5 Of The Safest EVs You Can Buy Right Now, According To Experts – BGR

Like traditional gas-powered cars, you need to consider a variety of factors when buying an electric vehicle (EV). One of the key features that you need to pay attention to is the driving range. While you can extend the driving range of an EV, buying one with a better range will give you peace of mind while taking long trips. Another important feature you should pay attention to is vehicle safety. If you’re shopping for a car that you’ll be using to move your family around between destinations, you need an EV that will be able to give them a higher chance of survival in case of an accident. 

As a driver, you’re probably already aware you can utilize completely safe driving habits, but unfortunately still get involved in an accident because someone else made an error. That’s why any EV that you buy should be one offering you the best chances of survival in such instances. We’ve compiled a list of the five safest EVs on the market that have been tested and given a top rating for protecting you and your loved ones in case of an accident. 

Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether an EV is safe or not by simply looking at it or reading the spec sheet. So to come up with this list, we’ve relied on ratings from safety agencies such as the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). You can read more about our methodology at the end of the article.

The Tesla Model Y is a popular electric SUV among buyers because it can drive over 300 miles on a single charge, comes with plenty of cargo space, and has a spacious interior. For the 2026 model year, Tesla has given the Model Y’s exterior a refresh to make it look like the Model 3 sedan. Of course, like on other Tesla models, the company has kept the touch-screen-based interface in the cabin, which can lead to distracted driving and reduced reaction times. 

Despite that, the Model Y is one of the safest EVs you can buy, according to ratings recently published by the NHTSA. The 2026 Tesla Model Y earned a perfect five-star Overall Safety Rating. Aside from the overall, the Model Y also earned five stars in all three of the agency’s tests, which include side crash, frontal crash, and rollover. 

Some of the car’s built-in safety features include airbags in all seats and a bunch of safety and crash-avoidance features like lane departure warnings and automated emergency braking. If you’d like to get your hands on a brand new Tesla Model Y, you should expect to spend between $39,990 and $57,940, depending on trim and without any additional options.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 is an electric three-row SUV that can seat around seven people, making it a model worth considering for families. In terms of safety, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is one of the safest midsize SUVs on the market, according to IIHS data. This car earned the agency’s highest Top Safety Pick+ rating, and is thus one of the winners in terms of safety in the midsize SUV category, based on 2025 test data. In short, that means the Ioniq 9 aced in all the categories tested by the IIHS. 

However, as of this writing, it hasn’t been safety rated by the NHTSA. The Ioniq 9 includes a variety of features to protect you while you’re behind the wheel, such as automated emergency braking (with pedestrian, car, and cyclist detection), blind-spot view monitor, blind-spot collision avoidance, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning, and more. 

Apart from impressive safety ratings, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 comes with an all-wheel or rear-wheel drivetrain, with an EPA-estimated range of between 311 and 335 miles, and enough space in the cabin. The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 starts at an MSRP of $60,555 for the entry-level trim, and the highest trim starts at $79,090.

The 2026 Mach-E is a compact SUV that comes in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive options and can seat up to five. Borrowing the Mustang name from Ford’s legendary muscle car, it’s an all-electric SUV with up to 320 miles of EPA-estimated range. Behind the wheel, Car and Driver says the 2026 Mustang Mach-E is “remarkably quick,” due to Ford offering up to 480 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque in the Mach-E Rally and GT trims. 

Ford built this car with safety in mind, making it earn the highest ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA. The NHTSA awarded the 2026 Mach-E an Overall Safety Rating of 5/5, despite not earning a perfect 5/5 score in every category. It earned a 5/5 score in both rollover and side crash tests, although fell short of the perfect score by one point in the agency’s frontal crash test. 

On the other hand, the IIHS awarded the Mach-E its highest Top Safety Pick+ rating, with perfect scores in all categories but one: seatbelt latch ease of use. Some of the safety features that the Mach-E comes with include rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. The 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E starts at $37,795 for the entry-level Select trim, while the top-end Rally trim starts at $57,690.

The Swedish automaker Volvo has been widely regarded as one of the most reputable auto brands in terms of safety for years. The name Volvo is almost synonymous with safety, as the company has invested in some of the widely-used safety features in modern cars, such as side-impact airbags, three-point safety belts, and a side-impact protection system. 

The EX90 is the company’s large all-electric SUV with three rows that can seat up to six or seven, and comes with one of the best factory-installed sound systems in an EV. Volvo’s commitment to safety is well-known, and the EX90 is a solid option if you’re looking for a full-size electric SUV that’s aced safety tests. The 2026 EX90 is rated highly by the IIHS for safety, and it has earned the agency’s Top Safety Pick+ rating. 

In fact, the 2026 EX90 is only one of the two large electric SUVs to earn the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick+ rating in 2025. In the IIHS’ safety rating, the EX90 aced all the categories except for its headlights and ease of use of the safety belt latch, but both received an average score of “Acceptable”. The price of the 2026 Volvo EX90 ranges between $78,090 and $91,240.

Part of Audi’s EV lineup, the 2025 Audi A6 e-tron is a sedan that packed the company’s latest technology at the time it was introduced. Starting at $65,900, the Audi A6 e-tron is certainly not one of the cheapest EVs you can buy, but if you want a four-door sedan that’s impressed safety experts at the IIHS, it’s a solid contender. 

This is because the 2025 model year of the Audi A6 e-tron was awarded the agency’s Top Safety Pick+ rating, becoming one of two electric sedans with such an honor. Like some of the EVs above, the 2025 Audi A6 e-tron hasn’t been rated by the NHTSA, because the agency only selects a few models for crash testing per year. The A6 e-tron has several safety and driver-assistance features, such as lane-departure warning, automated emergency braking, and blind-spot warning. 

The 2025 A6 Sportback e-tron comes with either a rear-wheel or all-wheel drivetrain configuration. It supports up to 270 kW DC fast charging speeds and up to 392 miles of EPA-estimated driving range on the RWD model with the Ultra package. This EV comes in three trims: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige.

Both the IIHS and NHTSA crash test vehicles for safety, and give each tested model a rating based on different standards. For this list, we used ratings from both agencies to find the five safest EVs one can buy on the market right now with the highest ratings from either agency. One EV model that we’ve listed is from 2025, because we only considered model years that have been tested for safety by either one agency or both. We’ve also selected five models only from the NHTSA and IIHS websites, but there are more EVs that have received high safety ratings that you can buy today. This list is arranged in no particular order.