Driving a new electric car still feels so enjoyable, even when I test out a different one each week. So far this year alone I’ve tested more than 42 models to determine what are the best electric cars you can get right now. But while efficiency, range, and price tend to be what I look out for the most, I discover lots of other features that continue to amaze me.
Every vehicle I drive always has something new to offer that I haven’t seen before. And as much as I dream about flying cars being the future, these features I’ve personally tested already prove that the future is right now. From novel driving modes that let cars move diagonally, to others that prioritize safety, these are the coolest features I’ve seen in electric cars this year.
Thermal night vision in Cadillac Vistiq to see in the dark
Nighttime driving has its challenges, but the 2025 Cadillac Vistiq makes it safer than most others because of the thermal night vision camera integrated into the front bumper.
This shows the heat signature of nearby stuff, including people or critters crossing the road at night. When it does detect either, the driver’s display places a box around them so that you’re kept informed about them — even when it’s pitch black and there's no ambient light around.
Read our full review: 2025 Cadillac Vistiq
Head gesture activated lane change with BMW iX xDrive45
Many EVs can switch lanes all on their own, but usually it requires you to take your hand off the wheel and flip over the corresponding turn signal. The 2026 BMW iX xDrive45 takes a totally new approach. A simple head gesture to either the left or right activates the lane change.
Now if you’re worried about activating this feature by accident, it only works when the ADAS(Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) senses the adjacent lane is clear with an audible tone that plays inside of the car. It’s only during this short window when a head gesture activates the move.
Read our full review: 2026 BMW iX xDrive45
Animated electronic glass roof of the Audi A6 Sportback
One of the latest EVs I’ve tested is the 2025 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron RWD, which features a panoramic glass roof that offers sprawling views of the sky.
While that’s not out of the ordinary for many luxury EVs, what’s really cool is that rather than using a mechanically operated roof cover, it uses this 9-segment switchable transparency technology that electronically makes the glass go from transparent to opaque. The impressive part, too, is the animation that accompanies it.
Read our full review: 2025 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron RWD
Mini Cooper EV's retracting head-up display
Even though it’s one of the first EVs I’ve tested this year, the 2025 Mini Cooper Countryman EV has one feature I haven’t seen elsewhere: a retracting head-up display.
Instead of a driver’s display, or a head-up display on the windshield, you get a retracting HUD that exposes itself when the vehicle turns on. I really like this because it keeps the dashboard pretty clean and clutter free, while I’m not forced to take my eyes off the road as much as a standard driver’s display that’s positioned lower.
Read our full review: 2025 Mini Cooper Countryman EV
Augmented reality HUD with the Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan
Head-up displays (HUDs) are already cool on their own, providing glanceable details about my driving without forcing me to take my eyes off the road. However, what makes the head-up display on the 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 EV truly unique is that it incorporates an augmented reality experience that enhances navigation by drawing up arrows that progressively get larger as I approach my turn.
Read our full review: 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 EV
Fake engine noise coming out of the Dodge Charger EV
In true muscle car fashion, the 2025 Dodge Charger EV maintains its legacy for being loud and boisterous with the fake engine noise it produces. I’m not referring to the sound it makes when I hit the pedal to the metal, I’m talking about the deafening roar it makes when I remotely turn it on.
All of the fake engine noise is courtesy of the 18–speaker Alpine sound system in place complete with a subwoofer — which, believe me, I can hear from inside my home.
Read our full review: 2025 Dodge Charger EV
Mercedes-Benz G Wagon's stunning light up sequence
Yes, it’s the most overrated vehicle out there and obscenely priced, but the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 EV dazzles with its light up starting sequence. I’ve seen some cool ones, like on the Cadillac Optiq and Chevrolet Blazer SS, but nothing tops the way Mercedes does it with its luxury vehicle. Just look at all the detailed animations that play with the lights coming on!
Read our full review: 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 EV
Intelligent adaptive cruise control performance from the Rivian R1S
Even though there’s still work to be done to confidently have fully autonomous vehicles driving around on their own, the closest thing to that is the superb ADAS performance of the 2025 Rivian R1S.
By leveraging a combination of sensors, radar, and cameras working together for 360-degree awareness, the R1S has the most confident adaptive cruise control I’ve tested — which does well to observe nearby cars and proactively drives itself. I haven’t tested anything else that makes me feel safer.
Read our full review: 2025 Rivian R1S Tri-Motor
Breathtaking glass canopy roof in Lucid Air
Call it a one-of-a-kind experience, but there’s an option with the 2025 Lucid Air Touring for a glass canopy roof. This transformation makes it so that I’m surrounded by glass while driving, which proceeds to encompass the entire roof as well. It makes you feel like you’re gliding over the road because of the sprawling view and screams futuristic.
Read our full review: 2025 Lucid Air Touring
Gentle auto braking with the Lexus UX 300h
I know that I’m a confident driver, but I’m not totally impervious to distractions. That’s why I’ve been so impressed with the auto braking system of the 2025 Lexus UX 300h.
Several vehicles have safety features in place to make you aware about potential crashes, but the Lexus UX 300h takes a more proactive approach with its auto braking. When it senses I’m getting close to a vehicle in front of me, it’ll apply a gentle brake on its own to slow down my speed.
Read our full review: 2025 Lexus UX 300h
Prius PHEV's solar panel roof for energy production
When I drove the 2025 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, I was surprised to see something else in place of a glass roof — a solar panel. It’s there to supply power back to the battery, which could then be used for some of the vehicle’s auxiliary functions. I was skeptical about how much energy it could pull in while the sun’s out, but I saw speeds upwards of 100W.
Read our full review: 2025 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid
Crabwalking out of tight spaces with the GMC Sierra EV
When I was first told about it while testing out the 2025 Hummer EV, I thought GMC’s crabwalking feature was going to be a novelty at best. That’s until I actually tried it out with the 2025 GMC Sierra EV, which is really suited for tight, off-road driving because of how it lets me drive the all-electric pickup truck diagonally.It does this by putting the vehicle into its 4-wheel steering mode, where the front and rear wheels can be angled identically to drive in a diagonal motion.
Read our full review: 2025 GMC Sierra EV
Headlights in Ford F-150 Lighting that move to your steering
Headlights no longer remain fixed and project light in one direction because they can dynamically adjust their position based on your steering. That’s exactly one of the coolest features I’ve uncovered testing the Ford F-150 Lightning.
The vehicle’s adaptive headlamps will move left or right depending on my steering, which really comes in hand for winding roads.
Read our full review: 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning
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