Small SUVs · Electric · model year 2026
Kia Niro Electric vs Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y is rated 25 MPGe higher than the Kia Niro Electric in model year 2026, 138 against 113 combined, which is 22% more distance from the same energy.
Side by side
| Measure | Kia Niro Electric | Tesla Model Y |
|---|---|---|
| Combined fuel economy (best version) | 113 MPGe | 138 MPGe |
| City | 126 MPG | 148 MPG |
| Highway | 101 MPG | 129 MPG |
| Annual fuel cost | $700 | $550 |
| Tailpipe CO2 | 0 g/mile | 0 g/mile |
| Lowest rated version | 113 MPGe | 105 MPGe |
| Rated versions | 1 | 6 |
| All-electric range | 253 mi | 321 mi |
| Rank in class (best combined rating) | 11th of 113 | 1st of 113 |
| Class | Small SUVs | Small SUVs |
| Powertrain | Electric | Electric |
Better figure in bold; each model's most efficient version.
Fuel economy and cost
Fuel bills differ by $150 a year. The Tesla Model Y comes to $550 and the Kia Niro Electric to $700, both at 15,000 miles a year.
Where each one ranks
Within their class the Kia Niro Electric is tied for 11th of 113 small SUVs, in the top quarter. The Tesla Model Y is the most efficient of the 113 small SUVs rated that year.
The Kia Niro Electric has 1 rated version, from 113 to 113 MPGe. The Tesla Model Y has 6, from 105 to 138 MPGe. For the most efficient versions, the Kia Niro Electric is rated 25 higher in the city (126 against 101), while the Tesla Model Y is rated 19 higher in the city (148 against 129).
The two versions closest in rating are Niro Electric: electric motor, Automatic (A1), FWD at 113 MPGe and Model Y Performance AWD: electric motor, Automatic (A1), AWD at 105, 8 MPGe apart.
Ratings by model year
Both models are in the data for 7 model years, 2020 to 2026. The Kia Niro Electric has the higher best rating in 0 of them and the Tesla Model Y in 7. The widest gap, 25 MPGe, was in 2026, when the Tesla Model Y led.
| Model year | Kia Niro Electric | Tesla Model Y | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 113 | 138 | -25 |
| 2025 | 113 | 125 | -12 |
| 2024 | 113 | 120 | -7 |
| 2023 | 113 | 123 | -10 |
| 2022 | 112 | 129 | -17 |
| 2021 | 112 | 129 | -17 |
| 2020 | 112 | 121 | -9 |
| 2019 | 112 | not in data | n/a |