2022 Mazda MX-30 EV

100-mile range makes this one a tough sell.

- Conner Golden

We like the 2022 Mazda MX-30 EV, and we think you will, too, but it comes with asterisks. One notable caveat is that only 560 examples of the electric car came to the U.S. in 2021, all of which were offered exclusively in the electric Elysium that is California. Not a resident of the Golden State? There's an MX-30 out there for you yet, just be patient.

Mazda's first production foray into the blossoming EV space carries a range of just 100 miles, so plug in often. Mazda bills this as a commuter car aimed at drivers who only cover 30 miles a day. Still, 100 miles in a car that begins at $34,645 is a tough sell when similarly priced competitors like the Chevy Bolt EUV and Hyundai Kona Electric offer more than double that distance. The MX-30 doesn't blow minds with charge speed, either; its 35.5-kWh battery pack charges from 5 to 80 percent in 36 minutes on a Level 3 50-kW fast charger. For Level 2, bring a book; the same charge range takes just shy of three hours. Those stats were all right for 2015, not for 2021.