America’s electric car market is not very hot right now, with experts estimating that sales in this year’s first quarter dropped by 28%. It wasn’t great last year, either, with a 2% decrease, thanks in no small part to the cancellation of the $7,500 federal tax credit.
Meanwhile, Europe is seeing a huge uptick in electric car sales. Last year, numbers went up by nearly 30%, and the first months of 2026 gave no sign of slowing down. I can’t help but wonder: Could some of the best EVs in Europe make a difference if they were sold stateside?
Canada is preparing to open the floodgates to Chinese-made EVs, which are bound to stir some controversy. But you won’t see any of those in the U.S. Still, European companies have plenty of EVs that I think could do pretty well in America—as long as they are priced right. (I think we can all agree that nobody wants another Volvo EX30 story.)
Photo by: Cupra
Cupra Born
- Price in Europe: from €40,450 ($46,700)
- Range: from 428 km (266 miles) WLTP
Cupra, one of the many brands under the Volkswagen Group’s umbrella, seemed prepared to land in the United States, but that plan has been put on the back burner for now, seeing how the car market there isn’t exactly stable.
If the brand were to come stateside, the Born four-door electric hatchback would take on rivals such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt EV. Cupra’s compact offering is based on the same underpinnings as the Volkswagen ID.3, which was once hailed as the electric alternative to the iconic Golf.
The difference between the ID.3 and Born is that the latter is much more fun to drive, thanks to a revised chassis setup and its rear-wheel drive powertrain. You might have to explain to your friends what car you’re driving more than once, but if you don’t want a boring commuter car, this would be great.
The base trim gets 204 horsepower, while the sporty spec goes up to 326 hp.
Photo by: Fiat
Fiat Grande Panda
- Price in Europe: from €24,990 ($28,900)
- Range: from 320 km (199 miles) WLTP
Fiat’s U.S. portfolio only includes the electric 500e, which is quite the fashionable urban runabout. But it’s expensive and cramped inside. The new Grande Panda EV would right both of these wrongs, with a bigger—albeit more stripped down—cabin and a lower price tag.
Mind you, this is still a small car, but at least it has four doors. Plus, it’s one of the most unpretentious EVs out there, with a no-nonsense attitude. It even has a built-in Level 2 charging cable tucked in the nose. Plus it has chunky styling that gives it a better presence than city cars that failed to take off in the U.S.
Photo by: Andrei Nedelea
Renault 5
- Price in Europe: from €28,000 ($32,350)
- Range: from 312 km (194 miles) WLTP
Remember the Le Car? Probably not, but I’m here to help. It was Renault’s attempt at selling the original Renault 5 in the United States. Suffice to say, it didn’t go well, but the good news is that there’s a brand-new Renault 5 in Europe.
It’s only available as an electric car, and it’s a fantastic one at that. It looks great, it drives nicely, and it doesn’t break the bank. Plus, you can get a baguette holder as an official accessory. Again, small hatchbacks haven’t exactly been popular in the U.S. historically. But come on, look at this thing.
Volkswagen ID.7
- Price in Europe: from €54,505 ($62,900)
- Range: from 599 km (372 miles) WLTP
The Volkswagen ID.7 is the only car on this list that had a real chance of being sold stateside before the German automaker changed its mind and pulled the plug, citing “the ongoing challenging EV climate.”
Positioned as the all-electric alternative to the Passat sedan, the ID.7 is a very smooth road-tripping machine, as our former editor-in-chief found out after driving the battery-powered sedan on Germany’s Autobahn. And now that the Tesla Model S is out of the picture, the ID.7 would make for a great alternative. There’s also a wagon version, which I have personally shortlisted for my next car purchase.