Top 10 best small electric cars 2023

Small hatchbacks, oregon superminis – the Fiesta, Polo, Clio etc. – are consistently among the astir fashionable cars successful the UK, truthful wherefore should that alteration with electrical cars? After all, their compact size, applicable interiors and light, nimble handling couldn’t beryllium much suited to our backmost roads and suburbs.

Of course, batteries are costly and much easy hidden successful thing SUV-shaped, which means that we’ve seen astir of the innovation successful the bigger segments, with the mid-size EV and the family EV classes filling up rapidly with precise competitory models.

But that doesn’t mean that determination aren’t immoderate bully options if you privation to thrust an electrical car without taking up much roadworthy than you person to. With a spot of cautious driving, immoderate tiny EVs volition ace 200 miles of range. And if cautious driving is not your style, determination are a fewer options that adjacent person blistery hatch pretentions.

We’ve tested and rated each tiny electrical car presently connected sale. Here is our rundown of those we see to beryllium the precise best.

Best tiny electrical cars 2023

1. Dacia Spring

Pros: Very cheap, decent to drive

Cons: Short range, somewhat rudimentary inside

If you’re looking for a tiny electrical car, chances are you’re besides looking for an affordable electrical car, and if there’s 1 happening electrical cars thin not to beryllium precise bully at, it’s being affordable. But you tin spot Dacia to bring worth to the table. It’s yet bringing the Dacia Spring Electric to the UK and contempt being based connected the Indian-market Renault Kwid and its terms apt starting with a 2, it’s a precise decent small car.

Of course, you don’t get thing for nothing, truthful the scope is reasonably short: The claimed 140-ish miles of artillery scope should construe to thing betwixt 90 and 120 miles successful mixed real-world driving. 50kW DC charging isn’t much, but past the artillery is lone 26.8kWh truthful it’ll inactive capable up quickly.

On the roadworthy it has a breezy, agile and energetic mode astir it that speaks of its lightness and compactness and portion you won’t confuse its refinement and show for that of a Mercedes S-Class, oregon adjacent a Peugeot e-208, it’s each overmuch amended than you mightiness expect for the money.

Where the Spring betrays its worth positioning the astir is successful the interior, with a deficiency of adjustability successful its driving presumption and reasonably rudimentary materials. Then again, a facelift is planned successful 2024 that ought to amended those things. With the Sandero, Jogger and Duster, Dacia has proved it’s an adept astatine injecting a spot of flair into a compartment without breaking the bank, truthful that bodes well.

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2. Peugeot e-208

Pros: Good artillery scope for the price, comfy ride, decent performance

Cons: Soft suspension impacts assemblage power astatine speed, immoderate low-rent materials, somewhat cramped rear seats

As a accepted combustion-engined supermini, the Peugeot 208 doesn't bash an atrocious batch to basal retired from the crowd. However, successful all-electric guise, our roadworthy testers reckon it's 1 of the astir appealing tiny cars determination is. That’s acknowledgment to its premix of genuinely usable range, beardown performance, value, practicality, style, perceived prime and, past but not least, operator appeal. Essentially, it deserves to fig highly if you're buying for your archetypal electrical car.

Unlike much low-rent-feeling electrical cars, this Peugeot's materially affluent and distinctive interior distinguishes it conscionable arsenic intelligibly arsenic the stylish bodywork. Its practicality is connected a par with the Renault Zoe's and amended than successful a Mini Electric, some of which are cardinal considerations for cars similar this. During our testing, we recovered that the e-208’s refinement beats some of those cardinal rivals, too, portion show is inactive reasonably strong. Certainly, you get an capable dose of that electric-motor-enabled zip.

The car besides rides with a suppleness missing from immoderate smaller EVs, which often conflict to incorporate their assemblage wide connected the road, portion successful its higher-speed assemblage movements, it doesn't consciousness arsenic dense arsenic cardinal rivals. The steering is striking for its directness, though assemblage power deteriorates a small if you thrust much enthusiastically. Even so, it's the roundedness of the e-208's driving acquisition that truly impresses. Its claimed scope of 225 miles isn't to beryllium sniffed at, either. A longer-range mentation is owed soon, but mightiness besides beryllium a chunk much expensive.r.

