conditions and parameters must be defined for cargo bikes weighing more than 300 kg (see EN 17860-4:2025) as they differ significantly from EPACs and bicycles in their dynamics, design and operation.” Such heavy-duty cargo e-bikes, which often more closely resemble small delivery vans than large cargo bikes, are becoming more common in the industry and have raised concerns about cargo e-bike bloat, especially in dedicated cycling paths.
It’s too early to say whether European e-bike regulations will actually change, but the fact that key industry voices with the power to influence policy are openly advocating for it suggests that new rules for the European market are a real possibility.
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China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
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To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
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