These are the cheapest EVs in every single big country and continent

These are the cheapest EVs in different corners of the world.

We grouped regions using three key factors: market size, local manufacturing presence, and EV availability.

This is exactly what your cash will get you if you’re on the market for a budget-friendly EV.

And the cheapest EV in the world is sold exactly where you probably think it’s sold.

Europe/EMEA – BYD Seagull, Dacia Spring, Leapmotor T03

Several manufacturers today group Europe with the Middle East and Africa; they call it EMEA.

The reason has to do with economics, logistics, and regulations.

The cheapest EV sold in this region is the Dacia Spring, which costs around $20,000.

However, if you remove the EU from the equation, then the winner is the BYD Seagull, which can be even cheaper than $20,000 although the price varies.

But there’s a catch.

The Spring is available almost everywhere within this region, whereas the Seagull is only sold in some countries.

There’s also an honorable mention: the Leapmotor T03, a car that’s imported from China but assembled locally on the European continent.

In some European countries, the MSRP is generally below or around $15,000-$17,000.

The Americas – BYD Seagull

If we take the Americas as one region, the cheapest EV is the BYD Seagull.

Prices vary by country due to local tax structures, and it’s not available everywhere, but it’s still pretty cheap.

In general, you can get a BYD Seagull for around $20,000.

The US/North America

The US, which is often grouped with Canada and Mexico as North America, has plenty of restrictions on Chinese EVs.

More broadly, there’s tighter control over what gets sold in this region, which means many cars sold here are manufactured domestically and not abroad.

For this reason, the cheapest EVs are still not that cheap.

The Nissan Leaf S Plus, priced at around $31,000 is now the cheapest EV after the discontinuation of the older Chevy Bolt.

Japan

Japan is such a fascinating and unique case because it is not a massive country, but the population is relatively large.

Japanese brands are available nearly everywhere and, as most people know, they generally operate a dedicated domestic market with sub-brands and models that are only available there.

There’s also an entire segment that (nearly) only exists in Japan and that’s the Kei car class.

Most of the cheapest EVs are kei cars, including the absolute cheapest.

In Japan, the cheapest EV is the Nissan Sakura, which costs $12,000 after local subsidies.

China – Wuling Hongguang

The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is available in China with a price of 44,800 CNY, equivalent to around $6,220.

This is by far the cheapest EV in China, and also the cheapest in the world.

Despite its small size, it’s well-equipped, coming in with 205 km of range and DC fast charging.

Unfortunately – or fortunately, up to you – this vehicle is only available in China.

And even if it were sold somewhere else, it wouldn’t be that cheap after local taxes and import fees.