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3. Fiat 500

Pros: Handsome styling, decent tech, drives good astatine speed

Cons: Overly-high driving position, so-so real-world range, mediocre pedal placement

Fiat's exemplary scope is present somewhat confusing, due to the fact that the aged car lives connected arsenic the Fiat 500 Hybrid (despite being lone a mild hybrid). The 1 you want, however, is the caller electric 500. It mightiness look familiar, but it's lone erstwhile you spot them broadside by broadside that you realise the caller electrical 500 is wholly new.

Fiat has done a marvellous occupation astatine retaining the modern-day 500's cute retro looks, portion making it into a car for the modern age. Because it was developed arsenic a purely electrical car from the outset, it has a reasonably sizeable (for a tiny car) 42kWh artillery and a theoretical WLTP laboratory trial scope of 199 miles, adjacent if we discovered that translates to much similar 140 miles successful real-world use. There is simply a cheaper Fiat 500 Action model with a 24kWh pack, but we don’t deliberation the fiscal savings are large capable to offset the overmuch shorter range.

The electrical Fiat drives substantially amended than immoderate different 500 arsenic well, with its 117bhp centrifugal making it amazingly zippy and amusive for a metropolis car. Yes, we recovered the steering to beryllium rather light, but there's plentifulness of grip and an lack of assemblage rotation - and portion it's not precisely astatine location connected the motorway, it copes remarkably well.

The interior is besides a monolithic betterment implicit erstwhile 500s too. It's inactive rather plasticky, but it looks great, the seats are comfy and the infotainment is logical and responsive. There's adjacent a convertible exemplary with a roll-back canvas roof. It's inactive not large for gangly drivers, though, and it goes without saying that you shouldn't program connected carrying adults successful the rear precise often.

Inflation and the decease of the plug-in car assistance person not been benignant to the Fiat 500 Electric’s database price, however. At launch, you could bargain 1 for nether £20,000, but present the scope starts astatine £28,195. If you privation the longer-range version, you’ll request to fork retired astatine slightest £31,195. That's a just chunk of alteration for specified a tiny tot, but we’re inactive rather fond of this tiny, fashionable EV that’s amazingly bully to thrust erstwhile you flight the city.

There’s present besides a faster, blistery hatch mentation called the Abarth 500e. With 152bhp, stiffer suspension and sharper steering, it’s adjacent much amusive to thrust than the Fiat, but the scope takes a spot of a hit. It’s expensive, too, starting astatine £34,195.

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4. Vauxhall Corsa Electric

Pros: Decent real-world range, refined

Cons: Not overmuch amusive to drive, cramped rear seats, imperfect driving position

Vauxhall's sibling to the Peugeot e-208 doesn't rather person the benignant oregon its imaginatively configured interior, but due to the fact that it’s mostly the aforesaid underneath, it’s inactive 1 of the champion tiny electrical cars.

Early versions were a small down the Peugeot connected range, but an update successful 2022 that added a taller last thrust ratio and a modular vigor pump lifted the scope from 209 to 222 miles. There’s a facelift coming aboriginal this twelvemonth with a thoroughly revised beforehand end, a caller multimedia strategy and a bigger artillery giving a 246-mile WLTP range. Unfortunately, that besides comes with a chunky terms increase, to astatine slightest £35,125.

The Corsa mightiness beryllium a small plainer than the Peugeot but to our eyes, it inactive looks handsome enough. The driving acquisition combines genuine 190-mile mundane artillery scope with keen and competent handling and a comfy ride, portion 100kW DC accelerated charging compatibility arsenic modular should beryllium a selling constituent too. Vauxhall besides has acquisition incentives for a escaped location charger installation and entree to a peculiar location vigor tariff.

Vauxhall's ample UK trader web and the brand's tendency to connection immoderate decent discounts has helped to marque this 1 of the UK's best-selling EVs, converting radical who hadn't antecedently considered electrical motoring. Our testers reckon it's surely bully capable to permission the close benignant of impression.

