2026 CarExpert Choice Awards: Best Luxury EV

This award category covers premium electric vehicles that combine cutting-edge electrification with luxury, advanced technology, and performance.

Luxury electric vehicles sit at the leading edge of the market, flagship models that pair zero-emissions driving with the premium materials, advanced technology and the type of sophisticated engineering expected from high-end brands. The best examples show that electric power can enhance rather than compromise the luxury experience, delivering instant torque and a level of quiet refinement that's difficult to match with a combustion engine.

Our Best Luxury EV category recognises the models that best combine range, charging performance, technology, craftsmanship and overall refinement. Judged by CarExpert's automotive journalists and grounded in real-world testing, this award reflects CarExpert's role as a trusted source of practical, independent car advice, giving Kiwi buyers a clear guide to the vehicles most worth considering.

Winner: Volvo EX90

Taking out the 2026 CarExpert Choice Award for Best Luxury EV is the Volvo EX90.

The EX90 carries over much of what makes the XC90 such an enduring choice - seven-seat practicality, a refined Scandinavian cabin and Volvo's reputation for safety - and pairs it with a dual-motor all-wheel drive electric powertrain.

We chose the EX90 because of how completely it delivers on the luxury EV brief without overcomplicating it. The interior is calm and beautifully finished, the technology is comprehensive without feeling gimmicky, and the powertrain offers performance and refinement in equal measure.

Its practicality is a genuine strength in this category. Few luxury EVs offer usable three-row seating alongside this level of finish, making the EX90 a rare option for buyers who need family-friendly space without stepping away from premium materials or advanced safety technology.

It isn't the sharpest EV here to drive, but that was never the point. The EX90 is built around comfort, quietness and everyday usability, and it executes that brief better than anything else in its class.

For buyers wanting a genuinely premium electric SUV with room for the whole family, the EX90 can’t be beat.

Finalist: Porsche Macan

Joining the shortlist as a finalist is the Porsche Macan.

The now electric-only Macan offers the sharp handling and premium interior quality expected of a Porsche, wrapped up in a package that retains everyday SUV practicality. It's the driver's choice in this category, trading some of the EX90's outright space for the kind of dynamic ability that sets Porsche apart. The cabin is a clear step up in technology over the previous petrol Macan, and the switch to electric power hasn't dulled the sense of occasion buyers expect from the badge.

Finalist: BMW i5

Rounding out the finalists is the BMW i5.

The i5 offers all the strengths of the 5 Series with electric power, boasting strong performance, impressive refinement and engaging driving dynamics. As a sedan it's a more traditional proposition than its SUV rivals, but it makes a compelling case for buyers who value polish and driving enjoyment over outright practicality. A well-resolved interior and competitive range round out a package that feels every bit a premium BMW, just without the tailpipe.

See the full list of winners here.