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Best Electric Cars in the UK 2021
If you want a car with no emissions, a government grant worth up to £3,000 and lower annual fuel costs, chances are you're considering a fully electric car. Choosing the right one for you will depend on your budget, range and charging needs.
- Cheapest Electric Car
- Best Cheap Electric Car
- Best Electric Car for Range
- Best Electric Car for a Family
- Fastest Electric Car
Cheapest Electric Car in the UK
The cheapest all-electric car in the UK market is the Smart EQ fortwo coupe. With a starting price of just £17,350, it costs 65% less than the average starting price of an electric car in the UK. The Smart EQ fortwo coupe only seats 2 people, however. And it has a short range of only 60 miles for combined city and motorway driving (50 miles in winter and 70 miles in summer). The boot is also small, providing only 260 litres of cargo space.
- 0-60 mph: 11.6 seconds
- Starting price: £17,350
- Cost per charge: £2.72
- Average range: 60 miles
- Boot space: 260 litres
Best Cheap Electric Car
The best cheap all-electric car in the UK market is the Kia e-Niro 64 kWh. With a starting price of £34,995, it delivers an impressive 233 miles for combined city and motorway driving (195 miles in winter and 270 miles in summer). The e-Niro has a relatively large boot space, providing 451 litres for cargo. It's also relatively quick for a cheaper EV with a 0-60 mph time of 7.8 seconds.
- 0-60 mph: 7.8 seconds
- Starting price: £34,995
- Cost per charge: £10.45
- Average range: 233 miles
| Top 10 Best Cheap Electric Cars | Summer Range (mi) | Winter Range (mi) | Starting price | Cargo Volume (litres) | Charge time for 100 miles (hh:mm) | 0-60 mph (s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kia e-Niro 64 kWh | 270 | 195 | £34,995 | 451 | 00:27 | 7.8 |
| 1 | Nissan Leaf e+ 62 kWh | 235 | 170 | £33,295 | 420 | 00:24 | 7.3 |
| 3 | Hyundai Kona Electric 64 kWh | 290 | 210 | £35,600 | 361 | 00:25 | 7.9 |
| 4 | Peugeot e-2008 SUV | 190 | 140 | £28,650 | 434 | 00:24 | 8.5 |
| 5 | Vauxhall Corsa-e | 205 | 150 | £26,990 | 309 | 00:22 | 8.1 |
| 6 | Nissan Leaf 40 kWh | 155 | 110 | £26,845 | 435 | 00:43 | 7.9 |
| 7 | Kia Soul EV 64 kWh | 265 | 195 | £34,295 | 315 | 00:27 | 7.9 |
| 8 | DS 3 Crossback E-Tense | 195 | 145 | £32,850 | 350 | 00:23 | 8.7 |
| 9 | Renault Zoe Z.E. 50 R110 | 230 | 165 | £26,170 | 338 | 00:40 | 11.4 |
| 10 | Hyundai IONIQ Electric | 185 | 130 | £29,950 | 357 | 00:42 | 9.7 |
Best Electric Cars for Range
The best electric car for range in the UK is the Tesla Model S Long Range model. It provides up to 370 miles of combined city and motorway driving in warm weather and 275 in the winter, for an average range of around 294 miles.
- 0-60 mph: 3.8 seconds
- Starting price: £82,190
- Cost per charge: £15.49
- Average range: 294 miles
The Hyundai Kona Electric 64 kWh is the best car with a starting price under £40,000 for range. In winter, the Kona Electric will deliver around 210 miles of combined city and motorway driving; in summer drivers might get 290 miles from a full charge. With a starting price of £35,600, it is a much more affordable option than the Tesla mentioned above.
- 0-60 mph: 7.9 seconds
- Starting price: £35,600
- Cost per charge: £10.43
- Average range: 250 miles
Best Electric Car for a Family
The best affordable electric car for a family in the UK is the Kia e-Niro 64 kWh. With a starting price of £34,995, it delivers an average range of 233 miles for combined city and motorway driving (195 miles in winter and 270 miles in summer). Importantly for a family, the e-Niro has a relatively large boot space, providing 451 litres for carrying shopping and school bags, sports equipment, etc.
- 0-60 mph: 7.8 seconds
- Starting price: £34,995
- Cost per charge: £10.45
- Average range: 233 miles
Teslas are another great option for a luxury family car, as they offer great range and boot space. They do cost more, however, with starting prices ranging from £40k for the basic model S up to £101k for a Model X Performance.
Fastest Electric Cars
The fastest all-electric car in the UK is the Tesla Model S Performance. It is blazing fast with a 0-60 mph time of just 2.6 seconds and even beats out the Porsche Taycan (the 2nd fastest all-electric EV in the UK market). It's good a long range over 300 miles and a large boot, but you'll need around £100k to buy one.
- 0-60 mph: 2.6 seconds
- Starting price: £96,790
- Cost per charge: £15.49
- Average range: 313 miles
- Boot space: 894 litres
As you can see, the fastest UK electric cars are dominated by luxury brands such as Tesla, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar and Mercedes. Most of these cars also sport a longer-than-average range.
Out of the more affordable electric cars (with starting prices under £40k), the BMW i3s 120Ah has the fastest 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds. It only seats four people and has a pretty small boot, however.
- 0-60 mph: 6.9 seconds
- Starting price: £34,670
- Cost per charge: £6.18
- Average range: 143 miles
- Boot space: 260 litres
Summary of Best All-Electric Cars in the UK
Below is a recap of the best all-electric cars available in the UK, depending on your needs:
| Best All-Electric Cars in the UK | |
|---|---|
| Cheapest | Smart EQ fortwo coupe |
| Best Cheap | Kia e-Niro 64 kWh |
| Longest Range Luxury | Tesla Model S Long Range |
| Longest Range Non-Luxury | Hyundai Kona Electric 64 kWh |
| Best Family EV | Kia e-Niro 64 kWh |
| Fastest Luxury | Tesla Model S Performance |
| Fastest Non-Luxury | BMW i3s 120Ah |