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5. Jeep Avenger

Pros: Long range, blase feel, idiosyncratic styling

Cons: Expensive

What’s a immense Jeep SUV doing successful this database of the champion tiny EVs? Well, this is simply a Jeep similar nary that person travel before. Aside from the Wrangler’s insignificant cult following, Jeeps person ne'er truly caught connected successful Europe, truthful here’s the archetypal Jeep that was designed and engineered for Europe successful Europe, and it volition besides beryllium built here. So European-centric is the Jeep Avenger, successful fact, that it won’t adjacent beryllium sold successful the US. At 4.08 metres successful length, the Avenger is pitched astatine the bosom of the booming supermini SUV.

It’s the 2023 European car of the year, acknowledgment to its 249-mile WLTP scope from the 51kWh battery, applicable interior with tons of retention abstraction and composed and supple roadworthy manners. This car feels similar it sits towards the much blase extremity of the class.

In this class, worth is important, though, and the Avenger starts astatine £35,700. Range-topping Summit trim adjacent commands £39,600. That gets you into a bigger, much luxurious car.

6. Renault Zoe

Pros: Excellent worth for money, quiet, decent range

Cons: Very mediocre information rating, lone charges astatine 50kW maximum, lacks sparkle astatine speed

The satellite of EVs is moving quickly, truthful it would beryllium wholly tenable to deliberation that the Renault Zoe is present a relic. It would besides beryllium precise wrong. It has ne'er been the astir breathtaking EV, but the existent procreation was a important measurement up compared with the original. With its 52kWh battery, it tin screen up to 239 miles of laboratory trial scope connected a charge, and that's alternatively embarrassing for immoderate of the much costly options connected this list. We’ve recovered the real-world scope to beryllium person to 190 miles, which is inactive beauteous strong.

Annoyingly, accelerated charging capableness is simply a £1200 option, and adjacent then, 50kW is thing to constitute location about. Prices commencement astatine £29,995 for a Techno without accelerated charging, portion the Iconic costs £31,995 and tin accelerated complaint arsenic modular and adds 17in wheels.

The Zoe is broadly pleasing to drive, and we recovered it to beryllium precise nippy, reasonably quiescent and with a bully thrust astir town. At higher speeds, it tin consciousness somewhat unsettled and there's a somewhat leaden consciousness to the controls. The interior and infotainment are substantially improved from the past generation.

However, crash trial results published by information assemblage Euro NCAP astatine the extremity of 2021 awarded the latest mentation of the Zoe a zero-star rating, being captious successful peculiar of its offset frontal and broadside interaction protection. At 1 stage, the Zoe led Europe's embryonic EV market. Now, it’s inactive a precise decent worth option. With that said, its much stylish Renault 5 EV replacement volition beryllium precise welcome.

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7. BYD Dolphin

Pros: Long range, bully value, precise good equipped

Cons: Woolly handling, frustrating power interfaces

If you are aft worth for wealth these days, peculiarly for an EV, the incoming Chinese manufacturers are a bully spot to start. The latest institution with large plans for Europe is BYD, which is rapidly gathering a afloat scope of electrical cars. The smallest, for now, is the Dolphin.

It is by nary means the champion car connected this list, but fixed the introduction level exemplary costs £25,490, rising to £30,990 for the afloat loaded long-range version, immoderate of its flaws tin beryllium excused.

The handling is rather woolly and the leatherette is simply a spot naff, but the main occupation of each BYDs is that the infotainment strategy is infuriating. Even though the surface is huge, it hides important settings successful heavy submenus and doesn’t integrate with telephone mirroring precise well.

However, you get each the instrumentality you could perchance privation for, the thrust is reasonably plush and real-world scope that’s comfortably implicit 200 miles is not to beryllium sniffed at. The Dolphin is besides a tad larger than the different cars connected this list, truthful it offers much interior abstraction arsenic well.

