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(Pocket-lint) - The property of the electrical car is connected america arsenic much radical determination to clasp zero emanation motoring, and much manufacturers merchandise an expanding fig of models to take from.
While there's inactive immoderate mode to spell to found a nationwide charging network that's going to conscionable aboriginal demand, there's enlargement each the time, removing the interest that immoderate mightiness person astir charging their car connected the move.
These are our favourite electrical cars, each afloat reviewed by america covering a scope of compact, crossovers, SUVs, saloons and sports cars crossed each terms points. These cars are each disposable to bargain now, with galore much to come successful the future.
Small cars
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Fiat 500e
- Compact hatch
- 118 mile range, 24kWh battery
- Prices from £20,495
The Fiat 500e is simply a wholly caller car, putting electrical astatine the bosom of this iconic model. There are 2 versions, positioning the 500e arsenic 1 of the astir affordable EVs connected the roadworthy - oregon with a longer scope of 199 miles from the 42kWh battery, for £26,995.
Fun to thrust and nicely designed wrong and out, there's a batch of entreaty to the 500e, with the enactment for a convertible too. It's champion suited for those successful the beforehand seats, arsenic it's a small tiny successful the rear and the boot.
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Honda e
- Compact hatch
- 137 mile range, 35.5kWh battery
- Prices from £27,160
The Honda e is each astir style. It's wholly unsocial and surely 1 of the astir absorbing cars connected the road, particularly from the interior. The immense expanse of displays, the lounge benignant interior and the blessed exterior styling springiness the Honda e plentifulness of appeal.
But this is besides a tiny electrical car, with a smaller artillery than many, meaning the scope is strictly section - but that's besides reflected successful the cheaper price.
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Renault Zoe
- Compact hatch
- 238 mile range, 52kWh battery
- Prices from £26,170
The Renault Zoe has seen plentifulness of changes to bring it into its latest signifier - and it's amended than ever. With a 52kWh artillery crossed each models it offers large scope for a compact electrical hatch, with the lone drawback being that you person to wage other for faster charging. If you're readying connected ever charging astatine home, that mightiness not beryllium a problem.
Otherwise it's a amusive car, possibly not arsenic unsocial arsenic the Honda e successful the interior, but what you bash get works.
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Vauxhall Corsa-e
- Compact hatch
- 209 miles range, 50kWh battery
- Prices from £21,715
The Vauxhall Corsa-e is 1 of the astir affordable electrical cars connected the road, with a tenable 50kWh battery, giving implicit 200 miles of scope - which is the existent entreaty astatine this price.
The Corsa-e is amusive to thrust and applicable and portion the backmost spot and footwear are connected the tiny side, the worth for wealth puts it precocious connected the database of tiny cars you should consider.
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Mini Electric
- Compact hatch
- 130 mile range, 32.6kWh battery
- Prices from £24,900
The Mini Electric - oregon Mini Cooper SE arsenic it's technically known - is 1 of the astir caller additions to the UK's roads. It takes the Mini Hatch and packs successful a tiny 32.6kWh battery, bully for betwixt 120-140 miles, truthful again, this is much of a section operator alternatively than thing you'll privation to instrumentality agelong range.
For the Mini person it's everything the Cooper S is - it's sporty, amusive to thrust and fundamentally looks and feels precisely the aforesaid arsenic the petrol Mini. At the aforesaid time, not overmuch has changed successful bringing this retired arsenic an electrical car.
Crossovers and household cars
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Tesla Model 3
- Compact saloon
- 267 miles (Standard Range Plus), 50kWh battery
- From £41,990
The Tesla Model 3 is pitched arsenic the affordable electrical car, it comes successful respective variations, with the cheapest having the shortest scope - but portion the step-up (Long Range) offering an awesome 310 miles and all-wheel drive.
There's a minimalist interior but with a customary immense cardinal display, information features similar Autopilot, and regular updates to the car's tech offering. Tesla's vantage besides extends to the Supercharger network, which astatine engaged points successful the UK's roadworthy web often provides galore much accelerated chargers than are disposable to different EV drivers.
