Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025

By Nick Godt Published December 31, 2024

Faraday Future FF 91 — Faraday Future

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Recommended Videos

It’s still noteworthy to know that should Chinese giant BYD sell its most affordable EVs stateside, they would still be the least expensive EVs on the U.S. market, being priced under $25,000, even after the tariff.

That makes the announcement from Faraday Future all the more exciting: The California start-up firm says it will provide a business update on two prototypes of its FX brand, the FX 5 and FX 6, at CES 2025 .

Back in September, Faraday told investors that the FX 5 would be priced somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000.

Depending on the actual price, and the fate of existing federal tax credits, the FX 5 could effectively become the least expensive EV sold in the U.S.

Currently, the Nissan Leaf EV, with a starting price of $28,140, remains the least expensive EV available stateside. It’s also still eligible for a federal tax rebate of $3,750, bringing its effective price closer to $25,000, at least until January 20.

The next-least-expensive EV is the 2025 Chevy Equinox, priced at $34,995 for the LT model with front-wheel drive (FWD). The Equinox EV qualifies for a $7,500 federal tax credit, which can bring the price down to $27,495.

Tesla has also recently joined the fray toward affordability, with the automaker signaling the 2025 launch of a new sub-$30,000 model, including federal subsidies.

However, the incoming Trump administration is reportedly planning to end the tax incentives on EVs.

All these expected developments leave some wiggle room for Faraway’s FX 5 to offer the lowest price point to win the title of most affordable EV in the U.S.

And if the FX 5 were to be priced at or below $25,000, it could even rub shoulders with BYD’s least expensive EVs.

Freelance reporter

Nick Godt has covered global business news on three continents for over 25 years.

Topics

Cars

Best dash cam deals: Protect your ride from just $37

Rexing V1 dash cam

A dash cam can be an essential tool for enhancing your safety and accountability on the road. While it won't prevent accidents, having a reliable video record can be invaluable in resolving disputes with insurance companies or law enforcement. Modern dash cams offer a range of features, including front and rear recording, high-definition video, night vision, and even GPS tracking — features that were once exclusive to premium models (check our best dash cam picks for the top winners).

Today, you can find capable dash cams at a variety of price points. Whether you need a basic front-facing camera for peace of mind or a full-featured setup with parking mode and motion detection, we've rounded up the best deals available right now to suit every budget. And if protecting your vehicle at home is also a concern, check out our top security camera deals for additional driveway surveillance.
Redtiger Dash Cam 4K — $99 $199 50% off

Cars

This week in EV tech: The shape of efficiency

2026 Nissan Leaf front quarter view, studio background.

The Nissan Leaf helped kick off the modern EV age, but Nissan squandered that lead. It’s now looking to make up for lost time with the first redesign of the Leaf in nearly a decade. As Giovanny Arroba, VP of Nissan Design Europe and head of the EV’s design team, explained in an interview with Digital Trends, the 2026 Nissan Leaf goes back to this model’s roots with an emphasis on compactness and affordability.

“It’s obviously a car that we want to be attainable to a mass volume,” Arroba said. That meant not only building the new Leaf down to a certain price point, but maintaining enough range to make it usable. As with all EVs, aerodynamics was key. The 2026 Leaf’s 0.26 drag coefficient is a significant improvement over the 0.29 of the outgoing Leaf achieve what Nissan claims will be up to 303 miles of range with a 75-kilowatt-hour battery pack. That’s a 42% range increase with just a 25% increase in battery capacity.

Cars

This week in EV tech: Hyundai’s 641-hp pebble

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N tried to win over driving enthusiasts with simulated gear shifts, a combustion-car soundtrack, and of course lots of power — and it succeeded. So it was only a matter of time before Hyundai applied the same tricks to the Ioniq 6 sedan with which the Ioniq 5 shares a platform.

Few cars look as futuristic as the pebble-shaped Hyundai Ioniq 6, and it wears its N garb well. A larger rear spoiler and a front splitter help generate downforce to stick the car to the pavement without interfering with Ioniq 6’s low-drag shape, Hyundai claims. Subtly widened fenders make room for wider performance tires.