At the beginning of 2025, I became curious about the viability of electric vehicle (EV) ownership in the roughly 4800 sq. km of Trinidad. It turns out that most local car dealers have begun transitioning their offerings to hybrid and EVs, with a plethora of models in an effort to satisfy consumer tastes. Over the last year, I have visited virtually all the major car dealers, including Southern Sales, Massy Motors Lafast Motors, ANSA Motors, Lifestyle Motors, and CAR. Below is my buying recommendation for the handful of vehicles you should primarily consider if you want an electric car.
TLDR: Get the KIA EV3 best for most buyers or the BYD Yuan Pro for the price conscience buyer.
When choosing the top EVs, several criteria must be met by all vehicles under consideration. Namely:
Range: at least 400km ~
All electric vehicles’ real-world range is less than the advertised range. Based on vehicles testing by professional reviewers like Carwow, Electrifying, What Car?, Chasing Cars, etc., most of these vehicles get between 80-90% of the advertised range. Therefore, if the advertised range is too low to start real world may end up impractical and small. Nobody wants a $200,000 new car and be worried about if it’s going to make it to Maracas and back on a single charge.
Price: less than $400,000
EVs are a relatively new technology and therefore come with a price premium you must accept, even with the current government VAT and duties waivers. Although this buying advice is for the average buyer, I want to include some options for those with reasonably deeper pockets. Therefore, I set a price ceiling of $400,00.
Categories
Here are 6 categories that most buyers will prioritise:
- Best Big EV
- Best Low-Cost EV
- Max Range EV
- Best Tech EV
- Best All-Round EV
- Best Performance EV
Best BIG EV
Price $300,000 – $400,000
| Vehicle | Pros | Cons |
| KIA EV 5 Mid Wind 4615 x 1875 x 1715 mm (LxWxH) | Wide range of tech features, Attractive styling, Motorised Tailgate, Sunroof, Class-leading range 550 km per charge, Backed by a traditional car brand, Wide range of colour choices | Highest price in its class |
| Proton e.Mas 7 4615 x 1901 x 1670mm (LxWxH) | Largest size, Lowest priced in its class, more tech and features than the KIA EV 5 | A smaller Korean brand that maybe less stable long term |
| KGM Torres EVX 4715 x 1890 x 1725mm (LxWxH) | Rugged styling, Established Korean brand, Unique classy interior design, Above average range | A smaller Korean brand that may be less stable long-term |
Best Low-Cost EV
Price $238,000 – $300,000
| Pros | Cons | |
| BYD Yuan Pro Price: $230,000 | Best priced EV on the market, BYD features like a large rotating infotainment screen, 360 cameras, safety features, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, etc. | Relatively new car brand locally and internationally, reports of quality/reliability issues in other markets |
| MG MG4 Long Range Price: $250,000 | Class-leading range for the price, | Reports of software issues internationally with other models, Some mechanical and electrical issues were reported by local buyers, interior as good as others in its category |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| Kia EV 3 Price: $300,000 | Everything you need from a brand you can trust | $50,000+ more than other options, limited tech and features |
| Volvo EX30 Core Price $300,000 | Class-leading performance, Brand with a long history locally and internationally. | Missing feature for top spec models, limited back seat legroom |
Max Range EV
Price $250,000 – $400,000
| Pros | Cons | |
| KIA EV 5 Mid Wind – 550 km range | Highest claimed range of any EV under $400,000, all the features you could want, futuristic design | Top of the price range |
| MG 4 Long Range – 530 km range | Leading range for price class, Includes all the tech and features you want | Tech is not as polished as other vehicles, Lesser-known brand, recent addition to the local market |
| BYD Dolphin GL – 490 km range | BYD features and design, but in a long-range compact vehicle. | brand new to the local and international market |
| Honourable Mention | ||
| KGM Torres EVX – 462 km range | Same class as Kia EV5 for less money, stylish interior, commanding exterior design | Brand new to the local market, a smaller Korean brand |
| BYD Yuan Plus – 480 km range | BYD features and tech, good size for the average buyer, wide array of color options | Smaller size than others in its price class |
Best Tech EV
Price $300,000 – 400,000
| Pros | Cons | |
| Mini Aceman SE | More features and technology both inside and out, than others in price and size class | Lower range than others in price and size class, BMW technology may be more expensive to maintain |
| Proton e.Mas 7 | All the features for the top spec Mini Aceman without self-driving | Lesser-known brand locally and internationally |
| KGM Torres EVX | All the features of Proton e.Mas 7 without the sunroof for a bit more money. | Lesser-known brand locally and internationally |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| BYD Brand | All their vehicle gives you more features and technology both inside and out than the price would suggest. | Lesser-known brand locally and internationally, New to vehicle manufacturing |
Best All Round
Price $230,000 – $400,000
| Proton e.Mas 7 | Great low-cost option with all the features you need and none of the features you would miss |
| KGM Torres EVX | All the features for the Proton e.Mas 7 without the sunroof for a bit more money. |
| KIA EV3 | Smaller and less feature-rich than the eMas 7 or the EVX, but from a brand that more people would be comfortable buying. |
| Honorable Mention | |
| BYD Yuan Pro | Great low-cost option with all the features you need and none of the features you would miss |
Best Performance
Price $270,000 – $375,000
| MG MG4 X-Power 429 HP | Fastest EV on the market for under $400,000. |
| Volvo EX 30 268 HP | Best performance from traditional brand |
| Mini Aceman 227 HP | Great handling |
For a richer overview of the local EV brands, learn more here.
For a full list of specifications and prices of these models and others not listed, can be found here.
Jemuel|Griffith 