Looking to get your hands on an affordable electric car? Well, your timing couldn’t be better. You’ll be pleased to know that the cost difference between new EVs and their ICE counterparts has shrunk substantially in recent years, with some brands (Vauxhall being one) even claiming price parity between their petrol and electric models.
But then again… why buy new? The used electric car market has absolutely blossomed in recent years. This, combined with the UK’s current stagnation of car sales due to economic hardship, means that there are some absolutely stonking deals to be had on second hand EVs right now.
To illustrate that point, I have compiled five excellent new electric cars, and paired each with an equally excellent, infinitely cheaper, used alternative. Happy shopping…
Looking for an affordable, smallish crossover SUV with room in the back for kids /dogs and sufficient range for the occasional weekend away? Of course you are. Everyone is. That’s why it’s the only miserable type of car anyone is bothering to build any more.
But the heart wants what it wants, so I’ll resist the temptation to suggest you “get a grip and buy an estate” and offer some useful suggestions instead.
Best option new: MG ZS EV Long Range (from £32,995)
“Uninspiring but effective” is how I’d characterise MG’s hugely popular, high-riding family hauler. It doesn’t exactly ooze desirability and the overbearing lane assist will have you taking Mandarin classes, just to learn how to accurately curse its creators. But you can’t have everything from a new car at this price point!
What you will get for your 33 grand is a sensibly laid out, intuitive cabin with actual physical controls adorning the dash and Apple CarPlay included as standard. That’s in addition to a usefully sized boot and back seats, plus a 250 mile real world range. Like I said, uninspiring but effective…
Best option used: Kia e-Niro (from £13,000)
…but what if I told you you could have all of that and more for less than half the money? Because you can, if you buy a pre-facelift Kia e-Niro (actually all e-Niros are pre-facelift because post-facelift it was rebadged as “Niro EV”. Pop that into your back pocket for the next time you want to bore someone senseless).
New, the e-Niro was the first true 300 mile EV that didn’t cost the Earth. Today, it represents the absolute cheapest way of hitting that magic number. As with the ZS, the exterior is a little frumpy, but the interior is user-friendly and, on higher trim models, jam-packed with tech. Meanwhile the back seats are a tad roomier than those of the MG and the overall material quality is noticeably higher. A dull car? Sure. A brilliant one? Unquestionably.
Looking for a compact, cheap as chips urban runabout? Not too worried about big range or spacious back seats? Step right this way…
Best option new: Dacia Spring (from £14,995)
Meet the new king of ultra-affordable electric motoring. The heavily revised Dacia Spring is a blissfully simple vehicle that highlights just how over-complicated most modern cars are. Base spec models don’t even have infotainment screens or air-con (which was duly deemed a touch TOO sparse for the discerning British buyer – we only get mid and top spec here in the UK)! Still, coming in at less than 15 grand with a useful 140 miles of range, the Spring represents a truly unique proposition. At least among new stuff…
Best option used: VW E-Up from £10,000
…but even having been smitten by the little Dacia on the press launch this summer, I still think you’d be crackers to have one over VW’s superb, criminally discontinued supermini. Based on the piddly petrol engined Up, the e-Up is a masterpiece of urban transportation. Compact dimensions, light steering and squashy suspension make it a joy to zip around town in, while a surprising amount of interior space and impressive efficiency make it surprisingly capable on medium distance journeys. Plus it’s from a time before VW forgot how to make car interiors, so everything is laid out intuitively and works properly. Pro tip: if you’re not a badge snob, go for either of the VeeDub’s sister cars – the Seat Mii Electric or Skoda Citigo-e – and save yourself a grand or two. Whichever one you go for, you’re getting one of the finest city cars ever made.
Looking for a fashion statement on wheels? Something stylish and great to drive? Got a second car on the driveway that you’ll use for longer trips?
Best option new: Mini Cooper Electric (from £30,000)
Bobby was charmed when he drove Mini’s all new electric Cooper a few weeks back. Boasting premium materials throughout, a unique, circular infotainment screen and BMW-grade fit and finish, it is perhaps the most luxurious interior to be found on a car of its size, while the “go kart handling” cliche remains as true of this Mini as of any previous generation. Back seats are cramped and range is poor compared to rivals – but if those were your priorities, you’d buy an MG4!
