In a story I could have titled “Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” US President Donald Trump made headlines this week by expressing his love of small, affordable vehicles – and encouraging automakers to start building more compacts domestically. That’s great stuff, but there are dozens of some great compact cars out there already.
Here’s my list of compact EVs that need to find their way to America ASAP.
President Trump came back from a trip to Japan seemingly enamored with the countries compact cars, describing them as, “inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, and quite simply, AMAZING!!!” in an emotional post. Just a few days later, he was back on it, saying “I have just approved TINY CARS to be built in America,” the President said. “Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries.”
While I call BS on legacy CEOs like Jim Farley wanting to do anything but maximize corporate profits by squeezing hard-working Americans out of every penny he can by artificially inflating the cost of pickups whose tooling has been paid for since Florida’s “hanging chad” debacle back in 2000, I do love me some tiny cars – here are my top picks for some of the best small EVs that should get rushed to America.
Chevy Spark EUV
While it’s a long, long way from the Kei-cars that left Trump smitten after his trip to Japan, the made-in-Brazil Chevy Spark EUV would be among the smallest and most affordable SUVs sold in the US if GM decided to bring it here – and by leveraging the economies of scale it has with Chinese partner Baojun, there’s no reason to believe it couldn’t be sold for a bit less than Chevy’s newly updated 2026 Bolt.
Combine an accessible price with the boxy, SUV body design that Americans seem to love, and I think Chevy stores would have a winner.
Daihatsu Hijet Cargo EV
Daihatsu used to sell cars under its own brand in the US, and the Daihatsu Rocky 4×4 was fantastic fun back in the late 1980s and early 90s (trust me). Today, the brand is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota, who could bring its urban delivery-friendly Hijet Cargo EV microvan to the US in a big way through the company’s network of over 1,200 dealers.
The kei-class van promises about 200 km (~120 miles) of all-electric range and gobs of interior cargo space with enough payload to make them ideal for last-mile delivery duties and enough seats to make them capable campus shuttles, as well.
Fiat Topolino
Closer to a Mercury Villager Nautica or Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson than a new model on its own, the new Topolino Vilebrequin (above) features colors and fabrics inspired by the French surfwear brand, and is based on the Dolcevita version of Stellantis’ electric microcar. With its open sides, a soft rollback roof, and turtle-tastic fabric prints, it was perfectly designed to whisk you off on a carefree summer adventure in France or Italy — but would surely be just at home in Cape Cod, Key West, Palm Beach, or any of the swankier Lake Michigan beach towns.
Good news for this one: it’s already happening!
Piaggio Porter NPE
With the same-sized bed and an even higher payload capacity than a V6-powered Ford F-150 pickup,. the Piaggio Porter should already be the go-to pickup solution for fleets that are serious about doing the most work with the least amount of truck. For those cost-conscious fleet buyers, the right-sized Porter NPE from Vespa parent company Piaggio will be a no-brainer … if they ever get a chance to buy it, that is.
With up to 201 hp (150 kW) available from its powerful electric motor, the little Piaggo Porter NPE pickup packs more standard horsepower than the old 5.0L V8 Mustang your dad (possibly me) had in college. That motor gets its power from a 42 kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery that’s good for up to 255 km (~160 miles) of range, or about 205 km (~125 miles) under load.
GWM Ora Good Cat
Nearly a foot-and-a-half shorter than a Honda Civic, the compact Ora Good Cat from China’s Great Wall Motors (GWM) looks every bit like the answer to the question, “What if Porsche decided to build an affordable car?”
The Ora Good Cat’s retrolicious styling and 911-inspired headlights always turn heads in person, and it’s easy to love both the GWM’s exterior charm and the surprisingly refined interior. Under the hood, a 105 kW (~140 hp) electric motor delivers smooth, lively power to the front wheels, drawing power from a relatively large 63.1 kWh battery pack that’s good for up to about 500 km (~310 miles) of range on the NEDC cycle — enough to promise with real-world everyday range typically in the 240–300 mile range.
Lancia HF / Peugeot 205 / Renault 5
Take your pick — any or all of these electric Group B rally icon revivals would be an absolute blast to flog around America’s dirt roads, and they’d probably all fail to gain a foothold in the US mainstream car market just as effectively as their ICE-powered namesakes.
That said, the old car guys of tomorrow deserve to be every bit as salty about that fact — and the damn-near impossibility of getting proper cams made for my Lancia Beta’s racing engines — as I am, and these pint-sized holy terrors should be able to deliver on that in a huge way. I’d pick the Lancia, but the Renault makes a pretty compelling case for itself as well.
Top comment by NeilMx
I saw the Renault 5 at the weekend, and it's a lot of fun. They have done a fantastic job with the styling inside and out.
This really made me smile. Especially if you remember the original Renault 5.
It's a real shame you can't get it in the US.
It's a 2 adults + 2 small kids car, but a great second car for running around, but still has good range.
What do you think, dear Electrekkers — did I get the small EV you’re hoping to see on this list, or did I miss the obvious answer? Scroll on down to the comments and let me know.
Original content from Electrek.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments