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Toyota’s hybrid-electric Prius AWD Nightshade has a price tag including its Delivery, Processing, and Handling Fee of just $35,395. We’ve searched high and low to find an all-wheel battery-electric vehicle that can beat that price, and have come up with zero models that can do so. BEVs have never been able to match the affordable all-wheel drive hybrid-electric vehicles offered by Toyota and Ford. With the “free money” federal tax incentives about to exit stage left, we expect that hybrids will continue their surge in popularity.
Here Are the Lowest Cost EVs, and They Lack One Important Feature
The battery-electric Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro EV, and Nissan Leaf all offer low entry prices for their base models. These EVs are great. I’ve tested the Leaf, Niro, and Kona many times, and I love them. I think that for the right buyer, they are outstanding choices. The problem is, they don’t offer AWD. I really loved the Bolt and the Bolt EUV as well. However, those now canceled models didn’t have AWD either. Some EVs are great vehicles with fair prices, but without AWD, they don’t qualify for our comparison to the all-wheel drive-equipped Prius.
Here Are Two EVs With Low Advertised Prices, but Check Out the Price Penalty for AWD
There is really just one “good” low-cost EV left in America that can even be mentioned in the same breath as a Prius when it comes to price. That is the Chevy Equinox EV. You’ve heard the hype. “$35k!” And GM finally did introduce its LT1 trim after it sold a bunch of the pricier trims. However, the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV LT1 AWD has a price of $40,295. AWD spoils its “thirty-something” price point.
Tesla’s Model 3 is a great car. It was the best-selling EV in America for many months of 2025. However, the 2025 Tesla Model 3 Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive carries a super steep price tag of $49,130. That is almost 50% more expensive than the AWD Prius Nightshade.
As good as these two Prius rivals are, neither one offers Android Auto, which is standard in every Prius.
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The Prius AWD Nightshade Is Not the Least Expensive Green Car With All-Wheel Drive
If you examine the Toyota lineup, you will find other green vehicles with a lower price point than the 2025 Prius Nightshade AWD. For example, the Corolla Hybrid LE AWD has a price of just $27,170. Over at Ford, the Maverick pickup’s XL Hybrid AWD trim has a cost of $32,755. There are other options out there for those with $35K to spend on an AWD green vehicle.
We opted to highlight the Prius Nightshade AWD because its $35K price point comes with a lot of content. It’s a great vehicle that doesn’t feel stripped down at all. The Prius is quick, good-looking, and the Prius is a Top Safety Pick+ rated vehicle. The Prius is also one of the most reliable cars ever built, according to Consumer Reports. Add a $1K optional glass roof, and you’re still way below any comparable BEV. In our testing, we observed 57.5 MPG in a mix of highway and suburban traffic in the Prius AWD. There is no battery-electric vehicle that can rival the Prius for cost per mile of energy in my testing area of Metro Boston.
EVs are headed for some tough times, and one big reason that 92% of Americans don’t buy an EV when they shop is price. There are a lot of great green vehicles with all-wheel drive priced at or under $36K, and there are zero battery-electric vehicles in that price range.
Do you think the lack of affordable all-wheel drive battery-electric vehicles will hurt adoption after the rebates are ended? Tell us in the comments below.
John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John’s by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.
Image by John Goreham.
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Source: torquenews.com