Best option used: Honda E from £14,000
Sure, the Mini is pretty – an icon even. But it’s had half a century to cement that status – this little Honda did it overnight.
The E showcases Honda at its brilliant, quirky, playful (and frustratingly rarely seen) best. An instant design classic, it’s virtually impossible not to feel your day pick up slightly when you see one drive past. And the interior is equally joyous: car brands love comparing their cabins to a living room in the press material but the E, with its fabric seats, faux wood dash and open plan layout is one of few cars that truly justifies the comparison. It’s a hoot to drive too.
New, it was eye-wateringly expensive, especially considering it struggles to hit 100 miles of range in optimal conditions. But for £14,000 examples are now going for, it suddenly feels an awful lot easier to forgive its shortcomings. Come on, who wouldn’t want to be greeted by that happy face every morning when they leave the house??
Looking for the creme de la creme? An exquisite, medium/large EV that has it all, from design and technology to performance and range?
Best option new: Hyundai Ioniq 5 (from £46,945)
I’m running out of words with which to wax lyrical about this car. For me, it is the finest family car on sale today, all things considered. The Ioniq impresses in too many ways to list without exceeding my assigned word count but to name a few: bold, retro-futuristic styling, massive cabin space and a superbly organised, hugely practical interior. It’s also adorned with lovely, thoughtful touches you won’t find on any of its rivals, like a sliding centre console, domestic plug socket and even a little magnetic noticeboard to attach photos of the family to. Just a wonderful, luxurious car…
Best option used: BMW iX (from £40,000)
…but no one does true luxury quite like the Germans. And the best luxury German EV we’ve seen thus far happens to be a raging bargain at the minute. Hurry past the iX’s troubling exterior, close the door, and you’ll find yourself cocooned in one of the most sublime cabins ever fitted to a car. Material quality is stratospheres about the Hyundai, performance is startling and the handling is pure waft – only Rolls Royces compare to the refinement with which the big Bimmer moves down a road. It is a phenomenal luxury electric car – so it all the more mind-boggling that early examples can now be had for £40,000. That’s around a third of the sticker price of the one I reviewed on the Fully Charged SHOW less than three years ago. Ouch!
Looking for a Tesla Model 3? Nothing else will do? I don’t blame you. Between the unparalleled efficiency of the drivetrain, the industry-leading software, space age cabin and of course access to the peerless supercharger network, anyone could be forgiven for having a “Tesla or nothing” approach to buying an electric car.
Best option new: Facelifted Model 3 (from £39,990)
The long-awaited refresh finally came in late 2023 and brought with it (slightly) sharper styling, improved aero, even longer range, and an even cleaner cabin. The problem is, the cabin was already so “clean” that all Tesla could think to do to further de-clutter was remove those actually quite useful stalks from the steering column. You know, the ones you used to indicate a turning and put the car into reverse. Sure, you’ll get used to swiping up and down on the giant screen to select drive eventually, and after a few thousand miles you may even stop accidentally pressing the haptic indicator buttons on the wheel mid corner. Or, alternatively…
Best option used: pre-facelift Model 3 (from £14,000)
…you could spare yourself the faff and have an early car, stalks-and-all, for a fraction of the price. Given Teslas are essentially a large touchscreen with four wheels, and even early models receive all the ongoing over-the-air updates, it’s especially hard to justify a spanking new Model 3 over an older example. It is worth noting that build quality significantly improved over the first few years of production however, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend grabbing the oldest, cheapest model either. As a rule of thumb, any car with black door handles instead of silver (2020 onwards) should be absolutely fine, and may even have the heated steering wheel absent from early models.
Watch the episode with lot’s more here
About the author
Jack is a London-based presenter, writer, and expert in all things automotive. A lifelong car fanatic and recovering petrolhead, Jack is a fully converted EV evangelist these days and, prior to joining Fully Charged, spent two years launching and fronting a new EV media brand called Electroheads.