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Nissan Leaf and Leaf e+
- Hatchback
- 168 mile range, 40kWh battery
- Prices from £26,845
The Nissan Leaf builds upon 1 of the champion selling electrical cars successful the UK, firmly lodged successful the hatchback segment. A caller design, a bigger artillery with longer scope and a large thrust springiness the Nissan Leaf plentifulness of appeal. There's options for trim - without getting excessively costly - and a thrust that's affirmative and fun.
There's a Leaf e+ for those wanting much powerfulness and range, but the caller Leaf e+ N-Tec astatine £33,295 with 240 miles of scope is precise appealing. It's a small larger than those compact models, truthful a large household car.
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Hyundai Ioniq
- Compact saloon
- 193 mile range, 38.3kWh battery
- Prices from £30,950
The Hyundai Ioniq is simply a motion to efficiency. While cars similar the Hyundai Kona propulsion SUV styling, the Ioniq is designed to beryllium arsenic businesslike arsenic possible. That it tin execute the scope it does from the constricted artillery is simply a testament to that - and that besides helps support the terms successful check.
There's a batch of tech connected board, a agelong warranty and beauteous overmuch everything comes arsenic standard. Hyundai offers 2 levels of trim, but erstwhile it comes to worth for money, you get a batch from the Ioniq.
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Mercedes EQA
- Crossover
- 262 mile range, 66.5kWh battery
- Prices from £45,089
The Mercedes EQA electrifies the GLA, giving a premium enactment for those wanting a crossover. The existent assistance you get present is successful the interior - wherever Mercedes offers a higher modular than astir different cars successful this class.
There's a beauteous ample artillery too, but it's not arsenic casual to get ratio that volition lucifer immoderate models similar those from Kia oregon Hyundai.
But successful reality, it's inactive precise pracitcal, with the comfortableness and sophistication you expect from Mercedes.
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Vauxhall Mokka-e
- Crossover
- 201 mile range, 50kWh battery
- Prices from £30,540
The Mokka-e is simply a wholly caller plan for Vauxhall and arsenic crossovers go, it truly hits the mark. It's loaded with the aforesaid powertrain arsenic the Corsa-e (and galore different Stellantis radical cars) giving you a bully instrumentality for your money.
But the entreaty comes with the crossover stylings: it's ample capable to beryllium applicable for a household - though it won't situation SUVs for abstraction - and it's large amusive to thrust with large roadworthy presence.
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Hyundai Kona Electric
- Crossover
- 198/300 mile range, 39/64kWh battery
- Prices from £27,950
The Hyundai Kona Electric has agelong been connected of the champion electrical cars connected the roadworthy - longside the Kia e-Niro. There are 2 artillery options and what truly stands retired is however casual it is to get decent range.
Affordability and a elemental attack to trim options makes the Hyundai an casual choice. While it's not arsenic plush oregon modern arsenic the caller Ioniq 5, it's much affordable and inactive applicable capable for tiny families.
It comes highly recommended.
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Kia e-Niro
- Crossover
- 282 mile scope (Long Range), 64kWh battery
- Prices from £33,855
What the Kia e-Niro does is compression a agelong scope retired of a humble battery, acknowledgment to its businesslike design. It's a crossover truthful has entreaty with a precocious thrust tallness - large for the schoolhouse tally - but it doesn't spell to the luxury extremes that immoderate different models do, and it's lighter arsenic a result, which is beneficial successful an EV.
It's a large car, due to the fact that you get a batch of miles for your money, features to enactment EV driving and a large spec adjacent astatine the introduction level. As EVs go, it's superb, with the shorter scope coming successful astatine nether £30k.
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Citroën ë-C4
- Crossover
- 217 mile range, 50kW battery
- Prices from £33,395
The Citroën fundamentally sits connected a precise akin level to the Mokka-e, truthful there's a batch of crossover successful this, ahem, crossover with galore of the aforesaid advantages - you get respectible scope for your money.
The thrust tallness is good, it's truly comfy and there's a decent footwear nether that sporty sloping rear. It's a spot antithetic and that's a bully happening successful this marketplace - and if you're looking for an electrical household crossover the ë-C4 mightiness conscionable deed the mark.
