The best cheap electric cars you would actually want to own

Best for: handling

Despite being effectively a Volkswagen ID 3 Sport, Cupra’s take on the electric Golf-sized hatchback has slowly become a firm Autocar favourite.

It offers an enticing blend of practicality, driving fun and efficiency, capitalising on its rear-wheel-drive platform in a way the technically similar Volkswagen ID 3 doesn’t.

It's also nimble and intuitive and features a subtly throttle-adjustable handling. But what makes the Born special is that it doesn’t sacrifice ride comfort, noise isolation or energy efficiency in the pursuit of being the sporty one. It’s very good at all of those other things too.

It’s due for a mechanical revision soon that will bring a more powerful and efficient motor and a new multimedia system. The latter is one of the few weak points of the Cupra Born, so it might be worth waiting for the updated model. On the other hand, there are currently some great finance deals available as Cupra tries to shift its stock of pre-update cars. Whichever you choose, you’ll be getting a very rounded EV.

Best for: comfort

Hyundai’s smallest EV was the runner-up in the Autocar EV mega-test that the Cupra won. If boot space features higher on your list of priorities than driver engagement, it might just be your winner.

Because while it is the Korean car maker’s smallest EV, it has grown substantially compared with its predecessor, giving very generous rear passenger and luggage space.

Its easy-going nature appeals as well: it rides softly and has comfortable seats while its silver-button-heavy dashboard seems to welcome you into the cool warmth of an early-2000s DVD player.

Being less reliant on screens than most of its rivals means it’s easy to use. With a relatively large battery and good efficiency, its official range nudges 300 miles too.

Best for: range

Since MG's relaunch under the ownership of the Chinese giant SAIC, it has always played the budget end of the market. With the MG 4, it still does, but this is a car that's genuinely impressive in its own right.

Being a physically smaller car than the above two, it’s not quite as spacious, but not by much. Its rear-drive layout lets it serve up some real handling thrills while its soft but controlled ride means it’s well suited to rough British roads.

It has a very competitive range and charging figures too. Even entry-level models offer around 218 miles of range on mixed driving, while extended-range models are capable of around 323 miles. 

If that's not enough, there's a bonkers-fast 429bhp XPower model, but the standard car is better to drive day to day. 

You can see some of the cost savings in the form of low-grade interior materials and slightly haphazard infotainment and driver assistance features, but none of it is egregious enough to seriously detract from how much value for money the MG 4 offers.

Best for: character

The Citroën ë-C3 costs just £21,990 and it doesn’t even come out of China. Well, not all of it anyway.

In fact, there will be a sub-£20,000 version, but that model's 124-mile official range is pretty borderline.

Your £21,990 buys you a fairly small car that is proudly built to a cost but still with the goal of not being compromised or feeling cheap. The 201-mile range from its LFP battery is very usable and the interior has a good amount of charm and plushness to it.

The wider test team has yet to give its full verdict in the UK on Citroën’s new budget EV, but impressions from the international launch were very positive indeed.

Best for: value

A recent facelift brought a bigger battery, more power and a longer range to the electric version of Vauxhall’s long-running supermini.

But that’s not the version we’re recommending here, because it’s tied to pricey trim levels. Instead, Vauxhall is doing some very enticing deals on the entry-level Corsa Electric with the smaller battery.

A total of 221 miles from a charge is still pretty impressive for a supermini that retails for £26,895. The entry-level You trim is fairly bare-bones, but that might be all you need.

The Vauxhall Corsa Electric isn’t the roomiest in its class, or the most fun, or the most luxurious, but it is easy to drive, solid and mostly free of quirks.

Best for: practicality

Do you like the Hyundai Kona Electric further up this list, but wish it looked less weird and more like a hatchback? Kia is here for you.

Mechanically, the Kia Niro EV is very closely related to the Kona, so it offers very similar vital statistics. It rides a bit more firmly and handles a touch more directly, but there isn’t a huge amount in it.

We find the user interface a little fiddlier than on the Hyundai, and Kia’s finance deals tend to be a slightly more expensive but Kia’s EVs are still excellent choices.

Compared with some of the other options here, the Kia is a little plain, and also on the expensive side, but very recommendable nonetheless.

Best for: style

If you’re looking for something roomy and family-friendly, you can just skip this one. Like all Mini hatchbacks, the Cooper E is still relatively mini in size, but you’ll fall for it because of the style and the driver engagement.

While the original Mini Electric was based on the petrol version, but with a small battery shoehorned in, this new one was developed from the outset as an EV and has no mechanicals in common with the petrol variant.

That allows a bigger battery, with 36.6kWh in the Cooper E and 49.2kWh in the Cooper SE. The latter is rated for a very decent 249 miles. More than that, though, it’s a style statement and one of the more entertaining EVs on the market.

Best for: Build quality

The Renault Megane is another stylish electric hatchback, one that really stands out from the crowd, but it’s a size bigger than the Mini. It’s still a bit smaller and less practical than the Cupra Born or Hyundai Kona, though.

Even so, it feels a cut above some of the other options here when it comes to interior quality and ambience. Its Google-based multimedia system is also a major plus for its ease of use.

Renault sticks to physical controls for climate functions too. While this EV is far from the most sporting option here, it is quiet at speed and rides well.

Pricing and range revisions since launch have made the Megane one of the more affordable family hatchbacks. For its size, it could be more practical, it’s not the most efficient and its slightly nervous steering isn’t to all tastes.

Best for: city driving

The electric Fiat 500 has very little in common with its ancestor, the 1950s icon that brought motoring to the Italian masses. Given its size, it’s not even that cheap. 

It looks fantastic and drives pretty well, though. While the ride is bouncy, the 500e is perfectly capable of motorway driving and it’s a lot of fun zipping through narrow country lanes that would cause you to slow down in a bigger car.

Being small and relatively light, it’s efficient, which keeps running costs low. We also like its user-friendly multimedia system and good selection of physical controls.