The 10 Best Budget Electric Cars

The Zoe is easily one of the best budget electric cars available today, and Renault have been regularly updating the car for over a decade, meaning they’ve learnt a lot about what works. What’s particularly impressive about this little hatchback is its range – it can do up to 238 miles on a single charge, meaning it competes well with bigger, pricier competitors. 

The Zoe is a pleasure to drive and handles city streets particularly well. All models come with a parking camera and sensors to help you squeeze into narrow parking spots, and offer a generous amount of equipment as standard. 

Despite being a budget car, it doesn’t feel ‘cheap’ inside. You get a good quality 9.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, plus a display behind the steering wheel. The Zoe is also fairly spacious, with a decent amount of legroom for rear passengers too. 

This five-door hatchback was first introduced in 2009, and has gone from strength to strength since then. As one of the world’s best-selling EVs, the Nissan Leaf is an incredibly practical electric car which offers fantastic ease of use. Another positive is that the Leaf is built in the UK, so getting spare parts might be easier than with other brands. 

As with the Zoe, being a ‘budget’ car doesn’t mean the Leaf scrimps on range. Nissan reports that recent models such as the E+ can do up to 239 miles on a single charge, which is more than enough for most trips. The car comes with generous equipment and plenty of safety features, receiving a 5-star rating from testing organisation Euro NCAP. It also gives you quite a bit of storage space – with 435 litres of boot space.

The electric version of Volkswagen’s popular Golf is a familiar way into owning your first EV. This familiarity is part of what makes this one of the best electric budget cars. Other than the fact it doesn’t have a petrol-powered engine, it feels very similar to a traditional Golf. It’s really nice to drive, handles corners well and is pretty nippy – offering one of the better driving experiences among lower-priced EVs today. 

Inside, you’ll find a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system you can connect your phone to. The interior generally feels high quality, refined and comfortable. You also get a decent amount of space in the boot (341 litres) – enough for a couple of suitcases. 

Recent editions of the e-Golf offer 144 miles of range. Not the best range on this list, but perfectly sufficient for commutes, getting around town and shorter journeys. 

Did you know, the average car in the UK only travels 20 miles per day? This is where the Citroen Ami fits in. Although it has a limited range of 46.6 miles on a single charge, it’s more than enough for most city-dwellers who just want something to nip around town in. And coming in at just £7,965 for a new model, this 2022 vehicle is clearly one of the best electric cars on a budget. We really like the bubble design of this car, with plenty of personalisation options available too. 

This is a dinky little vehicle, coming in at just 2.42 metres – which makes parking easy. It technically isn’t actually a car either (you don’t need a driving licence to own one) – rather, it’s a quadricycle. With a maximum speed of 28mph, you won’t be getting anywhere fast. But for short commutes, trips to the shops or on the school run, it’s a great option.  

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric is up there among the best electric cars on a budget. With used models starting from around £15,000, you get a practical, well-built EV that is especially suited to families. Although it’s a hatchback, it feels like a saloon and has a generous boot space of 357 litres – one of the biggest on this list. 

The range is good (up to 193 miles), and some of the more recent editions have higher-quality interiors and technology. There’s a big 10.25-inch display for connecting apps and your Apple/Android devices, plus Hyundai’s clever Bluelink connectivity tech – allowing you to check on the car remotely, get live traffic updates, use voice commands and more.

The Kia Soul EV is undoubtedly one of the best budget electric cars around, with used models starting from as little as £11,000. It’s an SUV, but its funky shape and bold design mean it doesn’t look quite like anything else on the road. Inside, you get a lot of great tech – including an easy-to-use touchscreen infotainment system, adjustable seats (on some editions), DAB radio and compatibility with Apple and Android phones. It’s also very comfortable, offering a high-quality trim. 

The range of the Kia Soul EV is impressive – more recent versions can deliver up to 280 miles on a single charge. Since it’s an SUV, you get a decent amount of boot space of 314 litres, with even more if you put the seats flat – making it a very practical vehicle. 

It’s also one of the more enjoyable to drive affordable EVs, with decent acceleration, traction control (essentially, it doesn’t swing so much when turning corners) and brakes that feel less sharp than other EVs. 

This compact electric car is fantastic for urban adventures, and its combination of competitive price and practicality makes it one of the best electric cars on a budget. Just like the Citroen Ami, this is a small car designed specifically for short trips around cities. Its range of 81 miles means it’s best suited to commutes, shopping trips and similar journeys – and it does this exceptionally well. The car is also only 2.7m in length – perfect for parking in tight spots. 

Inside it’s as comfortable as you could reasonably expect from such a small vehicle, with adjustable seats allowing you to find the right height. The car has an 8-inch touchscreen that you can connect with your Android or Smartphone for GPS, music and other apps. 

The BMW i3 is easily one of the best electric budget cars, arguably being one of the best EVs ever produced. Sadly, BMW stopped production in 2022, but there are still many models available on the used market, meaning you can own a seriously innovative car with premium touches for a very reasonable price. 

Outside, it’s got a very futuristic look, including rear doors which open ‘backwards’ (with a hinge to the rear). Inside there’s loads of space for what is a fairly small car, partially thanks to its thin, yet comfortable seats. You get really good equipment – a modern infotainment system, heated front seats and BMW’s ConnectedDrive technology which provides traffic information, navigation and other handy stuff. 

The i3’s range tops out at 190 miles, best thought of as a city car you mainly use for commuting – though it can handle longer trips too. It’s nice to drive overall, handles as well as you’d expect from a BMW, and has impressive acceleration. There are sportier versions available too, including a range-extender hybrid. The compact size and shape of the i3 make parking a doddle, and its snub nose means you have a really clear view of the road.

The Mii Electric is easily one of the best budget electric cars. This solid all-rounder is easy to drive, offers a reasonable amount of space inside, and gives you all the essentials you need at a competitive price. 

The Mii Electric is primarily a city car but handles b-roads and even motorways pretty well too. The range is also decent, giving you up to 161 miles on a full charge. Given its size, it still offers enough space inside for passengers – at least for shorter journeys. Up front, you get a simple analogue dial (rather than the big touch screens found in most modern cars), but if you’re happy navigating with your phone’s GPS, it’s more than enough. 

This funky two-seater vehicle will turn heads wherever it goes. First released in 2012, it’s stayed in production ever since and is a great example of futuristic thinking for urban mobility. Starting from £6,000 used, it’s definitely one of the best electric cars on a budget. 

Like the Citroen Ami, the Renault Twizy is technically a quadricycle, meaning it’s not allowed on motorways and it has a top speed of 45 miles per hour. With its 56-mile range, the Twizy is definitely designed as a city car, with some models not even coming with full doors or windows. Still, it does what it’s intended to very well – letting you zip around town and park practically anywhere. This is intentionally a compact car, so don’t expect loads of legroom or comfort. But it’ll take you to the shops, the station or the office with ease while keeping you sheltered from the elements.