Top 10 Best Electric Cars 2019

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2. 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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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. Renault Zoe R110

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.

The Zoe 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 below £20,000. It’s also pleasing to drive: very nippy and fairly quiet – albeit with some leaden feel to the controls, and some quickly gathering body control problems at higher A- and B-road speeds.

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.

Unlike other EVs, the Zoe isn’t one that can be rapid-charged at the motorway services quite as quickly as certain rivals, and that does erode its usability somewhat. Even so, the Zoe remains a fine entry point into EV ownership. 

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5. Volkswagen e-Golf

Perhaps the biggest complement you can pay the e-Golf is that it feels much like any other Golf. It occupies the same dimensions as other seventh-generation five-door models; aside from a slight reduction in boot space due to the underfloor lithium ion batteries, it’s just as practical; and it can be bought for less than £30,000 after government purchase incentive, so it’s only as expensive as an upper-mid range Golf with a petrol or diesel engine.

The e-Golf is powered by a 134bhp motor that delivers 199lb ft of torque, with 33.2kWh of usable battery capacity offering a claimed NEDC range of up to 186 miles; which is more like 120- in real-world use.

Performance is as strong as you’d expect to find in any typical five-door hatchback, and considerably better at town speeds, while the car’s handling disguises its mass very cleverly and its practicality is strong.

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6. 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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7. 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 28kWh lithium ion battery pack which makes for a real-world range in the region of 120 miles.

The Ioniq EV produces just 118bhp, but with 218lb ft of torque it can reach 62mph in under 10 seconds. 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, and worth considering against rivals such as the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 if you're going to make regular use of the back seats and boot.

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8. Opel Ampera-e

The original Vauxhall Ampera was a range-extender plug-in hybrid with a separate petrol engine, but the model name has now been applied to a smaller, purely electric hatchback. Partly as a result of General Motors’ sale of the Opel/Vauxhall business to French automotive group PSA Peugeot-Citroen, it never went on sale in the UK, although a left-hand drive example could certainly be imported.

The Ampera-e features a notably high-capacity battery pack, with 288 cells delivering 60kWh: enough for a claimed range of 236 miles on the WLTP schedule. The car’s seating-position is MPV-high, the interior is stylish and there’s good rear legroom and a decent 381-litre boot. With 201bhp and 266lb ft of torque, it’s pleasing to drive, and good value for money being priced from the equivalent of £30,000 in Germany.

9. Kia Soul EV

Based on the conventionally powered version of the Soul hatchback, the EV gets revamped styling and a reworked, more rigid structure.

The single trim option includes an 8.0in touchscreen and other features. Power is drawn from a 27kWh battery. Real-world range is just over 100 miles, with reasonable if not strong performance available from the car’s 109bhp electric motor.

The whole package feels dated: it doesn’t ride or handle brilliantly, and it’s not substantially cheaper than newer rivals with greater range and dynamic ability. A replacement version is imminent, and ought to move this car up our rankings by some way.

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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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Read more:

10 Best Premium Electric Cars 2019

10 Best Hybrid Hatchbacks 2019

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