EVs Sweep 2026 World Car Awards

Photo by: Larry Evans EVs Sweep 2026 World Car Awards April 3, 2026 April 4, 2026 20 hours ago Larry Evans 0 Comments Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe

What's Happening

On Wednesday, April 1, the 22 nd World Car Awards announced the winners for 2026. Every year, a panel of journalists from around the world votes on finalists and winners in each category. While the test drives happen in California in the fall, the vehicles come from around the world — although, they need to be offered in more than one market to compete. The award show happens in New York in the spring, prior to the New York Auto Show.

Why This Matters for EV Owners

• The Mazda EZ-6/6e , which is available as a PHEV and a BEV, won 2026 World Car Design
• This design was originally developed for the Chinese market and was not present at the awards show
• The vehicle has more recently been introduced in Europe and Australia
• While the EZ-6 was not on display at the awards show, I had a chance to see it in Guangzhou, and I thought it was a sporty, appealing design

The Bigger Picture

Nio Firefly won 2026 World Urban Car. This car was also not at the awards or auto show, but I saw it in Guangzhou last fall. The premium subcompact makes sense for a World Car award, as this type of vehicle is well suited for European roads. Quality materials, RWD, modern tech, and more space on the inside than its exterior dimensions would suggest make it well suited for people who want a premium car but do not want a large car. The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N won the 2026 World Performance Car.

EV Comparison: How Do These Models Stack Up?

Among these models, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 Long Range leads in efficiency at 16.8 kWh/100km, while the Hyundai IONIQ 5 Long Range offers the longest range at 507 km WLTP.

Model	Battery	WLTP Range	Efficiency
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Long Range	77 kWh	507 km	16.8 kWh/100km
Audi Q4 e-tron 50	77 kWh	488 km	17.2 kWh/100km

Data sourced from EVRoutes' vehicle database covering 60+ EV models. Ranges are WLTP-rated and real-world results may vary by 10-20% based on driving conditions.

What to Watch Next

Of note, the regular IONIQ 6 has been discontinued in the US, but the 6 N is still offered for 2026. However, as Hyundai shifts in the US toward more hybrids and body-on-frame SUVs, with heavy localization, its future is a bit uncertain. The IONIQ 6 N win follows the IONIQ 5 N taking the same award last year. Both were present at the auto show, offering a ride along behind the Hyundai booth with Brazilian professional race car driver Gianfranco Casadei.