Cheap electric cars are more appealing than ever
Editor Paul Barker explains how a recent Auto Express test revealed just how much value for money there is to be found in a low-cost EV
We had a fascinating day recently, driving half a dozen of the cheapest electric cars around and covering plenty of miles to see how far these baby EVs can go on a charge in the real world.
The six were split into distinct groups. The two most affordable cars feel very obviously cheap inside. I don’t think I’d want to cover big miles in the Leapmotor T03 or Dacia Spring, but they are capable, low-cost options for an urban runaround second car that’ll cost pennies to run.
When I checked Auto Express’s marketplace, you could get a Spring for under £11,500, or £143 a month, or the Leapmotor T03 for less than £14,500. I’m not sure either will emerge from the Government’s Electric Car Grant chaos with anything more off, but that still puts them among the cheapest cars you can buy.
The other four cars feel notably more grown up and complete. The BYD Dolphin Surf, Fiat Grande Panda, Hyundai Inster and Renault 5 are all compelling options that, if you can charge at home and don’t frequently cover big distances, have plenty of appeal. The Panda and 5 in particular have bags of character, whereas the Inster is a different, more sensible car that prioritises impressive cabin space (a well documented weakness of the Renault) over style.
A big criticism of electric cars has long been that they are not affordable enough to encourage people to make the switch. But setting aside the new Electric Car Grant, we now have a whole spectrum of sensibly priced EVs. Panda apart – it’s so new, we had to borrow a left-hand-drive car for our test – any of these models can be had for under £250 a month on lease, depending on size of deposit. Low prices don’t mean there’s no discount for buying outright, either – unless you want the 5, because right now Renault is selling every car it can get its hands on.
In the Auto Express marketplace, the average saving on a new BYD Dolphin Surf is £1,300-plus, more than £2,000 on a T03, and over £3,000 on the others, so there are some hugely enticing deals around. But the key thing is that these aren’t for glorified milk floats. With home charging, you can do all the urban running around you like, in a well equipped, stylish and perky performer, for not much more up front – and a load less on fuel – than with the equivalent petrol supermini.
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