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The Citroen Ami is an ultra-small, two-seat EV that could be amazing for getting around US cities — if you didn’t have to contend with giant pickup trucks and SUVs.
Citroen Ami
Citroen’s electric mobility quadricycle Ami.
Citroen
In Europe, it costs around $6,300 and can be leased for roughly $20 per month.
Citroen Ami
Citroen’s electric mobility quadricycle Ami.
Citroen
Better yet, it can be driven by anyone 14 and older, without a driver’s license.
Citroen Ami
Citroen’s electric mobility quadricycle Ami.
Citroen

The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV was China’s most popular electric car in 2021.

Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV.
Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV.
Wuling Motors

And it’s price might have something to do with it: The car starts at around $4,000.

Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV.
Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV.
Wuling Motors

It can go a little more than 100 miles on a charge, seat four (technically), and hit 62 mph.

Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV.
Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV.
Wuling Motors

The Hong Guang Mini is the tiny EV so nice we had to include it twice. The brand launched a convertible version — the Cabrio — in September.

The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV Cabrio.
The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV Cabrio.
Wuling

The two-seater promises 174 miles of range and will run you a little over $14,000 at current exchange rates.

The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV Cabrio.
The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV Cabrio.
Wuling

Honda doesn’t sell an electric car in the US yet, but you can get one elsewhere in the form of the Honda e.

Honda E
Honda E.
Honda

It’s an adorable, retro-themed city car with a range of 137 miles — more than enough to get around town.

Honda E
Honda E.
Honda

Part of its sleek look comes from a lack of side-view mirrors, which are replaced with a system of cameras and interior screens.

Honda E
Honda E.
Honda

China’s BYD is the second-biggest seller of electric cars in the world — behind Tesla of course.

The BYD Han electric car on display in Paris.
The BYD Han electric car on display in Paris.
Chesnot/Getty Images

Its flagship car, the Han, starts at the equivalent of roughly $33,000 in China and claims a range of 376 miles.

The BYD Han.
The BYD Han.
BYD

The Tesla Model 3 competitor features an upscale-looking interior with a 15.6-inch touchscreen.

The BYD Han
The BYD Han.
Richard Bord/Getty Images

If you’re sensing a theme here, it’s that the rest of the world gets way more small, cheap electric cars than the US.

The Nissan Sakura.
The Nissan Sakura.
Nissan

Here’s another data point: The Nissan Sakura.

The Nissan Sakura.
The Nissan Sakura.
Nissan

The teeny-tiny EV seats four, has a top speed of 80 mph, and can drive 112 miles on a charge, according to Nissan. Pricing starts at $17,000.

The Nissan Sakura.
The Nissan Sakura.
Nissan

Why buy something boring-sounding like a Camry or an Outback when you can own a Funky Cat. And yes, that’s actually what it’s called.

The Ora Funky Cat.
The Ora Funky Cat.
Chesnot/Getty Images

The quirky, retro hatchback from China’s Great Wall Motors promises 193 miles of range and a starting price of around $39,000 in the UK.

The Ora Funky Cat.
The Ora Funky Cat.
GWM

If you want an electric Mercedes in the states, it’ll have to be a relatively large sedan or SUV.

The Mercedes-Benz EQA.
The Mercedes-Benz EQA.
Mercedes-Benz
Overseas, you can get a little luxury SUV in the form of the EQA. It starts at around $50,000 in Germany.
The Mercedes-Benz EQA.
The Mercedes-Benz EQA.
Mercedes-Benz

There’s a handful of Chinese EV startups trying to challenge Tesla with premium, techy cars. One of them is Xpeng, which launched in 2015 and now sells four models.

The Xpeng P7 sedan.
The Xpeng P7.
Xpeng

Its sleek P7 sedan can go 438 miles on a full charge and hit 62 mph in 4.5 seconds, the company says. There’s also a limited-edition Wing version with Lamborghini-style scissor doors.

Xpeng Wing
Xpeng sells a limited-edition version of its P7 sedan with scissor doors.
Xpeng

The roughly $47,000 ET5 is Chinese startup Nio’s shot at the wildly popular Tesla Model 3 sedan.

The Nio ET5.
The Nio ET5.
Nio

It boasts soft-close doors, a minimalist interior made from recycled plastic, and a cute virtual assistant mounted to the dashboard.

The Nio ET5.
The Nio ET5.
Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

What really sets Nio apart is its battery-swapping tech. Pull into a Nio battery-swapping station and you can be back on the road with a full charge in minutes.

Nio battery swapping station.
Nio battery swapping station.
Jin Zheming/VCG via Getty Images
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