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Kia Soul EV 2020
- Crossover
- 282 mile range, 64kWh battery
- Prices from £34,295
The Kia Soul EV is present successful its 2nd generation, sharing a batch with the Kia e-Niro erstwhile it comes to the battery, scope and wide driving experience. It's a interaction cheaper for the First Edition, making this 1 of the astir affordable longer scope EVs connected the roads close now.
Yes, the plan does disagreement sentiment with its boxy looks, and the interior abstraction is geared towards the passengers alternatively than the boot. But this is simply a large electrical car, beauteous to thrust and does distant with communal symptom points similar scope anxiety.
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BMW i3
- Crossover
- 190 mile range, 42.2kWh battery
- Prices from £36,575
The BMW i3 surely turns heads with its somewhat antithetic looks. But nether that boxy exterior, the i3 is arsenic overmuch a BMW arsenic immoderate of its regular, fuel-powered cars. One of the archetypal axenic electrical - and designed to beryllium electrical archetypal - cars, the BMW i3 is besides 1 of the astir fashionable connected the roads.
It's practical, it's comfortable, it's futuristically designed - and it's a tenable performer. The artillery is tiny compared to immoderate others and BMW has updated the i3 a mates of times, with a feeling that it's dilatory reaching the extremity of its tenure.
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Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Crossover
- 240/310 mile range, 58/73kWh battery
- Prices from £36,940
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is built from the crushed up arsenic an electrical car, meaning it has immoderate advantages implicit the Kona, which is simply a small smaller. The Ioniq 5 gets a level level and immense abstraction successful the 2nd enactment - acold much spatious than different cars successful this segment.
There's a retro-modern plan that mightiness disagreement - the forthcoming Kia EV6 mightiness past beryllium the car for you - but underneath you person each Hyundai's electrical experience.
That means accelerated charging, bully economy, power implicit regen - and a feeling that this car is overmuch much costly than it is. It's conscionable a large car.
SUVs and larger cars
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VW ID.4
- SUV
- 211/317 mile range, 52/77kWh battery
- Prices from £34,650
The ID.4 is VW's play to the wide market, presenting an charismatic SUV style, with plentifulness of abstraction for the household and footwear to battalion for a week's holiday.
There are a fig of configurations spot a wide terms range, but the the existent cardinal to the ID.4 is efficiency, returning a sensible scope for the artillery capacity. It drives good and is casual to unrecorded with - 1 of our apical cars successful this larger size.
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Skoda Enyaq iV
- SUV
- 256/333 mile range, 58/77kWh battery
- Prices from £31,995
Skoda, arsenic portion of the VW Group, has a exemplary intimately related to the ID.4. It shares akin configurations, portion besides returning akin size and comfort.
Much of the determination betwixt these 2 volition travel down to plan and the badge - due to the fact that you're again presented with a prime of artillery sizes, a afloat scope of trims to fto you bargain the car you tin afford.
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Audi Q4 e-tron
- SUV
- 211/295/316 mile range, 52/77kWh battery
- Prices from £40,035
The Audi Q4 e-tron is the astir wide marketplace of Audi SUVs. Smaller than the "e-tron" it's going to entreaty to those wanting a prime electrical SUV. It is, underneath, the aforesaid car arsenic the VW ID.4 and the Skoda Enyaq.
But this car is besides distinctly Audi. Not lone are Audi offering a afloat scope of options, but you get Audi plan and an Audi interior.
You wage a small much than you bash if you opt for VW oregon Skoda, but that worth comes with the badge - and a precise bully car it is too.
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- SUV
- 259 mile range, 78kWh battery
- Prices from £49,950
The Volvo XC40 exists successful hybrid and afloat artillery versions, but the electrical exemplary is smoother, quieter and amended to drive. It's besides all-wheel drive, utilizing a duplicate centrifugal configuration, providing assurance connected tricky roads and much power.
The effect is simply a comfy and prime driving acquisition with plentifulness to entreaty to idiosyncratic who wants a small much from their electrical car.
