Here are 12 Safe Electric Cars Money Can Buy in 2026
Twelve electric cars and SUVs qualified for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2026 Top Safety Pick awards.
The numbers made up more than a quarter of the group’s 45 Top Safety Pick+ designation, the highest award from the insurance industry group. The Ford Mustang Mach-E was the only all-electric vehicle among the group’s Top Safety Pick winners, its second-highest award.
The findings come as interest in electric vehicles has grown as the price of gas rose to $3.99 on March 27. That’s up from $3.91 one week ago on March 20.
The IIHS said it would like to see automakers improve safety in all types of vehicles.
“This year, we’re asking automakers to make better protection for rear seat passengers,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “For TOP SAFETY PICK+, we need crash avoidance systems that are better at preventing pedestrian accidents and high-speed collisions with other vehicles.”
The USA TODAY Cars team looked at the IIHS rating and compiled a list of the safest electric cars on the market.
1. 2027 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron
MSRP: $66,700
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Audi did not comment on their 2026 IIHS recognition.
2. 2026 Genesis GV60
MSRP: $58,000
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Genesis said in a press release when several of its vehicles won the 2025 Top Safety Pick that the designation “positively reinforces Genesis’ reputation as a manufacturer of safe vehicles in the US market. This is because American consumers trust the IIHS’s scientific and systematic safety testing methods.”
3. 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5
MSRP: $36,600
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Hyundai said in a press release, “This honor highlights Hyundai’s commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest level of safety in the automotive industry.”
4. 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9
MSRP: $60,555
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Hyundai said in a press release that “2026 TSP+ awards are given to vehicles that meet strict criteria set by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including improved crash and occupant protection requirements.”
5. 2026 Kia EV9
MSRP: $60,555
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: SeungKyu (Sean) Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America, in a press release, “extending our IIHS recognition to all models shows how we prioritize safety as the agency’s safety standards continue to evolve.”
6. 2027 Audi Q6 e-tron
MSRP: $64,500
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Audi did not comment on their 2026 IIHS recognition.
7. 2027 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron
MSRP: $68,300
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Audi did not comment on their 2026 IIHS recognition.
8. 2026 Genesis Electrified GV70
MSRP: $76,740
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Genesis said in a press release when several of its vehicles won the 2025 Top Safety Pick that the designation “positively reinforces Genesis’ reputation as a manufacturer of safe vehicles in the US market. This is because American consumers trust the IIHS’s scientific and systematic safety testing methods.”
9. 2026 Rivian R1S
MSRP: $75,900
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Rivian said in a press release that “to date, the R1S is the only large-segment SUV made by an American automaker to receive the 2026 TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation (as of March 2026).”
10. 2026 Volvo EX90
MSRP: $78,090
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Volvo did not comment on its 2026 IIHS awards.
11. 2026 Tesla Cybertruck
MSRP: $79,990
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What they said: Tesla said on Tuesday, March 24 X the post “Cybertruck is very safe.”
12. 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E
MSRP: $40,595
IIHS Safety Rating: Select Maximum Safety
What they said: Ford CEO Jim Farley said in X’s post when the Mustang Mach-E won the previous Top Safety Pick award for 2024 that “keeping our customers safe is important, so this recognition is important to @Ford and our team.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here are the 12 safest electric cars money can buy in 2026.
Reporting by Keith Laing, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
