The electric vehicle market continues to transform at a break-neck pace, with automakers from across the globe engaged in a proverbial gold rush for the hearts and minds of not-so-early adopters. As more and more OEMs dive in, the market for battery-electrics is growing more and more diverse. Look no further than this year’s crop of contenders for Best EV.

Covering a price spectrum from $58,000 to $154,000, range figures from 266 to 516 miles, and outputs from 320 horsepower to 1,000, there was almost an EV for everyone in this year’s contest. The body styles reflected that diversity in price, range, and output, too. We had a works-for-everyone hatchback with retro-tastic styling, a brutalist off-roader, a workhorse truck, and two full-tilt luxury products. And after a week of driving, charging, and yes, performance testing, the winner might not be what you expected. Read on to find out why the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is InsideEVs Best EV.

What We Looked For

The most important qualities in modern EVs are range, price, and charging speed (in that order). How vehicles balance those qualities, though, is open for debate. In particular, range is dependent not just on the efficiency of software managing the motor(s)/battery pack, but on the aerodynamics. And of course, we considered novel features, be it hands-free driver aids or alternative ways to use the onboard electricity (such as Ford’s ProPower Onboard system).

GMC Hummer EV | BMW iX | Lucid Air | Hyundai…