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Jaguar i-Pace
- SUV
- 300 mile range, 90kWh battery
- Prices from £65,195
The Jaguar i-Pace was 1 of the archetypal large marque, wholly electric, cars connected the road. The i-Pace pushes into SUV styling, giving you abstraction and practicality inside, but with a sporty drive. It's precise overmuch a luxury electrical car to excite. There's oodles of tech, but it's the smoothness of the driving that truly makes this car consciousness similar the embodiment of an electrical future.
There's tons of power, portion the realistic driving scope comes successful determination successful the 220-250 mile range. Jaguar wants to connection refinement successful the premium conception and it manages that with aplomb.
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Audi e-tron
- SUV
- 193 mile range, 71kWh battery
- Prices from £61,360
The Audi e-tron is the company's archetypal all-electric conveyance - and possibly the car to normalise electrification. Why? Because this Audi SUV looks, feels and drives, well, conscionable similar astir different Audi cars. It conscionable happens to beryllium electric.
There are 2 artillery sizes, with a decent redeeming to beryllium had if you opt for the smaller, accepting the lesser scope that it offers. There's besides a Sportback mentation of the e-tron, with sloping roofline for much sporty looks.
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Tesla Model X
- SUV
- 348 mile scope (Long Range), 100kWh battery
- Prices from £102,980
The Model X is the fastest SUV connected the satellite and volition catapult you to 60mph successful 2.9 seconds. The different talking constituent of the Model X is the falcon helping doors, that unfastened up and retired the mode to let passengers to easy entree the 2nd and 3rd rows of seats. It's precise overmuch the large daddy of electrical cars close now.
You get agelong range, entree to Tesla's Supercharger web and the infamous Autopilot. But the terms is high, arsenic is the content it makes erstwhile you cruise silently past.
Executive and sports cars
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Polestar 2
- Saloon
- 310 mile range, 78kWh battery
- Prices from £49,900
The Polestar 2 is 1 of the newer models to deed the roads and it's made rather an impact, offering comfort, benignant and show with bully worth for money. It's intelligibly gunning for immoderate of Tesla's audience.
It besides has truly blase tech inside, powered by Google, portion offering a fig of unsocial plan twists to support this Volvo offshoot interesting.
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Tesla Model S
- Saloon
- 405 mile scope (Long Range), 100kWh battery
- Prices from £95,980
If you were looking for the begetter of electrical cars, it has to beryllium the Tesla Model S. It marries the economical and biology benefits of electrical power, with a superior helping of luxury and speed.
The Tesla Model S was wowing with its velocity and immense interior touchscreen portion electrical cars were inactive a twinkle successful galore different manufacturers' eyes. While astir person focused connected tiny car oregon SUV, the Tesla Model S cuts a swathe done the enforcement saloon segment. There are 2 versions to take from: Long Range Plus and Performance, with Plaid coming successful 2021.
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Porsche Taycan
- Sports saloon
- 230 miles, 71kWh battery
- Prices from £83,580
The Porsche Taycan is simply a visionary retelling of what is astir apt the world's astir fashionable sports car. There are plentiful versions, Taycan 4S, Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, with antithetic batteries and a wide scope of prices too.
But each purpose to connection that futurisitic thrust - and there's nary avoiding the information that from the exterior looks to the interior quality, the Taycan is 1 of the astir awesome electrical cars connected the road. But you'd expect that - it's a Porsche aft each - and that's what you should request for the terms you'll pay.
There's besides the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, which gives much abstraction successful the rear, extortion rails and is designed to instrumentality a small much maltreatment disconnected the cleanable roads.
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Audi e-tron GT
- Sports saloon
- 280 miles, 93.4kWh battery
- Prices from £82,150
The Audi e-tron GT is fundamentally the aforesaid car arsenic the Taycan, but fixed the Audi attraction instead. As such, these cars stock a batch successful the mode that they feels, some offering a premium acquisition with loads of refinement.
The interior is distinctly Audi, lovingly crafted, but with astonishing abstraction successful those backseats and boot, truthful it's applicable too.
There's the modular GT and RS version, with Porsche a small faster, if that matters to you. But you bash get astir 280 miles of scope from it. At it's heart, it's an Audi though and with tons of options and tons of tech, it's a large car to drive.
Writing by Chris Hall. Originally published connected 5 November 2014.
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