Availability of electric vehicles (EVs) on the lot varies by make and model in Ohio. But there are EVs — new and used — available with some manufacturers offering discounts to offset the end of the federal tax credits in 2025.
Some models have been discontinued or will soon be discontinued. These include the Kia EV 6 WIND which is in short supply, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 which is available only in the performance trim, the Volkswagen ID.4 which will now be built in Germany and imported, and the Ford Mach-E. Despite these challenges, availability of other models of EVs in the compact SUV class that my wife and I recently considered was reasonably good. We were able to test drive the Subaru Uncharted, Chevy Bolt EV and Chevy Equinox EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Toyota C-HR EV and Toyota bZ XLE AWD. While we liked the drive on all these vehicles, my wife wanted to stay with an AWD vehicle and liked the looks, interior build quality, and size of the Toyota bZ best.
We decided to purchase a 2026 Toyota bZ XLE AWD and I want to share some thoughts based on the experience.
We are now a two EV family. I am excited to see our cylinder count drop to zero at home! We have no more internal combustion engines in our garage for driving or gardening. We thought it was time to take the plunge for a new EV. Our daughter has graduated from college so we gave her our 2017 Subaru Forester as a graduation gift and went out shopping for the new EV. We are really like it.
I drive a 2020 Kia Niro EV, so the bZ has longer range, a faster onboard charger with preconditioning, and more storage space.
In terms of deals, we were able to get 0% financing, $1,500 off from the dealer, and $1,880 off by purchasing the EV using a Costco Auto Program available to members. The Costco program varies regionally. You enter your zip code to find which dealerships, make and model are participating in your area.
I was pleased that all of the dealerships we visited were willing to work with us to find an EV that would meet our needs. None of them tried to discourage us from an EV purchase.
There are lots of inexpensive EVs to choose from and used EVs have reached purchase price parity with used gasoline vehicles. Total cost of ownership for EVs is lower than for gas cars and that gap will likely widen give current international conditions.
Despite the slowdown on new EV sales in the United States due to the loss of the federal tax credits, there are still deals to be had. EVA of Ohio members are here to help answer any questions you may have about your next EV.