Is there such a thing as an affordable Electric Vehicle?

Yes! There is. We profile the best 10 cars for those who want to drive green, but also keep some in their pocket

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22 July 2022

Given the likes of Tesla and Lucid Air, you might think that electric vehicles always come with a six-figure price tag, but there are plenty of cheaper ones to try. As more car companies get in on the action, there are plenty of models coming in around £25,000 or even less, and a good selection for around £30,000.

Running an EV is cheaper too ‒ with zero road tax, zero ULEZ charge and congestion charge and some cheaper parking options, depending on your London borough. In terms of juice, public chargers vary, but if you’ve got a home charger you’re laughing. According to the most recent figures from MyUrbanCar, it costs petrol cars £17.30 to travel 100 miles, and a home charge electric car just £7.50.

Check out our gallery of cars above to find one that suits both your ethics and your pocket.

10 affordable electric vehicles

Smart EQ Fortwo

£22,225

As a funky urban two-seater with an offensively easy parking size meaning you can nick spaces other drivers can only dream of, it’s the purest city car around. It’s quick to charge, will take you 80 miles on a three-hour home charge and hits 40pmh in less than five seconds to annoy all the petrolheads at the lights.

Fiat 500 electric

£22,335

If you stick to the basic Action Trim version, which has pretty much everything you need for an urban mini, it’ll do 115 miles on a single charge. To get the trademark soft top – and another 80 miles on the charge – you’ll have to cough up another £3k.

Mini Electric

From £27,000

As befits a car first designed to cope with a fuel crisis in the 1950s, the Mini has always been keen to restrict your petrol purchasing. It’s got a tarmac-eating 180-mile range, sweet Italian police dodging acceleration and a stylish trim.

Vauxhall Corsa-e

£27,055

For those who want an EV but don’t want to let everyone know with fancy styling and quirky design, the Corsa-e looks like any other Corsa. It claims over 220 miles per charge and comes with touchscreen, satnav, Apple and/or Android sync. Vauxhall will install a wall charger at your home for free.

Nissan Leaf