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8. Mini Electric

Pros: Good amusive to drive, handsome styling, punchy performance

Cons: Poor real-world range, tiny battery, not peculiarly practical

The Mini Electric brings each of the amusive origin you expect of the marque to the compact EV conception – albeit packaged with a fewer arsenic emblematic usability restrictions. Based exclusively connected the three-door Mini bodyshell, the Mini Electric adopts the powertrain from the present defunct BMW i3S, giving it a precise steadfast 181bhp and 199lb ft of torque. We recovered show to beryllium notably stronger than galore of the cars you mightiness comparison it with successful this list, portion we enjoyed the grippy, darty and agile handling: each the enduring dynamic traditions of the Mini brand. We similar it a lot.

Range is the catch. Mini claims 143 miles, but successful reality, depending connected however and wherever you thrust it, you're much apt to get betwixt 100 and 120 miles. And that's successful a car with a beauteous tiny footwear and whose backmost seats are tricky to entree and of small usage for anyone but younger kids anyway. Then there's the information that, with prices starting astatine a small nether £30,000, we don’t deliberation this is the astir cost-effective compact EV option.

Yes, the Mini is inactive 1 of the much enjoyable tiny EVs, but the abbreviated scope means it’s nary longer bully capable to beryllium astatine the apical of this list. The bully quality is that an all-new mentation should onshore aboriginal adjacent twelvemonth with bigger artillery options. We’ve had a little spell successful a prototype and it’s adjacent amended to thrust than the existent one, too.

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7. Mazda MX-30

Pros: Upmarket interior, astute styling, crisp steering

Cons: Range is excessively short, impractical rear doors, not arsenic airy arsenic it should be

Mazda has ne'er been acrophobic to bash things its ain way, and the attack it has taken with its archetypal all-electric car is nary different.

The MX-30 is truthful not rather what you'd expect, but it's an appealing proposition each the same. Toy-car looks are wrapped astir an unusually tiny artillery battalion – conscionable 35.5kWh, giving an authoritative scope of 124 miles – due to the fact that Mazda believes owners simply won't request immoderate more, and expanding the size of the artillery would mean unnecessary outgo and weight.

The car is reasonably spacious within, has an SUV-lite assemblage that is precise overmuch connected trend, and is trimmed successful absorbing materials that springiness the compartment a singularly cosy and likeable atmosphere. It besides includes distinctive termination rear doors - a motion to the brand's aged rotary-powered RX-8 coupé - but we recovered them somewhat impractical successful day-to-day use.

Dynamically, the MX-30 besides stands retired - though lone erstwhile you're travelling with a spot of gait connected an absorbing road. With 143bhp and 199lb ft, the electrical centrifugal didn’t stroke our socks disconnected successful a consecutive line, but the weighting of the MX-30's steering and the supple mode successful which the suspension transfers value portion cornering are genuinely reminiscent of the MX-5 sports car. Around town, however, we recovered it a small plain.

Charging astatine up to 50kW is possible, and if the constricted scope works for you, determination is plentifulness to similar astir the antithetic Mazda MX-30. It could beryllium an effectual 2nd car.

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10. Honda E

Pros: Eye-catching styling, zippy performance, blase thrust and handling

Cons: Short artillery range, expensive, tiny boot

Honda has taken a left-field attack with its archetypal all-electric car, the Honda E - which is unusually compact for an electrical car, and innovative successful respective ways.

A rear-mounted centrifugal promises packaging ratio (although the car itself fails to travel done with it), portion all-independent suspension heralds the thrust and handling sophistication of a bigger car.

The E is disposable successful 134bhp and 152bhp forms, but neither has rather the artillery capableness of rivals: 35.5kWh gross is each you get here, which makes for a claimed WLTP scope of 136 miles maximum (with the car rolling connected 16in wheels). In testing, we struggled to get overmuch much than 100 from our trial car, which had 17in rims.

To drive, the E feels plush, composed and casual to operate, with medium-paced steering but a choky turning circle, and mean but responsive performance. It didn’t excite us, and it doesn't connection the past connection successful inheritance assemblage control, but it's a relaxing zero-emissions metropolis car and its alternate styling is exceptionally endearing. It's helped present by genuine one-pedal driving, which erstwhile mastered delivers greater operator engagement and enhanced efficiency.

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