Top 10 Best Electric Cars 2019

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2. Volkswagen ID 3

As Volkswagen looks to move on from the fallout of Dieselgate, the ID 3 is set to take centre-stage as the marque’s environmentally friendly wunderkind. This Golf-sized hatchback also gets the new ‘ID’ sub-brand off the mark, and aims to do so with the kind of mass-market sophistication and class-leading useability for which Volkswagen is rightly famed.

Built on an entirely fresh platform, the ID 3 benefits from a long wheelbase, boosting cabin space, and is powered by a rear-mounted motor with 201bhp and 229lb ft. Initial impressions suggest it excels in terms of maneuverability and low-speed response, though not quite to the extent of the BMW i3, and would seem to hit the company’s high standards for ride sophistication.

Prices are yet to be confirmed, but the ID 3 is likely to sit at the upper end of the EV hatchback class, with the entry-level model (with the 58kWh) battery costing more than £30,000 and the 77kWh version, which ought to manage 300 miles range in the real-world, costing closer to £35,000.

3. Hyundai Kona Electric 64kWh

Until quite recently, an electric car good enough to combine a genuine 300-mile daily-use range with a sub-£30,000 price point seemed an awfully long way off. The Hyundai Kona Electric has made it a reality, however; quite a coup for its aspiring Korean maker.

By wielding what must be a sizeable competitive advantage on battery buying power, Hyundai has delivered this car to the road with 60 per cent more onboard electrical storage than either of the cars by which it’s bracketed in this list. That’s enough for more than 250 miles of range at typical UK motorway speeds, or more than 300 at a slightly slower clip or around town. And, in this car, it comes packaged with much stronger accelerative performance than its nearest rivals. The Kona Electric is quick enough, even, to live with some hot hatchbacks away from the traffic lights.

That the car’s slightly low-rent, restrictive interior doesn’t make it quite the match of a full-sized family hatchback on practicality is a bit of a disappointment. Also, there’s some frustration to be found in the car’s ride and handling, which both feel somewhat compromised by its weight and the low-friction tyres it uses.

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4. Kia Soul EV

Kia’s boxy compact crossover is back for a third-generation, but this time around the Soul will be offered exclusively as an electric vehicle in European markets. While it’s yet to touch down in the UK, initial impressions are very promising indeed.

While not particularly sporty, it rides well and doesn’t make too much of a point of its 1682kg kerb weight. And because it makes use of the same powertrain as the slightly bigger e-Niro, it promises a WLTP-certified range of 280 miles when equipped with a 64kWh battery. It’s rather convenient, then, that this is the only battery Kia will offer here in Britain when it goes on sale next year.

We’re yet to have prices confirmed, but initial reports suggest it’ll still cost more than £30,000, and will only be a few thousand pounds cheaper than the e-Niro, which offers slightly more in the way of practicality. A UK drive could well see the Soul move further up this list. Watch this space.

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5. Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf, in first-generation form, set the mould for the affordable electric car approaching a decade ago – and in new second-generation form, it’s back on the top of the pile of contenders who are following in its tread marks.

Having had a 25 per cent boost on battery capacity, the Nissan now leads many of its rivals with a WLTP-certified range of 168 miles. It’s also got significantly more power and torque than its direct predecessor; performs fairly keenly; feels like a more rounded car to drive generally; and has one of the strongest showings here on daily-use practicality for a small family.

A value proposition that’s also improved, and is now on a par with that of a mid-market, conventionally fuelled family hatchback once you take the government’s £3500 PiCG grant into account, cement the car’s market-leading position. It’s our default recommendation for anyone looking to simply replace their fossil-fuelled family hatchback with an electric one well-capable of doing the same job – and doing it well.

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6. Renault Zoe

The Renault Zoe was always an appealing short-hopper electric supermini, even when it was offered with a 22kWh battery and had only 80 miles of real-world range. The car’s usability was enhanced during a mid-life update, however, by a 41kWh battery option which, on a warm day, turns the car into one good for 150 miles of mixed real-world use.

Now there is a comprehensively updated version with a significantly refreshed design plus a 52kWh battery and up to 245 miles of range on the WLTP cycle. It still offers strong value for money against its competitors, with battery lease options making ownership that big more accessible and the UK government’s PiCG incentive bringing the car’s entry price down to a smidge above £20,000. It’s also still pleasing to drive: very nippy and fairly quiet – albeit with some leaden feel to the controls.

Renault’s battery hire option spreads out cost of ownership (although it has been blamed by some for doing more harm than good to the residual values of electric cars generally), and the car’s price includes installation of a fast-charge port at home.

Finally, whereas previously the Zoe couldn’t be rapid-charged at the motorway services quite as quickly as certain rivals, CCS fast charging is now an option, meaning the Zoe remains a fine entry point into EV ownership.

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7. BMW i3

The i3 has a rare quality for an electric car: multi-faceted appeal. You might want one because of the way it looks, or for the spritely, involving way it drives; and either way, you might not actually care much that it’s electric, such is the power of the car’s various lures.

While the i3’s short wheelbase can make it feel a touch nervous on motorways, its keen handling ensures it thrives in the urban environment for which it’s designed.

That’s helped by its innovative carbonfibre-reinforced plastic chassis, which ensures the car is remarkably light. The 168bhp electric motor (rising to 181bhp for the i3S) offers peak torque at zero revs; and so, although the car’s top speed is only 99mph, it has strong performance getting there which wouldn’t shame a warm hatchback.

Using that performance does impact on the car’s true electric range, although the addition of a 42.2kWh battery at the beginning of 2019 has finally taken the i3 through the 150-mile barrier on real-world range.

Until recently BMW offered a range-extender version with a backup petrol engine, but it discontinued the i3 REX in 2018.

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8. MG ZS EV

Chinese-owned MG is enjoyed a small but noticeable renaissance as a maker of affordable, practical cars, and the electric ZS EV continues that trend, albeit not with compromise.

This crossover uses a water-cooled 44.5kWh battery to drive a 141bhp motor under the bonnet. Admittedly, the real-world driving range of around 165 miles is beaten by many rivals, but you’ll pay less than £25,000 for the basic ZS EV, which is an impressively spacious, easy-going car with an unexpectedly supple ride.

8. Hyundai Ioniq Electric

The Hyundai Ioniq is a bit of a rarity amongst family hatchbacks in that it’s available with choice of electric, petrol-electric hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertains.

The EV version does without the independent multi-link rear suspension of the others, in order to pack in a new 38Wh lithium ion battery pack that makes for a real-world range in the region of 190 miles.

Power is also up, and where the original Ioniq EV produced just 118bhp, the latest version makes a healthier 134bhp and 291lb ft. Driving dynamics aren’t bad, but won’t set your pulse racing: the steering has reasonable weight but is somewhat vague, and this is a car happiest being driven well within its limits.

As EVs go, the Ioniq is practical and good value with decent usable range, but doesn’t get our recommendation above other family-minded models – not least those in the Hyundai family.

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10. Volkswagen e-Up

As with the e-Golf, Volkswagen has based this EV on its existing city car in order to drive down costs through shared parts.

And driving the e-Up will certainly feel familiar to those familiar with the conventional version: the 81bhp motor sits up front, and the additional weight of the 230kg, 18.7kWh battery pack doesn’t affect the ride too much, even if the steering lacks feel. Claimed range is 75-100 miles.

Mechanically well-executed, but the compact size makes it an expensive option that lacks usability compared with some.

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