According to the US Department of Energy, Florida had one of the highest numbers of EV registrations in June 2021. And the state is making changes year by year to support electric vehicles. If you’re looking to take advantage of the new infrastructure, you may be wondering what the most popular EVs in Florida are, and we have a great list for you!
Total Electric Vehicles Sold in Florida
Between January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, 95,640 all-electric vehicles were registered in Florida. That’s a lot of EVs! While we don’t have exact numbers and percentages for all registered electric vehicles, we do have some of the most common. Tesla made up 56% of the stock sold, with their Model X and Model 3 being the most popular options. Ford had the second highest percentage, but significantly under Tesla, making up just 19%. The rest are all smaller percentages, with Nissan, BMW, and Chevrolet rounding out the more popular models.
| Make/Model | EV Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tesla | 56% |
| Ford | 19% |
| Nissan | 7% |
| BMW | 4% |
| Chevrolet | 2% |
| Other | 12% |
| Total | 100% |
5 Most Popular EVs in Florida
Now that you know about the most popular EVs in Florida, let’s talk about the models themselves in more detail!
Tesla Model X
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Looking for luxury? One of the top Tesla models is the Model X, and it comes in at a whopping $109,990. However, it’s not expensive just for the sake of it. Model X is one of the top cars on the EV market right now.
First, the Model X has a 100-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and can recharge at speeds of up to 250 kW. The driving range varies, but a full charge usually gets you at least 329 miles. Tesla also includes driver assistance and active safety technologies like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking.
Full Self-Driving (FSD) is an optional technology that claims to provide hands-free, autonomous driving. However, a number of high-profile close calls and deadly collisions employing Autopilot or FSD have raised concerns about their safety, especially at intersections. So we don’t suggest using this feature unless absolutely necessary.
Also, recharging is quick and easy at Tesla Superchargers across the country. In fact, these charges can fully charge your EV in less than an hour. But you can also charge your Tesla at home with a 240V or 120V connection. These will be slower, but they are cheaper and easier to use for many owners.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
The Mustang Mach E is faster, more powerful, and more expensive than the Chevy Bolt.
©Gabriel Nica/Shutterstock.com
If you prefer speed over luxury, you’ll want to check out the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Select is the base model, and it comes with either a single-motor rear-wheel drive or a dual-motor all-wheel drive system. The car has a 402-liter trunk capacity. It is only available with the standard-range 70-kWh battery, and Ford estimates a range of 247 miles. But, the 0-60 time for the rear drive is just 5.8 seconds. That’s incredibly fast!
If you upgrade to the Premium trim, you’ll get a 91-kWh extended-range battery with a range of around 306 miles. So it depends on how much you plan on traveling and if you’ll have regular access to a charger.
Every 2023 Mustang Mach-E, regardless of trim level, comes with Ford Co-Pilot360 driver assistance technology. Automatic emergency braking, rear automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic monitoring, a lane-keeping system, and automated high beams are among the system’s capabilities. You can also upgrade to BlueCruise, which offers hands-free driving and a 360-degree view camera system, but that costs extra.
All of these features are pretty amazing for a sports EV, but the base price starts at around $46,000. Not terrible, but not cheap either. However, for a Mustang, and with the range, it’s not a bad deal!
Nissan Leaf
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Looking for a budget-friendly option to get you from Point A to Point B? None fits the bill better than Nissan Leaf! Coming in at under $29,000, this is significantly cheaper than the Tesla and Mustang.
The Leaf is a simple car and won’t likely win any racing or design awards. It’s a cute but plain four-door hatchback with straightforward styling. However, it’s quiet and easy to handle, making it a great first EV car for new drivers or those who want easy-going.
The base Leaf comes standard with a 40-kWh battery pack and a 147-horsepower (110-kW) electric motor with 236 pound-feet of torque. The SV Plus has a 62-kWh battery and a 214-hp (160-kW) motor with a torque of 250 lb-ft. Both models are front-wheel drive and have a single-gear transmission. The extra horsepower in the Leaf Plus gives it a touch more zip when passing and off the line — around 7 seconds from zero to 60 mph vs 7.8 seconds for the regular Leaf. The low-mounted battery pack aids in its traction on the road too.
The Environmental Protection Agency rates the 2023 Nissan Leaf S to drive up to 149 miles on a single charge, the shortest range of any vehicle in its class. The Leaf SV Plus has a range of 212 miles. So, while this won’t be a travel across the country car, it can get you around the city easily. Plugging the Leaf in a Level 2 charger can get it charged in 6 hours or less, so you can just plug it in at night.
While the Leaf isn’t a winner when it comes to style or luxury, it’s a great starter car and an awesome commuter.
BMW 530e
©Mohd Syis Zulkipli/Shutterstock.com
So technically, the 530e is a hybrid, but it’s incredibly popular in Florida! Starting at around $56,000, it’s luxury at a (fairly) affordable price, getting you the best of both worlds.
The PHEV arrangement allows the 530e to cruise silently for up to 21 miles (18 for the xDrive), contributing to the onboard serenity. Even with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine turned on, it hums pleasantly and never bothers you. You’ll also get up to 64 MPGe thanks to the 3.7 kW AC charging capacity. A complete charge takes only three hours when utilizing a 120V (level 1) outlet.
Unfortunately, the 2023 models (and future models) won’t include the Parking Assistance package. That means no automatic parking and no low-speed braking while manually parking. Also, they won’t have built-in dash-cam capabilities (BMW’s Drive Recorder) and no 3D surround-view video system. So keep that in mind if those features are important to you.
Chevrolet Bolt EV
©Miro Vrlik Photography/Shutterstock.com
Chevrolet is selling the Bolt EV hatchback for a shockingly low price of just $26,000 in 2023. Despite the inflation, the Bolt EV is now almost $10,000 cheaper than it was five years ago, and we think it’s a much better car.
A single electric motor powers the front wheels. If you’re searching for something slightly faster, you won’t go wrong with Leaf. It’s somewhat more powerful than the base Nissan Leaf, with 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque.
A 65-kWh lithium-ion battery pack has a range of 259 kilometers on a single charge. Regenerative braking, which is activated by a paddle on the steering wheel, allows the Bolt EV to transform kinetic energy from deceleration into energy. This energy can be stored in the battery pack. Furthermore, one-pedal driving provides the convenience of accelerating, decelerating, and stopping the vehicle using only the accelerator. Not to mention, it prevents the battery from draining faster.
The vehicle includes an 11.5-kW-capable onboard charging module. Bolt EV’s 65-plus kWh lithium-ion battery pack adds up to 37 miles of range per hour of charge when utilizing a 240-volt 48-amp charging station.
A level 2 charger will take roughly 7 hours to charge the EV fully. According to Chevrolet, DC fast-charging can provide up to 100 miles of range in 30 minutes. However, this level of charge is only available at commercial charging stations.
Wrapping Up
No matter your budget or the features you want, you can get any of the popular EVs in Florida. And each one is a great vehicle in its own right. You just need to find what works best for your lifestyle!
Breaking EV News
June 8, 2023 — General Motors (GM) announced today that their EVs will be able to charge at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers using an adaptor at the start of 2024. On May 25, 2023, Ford made a similar announcement. Both companies will feature Tesla’s North American Charging Standard connector starting in 2025.
According to GM’s CEO Mary Barra, “This collaboration is a key part of our strategy and an important next step in quickly expanding access to fast chargers for our customers. Not only will it help make the transition to electric vehicles more seamless for our customers, but it could help move the industry toward a single North American charging standard.”
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Grzegorz Czapski/Shutterstock.com.
