There has never been a better time to buy an electric vehicle

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you would have noticed that in just under a decade we have gone from electric vehicles (EVs) being positioned as expensive toys for early adopters to high-value transportation options.

These EVs are now not only cheaper than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, but also arguably better supported when it comes to aftersales provisions.

As of today, two of the cheapest EVs you can buy in Australia are the BYD Dolphin and MG 4 electric hatchbacks.

The new Essential version of the Dolphin is priced from $29,990 before on-road costs, while the GWM Ora now starts at $33,990 drive-away and the MG 4 Excite 51 can be had for $34,990 drive-away.

Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.

Other notable EV options include the Nissan Leaf (from $34,990 drive-away) hatch and Chery Omoda E5 BX small SUV (from $36,990 before on-road costs).

Taking the MG 4 as an example here, let’s compare what MG is offering with its entry-level EV compared to what Toyota is offering with its popular and similarly sized Corolla:

If you did not carry any brand prejudice or bias, what compelling reason would any buyer have to pick a Toyota Corolla over an MG 4?

On the one hand, you have a traditional combustion-powered vehicle from a different era, which is less efficient, more expensive, doesn’t drive as nicely (front-wheel drive versus rear-wheel drive), is slower and has five years less warranty.

So, while you can tell me how reliable the Corolla will be, MG backs that up with an actual warranty. If the Corolla is super reliable, why doesn’t it have a 10-year warranty?

You can also argue that, unlike the more recently tested MG 4, the ageing Corolla hasn’t been tested to the latest safety standards (but with ANCAP being as meaningless as it is, this is not a huge concern, and we believe the Corolla to be very safe regardless).

What the Corolla has going in its favour is potential resale value and the brand credibility that Toyota offers with its vast dealer network (although MG has almost 100 dealers in Australia).

However, while second-hand EV prices have been a point of concern for some, it’s fair to say that at these price points and with a transferable 10-year warranty for the MG 4 (the vehicle and its battery), once the market settles down on its EV doubt, these resale values will start to look more comparable, especially given the lower starting prices of EVs.

It’s not just the MG 4. The BYD Dolphin, Chery Omoda E5 and the GWM Ora are all offering extremely compelling reasons as to why your next car should be an EV.

If we are to address the elephant in the room, there is an undeniable underbelly of doubt among many Australians when it comes to buying a Chinese EV.

It’s a big leap of faith for many to go into the unknown, but one can jump on Facebook or other social media pages and join owner groups to see the near-endless posts from happy customers sharing their EV experience with these brands (and yes, the occasional negative one as well, as you would expect with any brand).

Then, of course, you have the Chinese-made Teslas, which sit and play at different price points and segments, but also outshine cars like the Camry and RAV4 with the Model 3 and Model Y respectively.

As an admitted EV sceptic, it is becoming harder and harder not to recommend a super affordable Chinese-made EV to buyers asking the right questions.