Cheapest Electronic Cars In 2021
Electric cars continue to become more and more usable as day-to-day cars with ever increasing range per charge.
Now, electric car prices are much more competitive against those of their more traditional combustion engined cousins and with prices starting from around £20k, the cheapest electric cars are now within the grasp of every new car buyer. Here are the cheapest electric cars for you to consider...
Smart EQ Fortwo (UK's cheapest EV)
Smart EQ Fortwo review: UK's cheapest EV driven
Price: £20,350 - £24,425
Range: 70 miles
The EQ FourTwo has a very tight 6.95m turning circle, plus, it can be parked perpendicularly, saving you the hassle of parallel parking. An official WLTP range of 74.5-83.8 miles from the 72kWh battery is very usable, too, providing you have the capability to charge it on a daily basis.
The original two-seater city car returns, and this time with the electric power we always felt it wanted. As you’d expect, the Smart Fortwo features all the usual safety equipment you’d expect in 2021. And although it’s small, the mini EV still gives you a lot of style and car for the money. The only catch? The Fortwo is very much an urban creature: a 70-mile range means you won’t want to stray out of town.
The Smart EQ fortwo Interior
Far more appealing, the new interior is hallmarked by a dashboard assaulted with a giant ice cream scoop (sadly, the UK won't benefit from zanier finishes such as faux carbon fibre and 'Alvar Aalto wooden salad bowl'), the seven-inch touchscreen, Renault switchgear and, oh the nostalgia, just the single crab eye-stalked dash-top dial detailing matters electrical.
Skoda Citigo-e
Skoda Citigo-e Review
£20,400 - £22,760
Used Skoda Citigo e iV deals price from £18,855
Range: 160 miles
The Skoda Citigo e doesn’t come with an infotainment system, as such. Instead, you get a cradle on the dashboard into which you can slot your smartphone.
You can use music-streaming apps such as Spotify and navigation apps including Waze and Google Maps directly through your phone, and the standard Bluetooth connection means you needn’t faff around with plugging in a USB cable to connect through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
There is a USB plug behind the phone cradle on the dashboard so you can keep your phone charged on long journeys, but the only power socket elsewhere in the car is a 12V plug down on the centre console
You’ll get 165 miles on a full charge. That’s seriously good – the larger VW e-Golf only manages 144 miles, and it’ll cover the vast majority of weekly commutes without needing a topup. If you run out of juice, though, a compatible 40kW fast-charger can add 80 per cent charge in just an hour.
That drops to just over four hours from a 7.2kW wall box – available to buy from Skoda – or 12 and a half hours from a three-pin socket. Entry-level Ambition cars don’t get the gubbins required for the super-fast CCS charging though, so think carefully before you spec.
Smart EQ Forfour
Smart EQ Forfour Review
£20,785 - £25,565
Range: 70 miles
EVs help improve local air quality, they’re zippy to drive from a standstill and silent with it, all of which can be said of the pure-electric Smart EQ forfour. However, it applies to its alternatives, too, such as the Skoda Citigo-e iV, VW e-Up and Renault Zoe.
The Smart’s look has changed a bit over the years but its same basic cheeky face remains despite a new grille and bumper. There are now more alloy wheel and colour choices than ever, too, allowing even more personalisation.
Interior
Inside the Smart EQ forfour’s dashboard has a funky design that changes slightly depending on which model you buy. Most of the plastics higher up are of decent quality, but some of those lower down and the Smart’s switches feel cheap
The Nissan Leaf
Price £26,845
The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling electric vehicle of all time, with over 400,000 copies delivered globally. In an attempt to spark renewed interest in the model, Nissan completely redesigned the Leaf for the 2018 model year, and added a long-range Leaf Plus variant for 2019. The 2020 model year saw the addition of some new features.
The 2020 Leaf is well-priced and offers a spacious cabin, fantastic cargo capacity, composed handling, and lively acceleration. However, other compact cars offer more upscale interiors and better predicted reliability ratings.